Is there any talk of Star Wars Galaxies going free to play Like EQ2 Extended?  If  so would you play it?

I read about a rumor on this site in an article that claimed a major MMORPG title was going to use a form of F2P.

I bet there is a discussion about going to a buy 2 play model with DLC like content, which EA I think has more faith in than Bioware (just based on numbers involved with Dragon Age).

If testers are finding the game to be a stand-alone single player experience more so than a MMO I could see a 59.99 tag on this with an item shop or maybe even just content packs. The most successful MMO release recently finacially I would bet was the Star Wars Clone Wars game by Sony, and I bet that turned some heads.

I know we'll be paying for a box on this one. I'm just not sure if a monthly fee will be the only revenue generating move decided by the companies involved.

No more preorders for me though so I will pick this up possibly a good amount of time after launch. I doubt anyone would steal my name so there's no need to be on there day 1 anyway.

Originally posted by erickdefores

Is there any talk of Star Wars Galaxies going free to play Like EQ2 Extended?  If  so would you play it?

 To the first responder this is about the first Star Wars mmorpg not The Old Republic and to the op I don't think that Sony has any interest in breathing any life into SWG so I would be really surprised if they did.

Theartist, i think you are talking about Star wars the old republic, not star wars galaxies. The OP is referring to galaxies the one being run by sony.

He/she is wondering if the Galaxies version is going FTP.

As for the topic? it might if they lose much more of their population.  They might try this shortly after the release of the old republic to get in on the hype that will follow the release.

Since EQ2, I have also wondered if SWG would go F2P.  There is speculation about this in the SWG community as well, though no hard facts to support it, to my knowledge.

However, as I think of SWG as F2P I wonder how well that would work.  SWG is such an open-world sandbox game that trying to do micro transaction for contect and items sounds hard to do in such a setting.  I guess time will tell.

Oh right. Deh' I should've paid attention.

On topic; SoE isn't having quite the success Turbine is, and that's based only on what I've seen in both games and looking about at discussion sites like this. I bet we see it soon tho', why not try with a bigger IP?

Yes I feel the same.   But My experiance with the NGE is limited to the first month after switching  so I dont know how the game would transfer to a money making FTP.

But then I didnt see how EQ2 would transfer...  I cant speek for how well EQ 2 is doing for revinue but for a couple months it was packed full of new people. 

I would give Star Wars Galaxies a month or 2 if it went FTP.

Originally posted by theartist

Oh right. Deh' I should've paid attention.

On topic; SoE isn't having quite the success Turbine is, and that's based only on what I've seen in both games and looking about at discussion sites like this. I bet we see it soon tho', why not try with a bigger IP?

A bigger IP?  There's not many out there bigger than Star Wars

Originally posted by erickdefores

Is there any talk of Star Wars Galaxies going free to play Like EQ2 Extended?  If  so would you play it?

With the game in its present pitiful raped condition, you could not PAY ME to play it.

I would have to say no.  Although I have been wrong before.  Games like EQ2 and LOTR, the F2p  model works.  Just cant see F2P model working for SWG. 

There's one MEGA hurdle facing SWG though...what would they sell?

Unlike EQ2 or LOTRO or nearly any other game, there's nothing for SWG to sell. SWG hasn't had anything more than a tweak for the past 3 years. There are no expansion zones to buy, no "quest packs" to be interested in.

The closest they could get is maybe selling TCG loot, but that removes the whole "luck" thing from the TCG, which is paramount to its success. If players could simply flat out "buy" whatever it is, it would destroy the economy they've created for the TCG. They add in 15 crap items, 3 "nice" items. It's that fight for the RARE that has kept the TCG going.

And face it guys...with 2-3 Devs only, SWG is lucky to be running. There's simply not enough, nor will there ever be enough, developer resources to make it even almost possible. SoE missed their chance with this one.

Originally posted by TUX426

There's one MEGA hurdle facing SWG though...what would they sell?

Unlike EQ2 or LOTRO or nearly any other game, there's nothing for SWG to sell. SWG hasn't had anything more than a tweak for the past 3 years. There are no expansion zones to buy, no "quest packs" to be interested in.

The closest they could get is maybe selling TCG loot, but that removes the whole "luck" thing from the TCG, which is paramount to its success. If players could simply flat out "buy" whatever it is, it would destroy the economy they've created for the TCG. They add in 15 crap items, 3 "nice" items. It's that fight for the RARE that has kept the TCG going.

And face it guys...with 2-3 Devs only, SWG is lucky to be running. There's simply not enough, nor will there ever be enough, developer resources to make it even almost possible. SoE missed their chance with this one.

 Well stated as usual and an opinon about SWG I would listen to if I would gauge by the posts I've read from you before.  The bottom line is the amount of work it would take to make this game a viable f2p game would probably be best served with them simply making an SWG2 so I doubt we would ever see this particular game go f2p.

Originally posted by TUX426

There's one MEGA hurdle facing SWG though...what would they sell?

Unlike EQ2 or LOTRO or nearly any other game, there's nothing for SWG to sell. SWG hasn't had anything more than a tweak for the past 3 years. There are no expansion zones to buy, no "quest packs" to be interested in.

The closest they could get is maybe selling TCG loot, but that removes the whole "luck" thing from the TCG, which is paramount to its success. If players could simply flat out "buy" whatever it is, it would destroy the economy they've created for the TCG. They add in 15 crap items, 3 "nice" items. It's that fight for the RARE that has kept the TCG going.

And face it guys...with 2-3 Devs only, SWG is lucky to be running. There's simply not enough, nor will there ever be enough, developer resources to make it even almost possible. SoE missed their chance with this one.

Very true. 

Knowing SoE, they'd probably take a few classes away in f2p, overpower them, and put them up for sale.  Jedi, certainly.

They could sell off some of the planets, maybe Tattoine and Correlia.  Probably JtL.  All the expansions.  That's about all I can think of, offhand.  Multiplayer and special ships.  "Mounts"...

Originally posted by Warmaker

Originally posted by theartist

Oh right. Deh' I should've paid attention.

On topic; SoE isn't having quite the success Turbine is, and that's based only on what I've seen in both games and looking about at discussion sites like this. I bet we see it soon tho', why not try with a bigger IP?

A bigger IP?  There's not many out there bigger than Star Wars

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Their pirate game was a B effort at best and we all know after 2003 EverQuest just didn't have the same glamore it once held with the community. To top Turbine's MMOs adding a F2P option to their other play options; throwing the name Star Wars out into the market would be the biggest Free 2 Play Hybrid change made to date.

I think Sony has to work with EA, but that sort of move could dampen the winds billowing in TOR's sails at the moment.

SWG will never go F2P.  The only reason its still afloat now is because so many people run multiple accounts.  I know several who in the 10 to 15 active account range.  If they went F2P they would take a huge loss.  That and they make a ton off those same multi-account holder types through their trading card game(lottery).

---

Originally posted by erickdefores
Yes I feel the same.   But My experiance with the NGE is limited to the first month after switching  so I dont know how the game would transfer to a money making FTP.
 
But then I didnt see how EQ2 would transfer...  I cant speek for how well EQ 2 is doing for revinue but for a couple months it was packed full of new people. 
 
I would give Star Wars Galaxies a month or 2 if it went FTP.

---

Originally posted by theartist

Originally posted by Warmaker

Originally posted by theartist

Oh right. Deh' I should've paid attention.

On topic; SoE isn't having quite the success Turbine is, and that's based only on what I've seen in both games and looking about at discussion sites like this. I bet we see it soon tho', why not try with a bigger IP?

A bigger IP?  There's not many out there bigger than Star Wars

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Their pirate game was a B effort at best and we all know after 2003 EverQuest just didn't have the same glamore it once held with the community. To top Turbine's MMOs adding a F2P option to their other play options; throwing the name Star Wars out into the market would be the biggest Free 2 Play Hybrid change made to date.

I think Sony has to work with EA, but that sort of move could dampen the winds billowing in TOR's sails at the moment.

 The match made in he!!, for the customer that is. With respect.

F2P?

Free is not in SOE'S vocabulary

Originally posted by sentry13

SWG will never go F2P.  The only reason its still afloat now is because so many people run multiple accounts.  I know several who in the 10 to 15 active account range.  If they went F2P they would take a huge loss.  That and they make a ton off those same multi-account holder types through their trading card game(lottery).

I think you're spot on. It's the multiple MULTIPLE account holders keeping the game alive these days. TCG isn't making money right now - they need to finish DCUO, so they're willing to forgo the bonus bucks from TCG to focus on finally releasing DCUO. TCG is at least 6month behind where it should have been. (link)

Originally posted by TUX426

Originally posted by sentry13

SWG will never go F2P.  The only reason its still afloat now is because so many people run multiple accounts.  I know several who in the 10 to 15 active account range.  If they went F2P they would take a huge loss.  That and they make a ton off those same multi-account holder types through their trading card game(lottery).

I think you're spot on. It's the multiple MULTIPLE account holders keeping the game alive these days. TCG isn't making money right now - they need to finish DCUO, so they're willing to forgo the bonus bucks from TCG to focus on finally releasing DCUO. TCG is at least 6month behind where it should have been. (link)

Well, it looks like the seventh TCG expansion, 'The Price of Victory', is about to release. The new loot cards even include a Cloud City house structure which is sure to pry open the players' wallets.

Here is the link to the official announcment -

http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/tradingcardgame/cardsets.vm?set=tpov

Originally posted by Kazara

Originally posted by TUX426

Originally posted by sentry13

SWG will never go F2P.  The only reason its still afloat now is because so many people run multiple accounts.  I know several who in the 10 to 15 active account range.  If they went F2P they would take a huge loss.  That and they make a ton off those same multi-account holder types through their trading card game(lottery).

I think you're spot on. It's the multiple MULTIPLE account holders keeping the game alive these days. TCG isn't making money right now - they need to finish DCUO, so they're willing to forgo the bonus bucks from TCG to focus on finally releasing DCUO. TCG is at least 6month behind where it should have been. (link)

Well, it looks like the seventh TCG expansion, 'The Price of Victory', is about to release. The new loot cards even include a Cloud City house structure which is sure to pry open the players' wallets.

 

Here is the link to the official announcment -

http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/tradingcardgame/cardsets.vm?set=tpov

Ya know...I saw that and just shook my head. WTF were the odds that it would be released the DAY I point out how f'n behind it is?! Doesn't change what I posted, but I found it amazingly odd.

Now...about them lottery numbers...