While talking during a Lazard Capital Markets Technology & Media Day presentation (via Gamasutra), EA CFO Eric Brown revealed that near 1.5 million have signed up to beta test Star Wars: The Old Republic, apparently confirming there is significant interest in the title. Hey, maybe these guys and gals just like being included in beta testing? Ever think of that, Mr. Brown?

"It's a great indicator in the interest level in the franchise," Brown said. EA's goal is apparently to grab not only diehard MMO players, but also to expand to a much more broad audience -- and Star Wars fans, of course, though we're sure just having "Star Wars" on the box will do that. "For us it's about creating the right experience for expanding from tier 1 and the tier 2 users to getting people who have never played an MMO before, but are interested in Star Wars, to engage and give it a try," Brown added.

Brown hopes that Star Wars: The Old Republic can gain a user base exceeding 12 million, which he estimates is the current number of MMO players out there -- half of whom are in World of Warcraft. "If we do that, our addressable market is well beyond 12 million people ... into more of a general gamer population, pretty much anyone that has a minimum spec personal computer." Now to get 1.5 million people to agree on what the "minimum spec" is for a PC,

we guess.

Link: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/ea-1-5-million-the-old-republic-beta-tester-applicants-cant-be/

{mod edit}

I don't get where you got this Hellen thing since he said it just shows how intrested people are. I mean if I published short video of my incomplete movie on youtube and got 15million hits on I think many studios would be intresting to make it. So don't twist words.

Don't believe me ? Click on the original link. This isn't my story it, all I am doing is sharing the news to fans. :)

12 million subs ? lol EA, wishfull thinking. I do think SWTOR will end up being a major player in the league (let's keep it at 3-4 million, and that is if all things go VERY well)

Where did Brown say in any explicit way he hopes to gain a "userbase exceeding 12 Million"

He said 12 Million western MMO player are "addressable", 10-12 Million western MMO player "to go after".

That just means how many potential there are allready and how many they will ofcourse try to attract. But not how many they expect to play it or how what number they pursue as their current goal. Especially since its all about western playernumbers. Even WoW only has very roughly barely half of that, but more precisely in the hundredthousands not even close anymore and probably ever at all.

Ofc at some point he would like it if 12 Millions played it everyone would do that.

I love suits in the gaming business.

It's like being at the circus.

Every time a suit opens his mouth to spout something game related, I think 'hey, look, the clowns are coming in!'

Ah, once again, some fool developer starts talking "WoW-killer" numbers.

I support this game 100%, and I'm looking forward to trying it out, but talking this kinda talk won't get the game ANYWHERE.

Still, thanx for the link!

The numbers was supposed to be surprising?

I mean, we all agreed that SW:TOR would sell well a long time ago

So long as they also realise that 3/4 won't buy the game because they'll feel offended they don't get in the beta, all is fine.

I seriously hope that Star Wars do not attract more than 1-2 millioin at most, so that the big companies try to do innovative stuff instead of doing these theme park copies.

The "12 million" remark was not saying that they are expecting 12 milliion customers. 12 million just refers to the size of the targeted customer base. In reality, they are trying to target a very large customer base, far exceeding 12 million, but that isn't to say that they are expecting more than 12 million. 

Say I design a game that only targets WoW players. If it is true that they have around 12 million players, then my target customer base is made up of about 12 million people. Thats not to say I'm actually expecting 12 million players.

On Biowares end, they want to target the largest variety of customer bases, yielding the largest amount of players. 

EA should also note that Star Wars has had a huge fan following for...what...25? 30 years?

Sorry but it's not working EA.

Btw if you want to check out what he really said try http://www.wsw.com/webcast/lz10/erts/ for the full audio.

But you must create an account first.

Otherwise there are more quotes that make clear what he really said about the "12 million" number on the following page:

http://www.torlegends.com/articles/news-items/125-eas-cfo-talks-star-wars-the-old-republic.html

Originally posted by MMO.Maverick

I love suits in the gaming business.

It's like being at the circus.

Every time a suit opens his mouth to spout something game related, I think 'hey, look, the clowns are coming in!'

 

This had me chuckling and so true!

Now if only we could look upon bankers, lawyers, and other powers-that-be-and-are-seriously-screwing-us-over, then the world just might be a better place since no one would have ever take them seriously in the first place.

Ah... one can dream eh?

Not many people are into Scifi. Most of the female WOW players I know really can't be bothered with Star Wars as the lore is not that interesting to them. Maybe 2 mil players will play SWTOR and the other 2 mil went to GW2.  Not sure if SWG even have 2 mil when they launched it.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf8oVL_V490&feature=related

 Sums up everything pretty well lol.

Originally posted by Markusan

I seriously hope that Star Wars do not attract more than 1-2 millioin at most, so that the big companies try to do innovative stuff instead of doing these theme park copies.

Trust me, it wont if GW2 releases before SW:ToR. People tired of WoW will go to the first one released. The Star Wars name will have the same effect as the Star Trek name...

StarTrek Fanboi:

WTF GUYS, this isn't the Star Trek philiosophy, I quit!

It doesn't involve tolerance of other species OR I can't explore and find new and unique things

StarWars Fanboi:

WTF GUYS, this isn't the Star Wars philosophy, I quit!

I can't manipulate the Senate as a Jedi / I can't attack {planets/this NPC} at will as a Sith. OR The space game sucks. OR There is a lack of explorable areas.

I know can tell you I'm a Star Wars fanboi, and Star Wars with no politics, is not Star Wars. If you cannot become the Dark Lord of the Sith, you are not a Sith, that is not Star Wars. I know for sure I won't buy a Star Wars game that has nothing of the Star Wars ideology. If as Sith I cannot kill another Sith to display my power, why the hell would you bother playing Sith? If the Sith aren't Sith, why the hell are there Jedis?

Wth... 4 SWTOR threads on the main page? Meh, overkill.

ROFL.  Listen, I am going to be one of those that buy SW:TOR.  No doubt about it... but using beta applicants to project subs is kind of silly.  It's like the company StarVault that used to brag they had 178,000 forum members and that was a good indicator of future growth for the game.   They have concurrent users in the mid to low 3 digit range.. so yeah, using the Forum members didn't exactly work in that case.  SW:TOR is going to be huge.. there is no doubt.  It comes with an enormous pre-built fanbase, but I wouldn't give any more credance to Beta Applicants than I would to Forum Accts...

Originally posted by Slapshot1188

ROFL.  Listen, I am going to be one of those that buy SW:TOR.  No doubt about it... but using beta applicants to project subs is kind of silly.  It's like the company StarVault that used to brag they had 178,000 forum members and that was a good indicator of future growth for the game.   They have concurrent users in the mid to low 3 digit range.. so yeah, using the Forum members didn't exactly work in that case.  SW:TOR is going to be huge.. there is no doubt.  It comes with an enormous pre-built fanbase, but I wouldn't give any more credance to Beta Applicants than I would to Forum Accts...

 I'm sorry how is it silly? This is practicly industry standard nowdays. I mean I work in software company and we do what we call customer intrest studies where we feed them examples of products we might do. Based on that intrest we calculate would we do it. Besides your logic is totally wrong. Your comparing forum users to beta testers.

Also you guys seriously don't think that they didn't know how many players they are expecting to play BEFORE THEY EVEN STARTED? You think world works so that you get 150million dollar budget with just few papers? This isn't few amateurs from sweden, this is one of the biggest development studios in the world working with one of the biggest distributers in the world.