I don't think F2P would work for SWTOR the way it does for other MMOs. SWTOR is not an eye-candy, dress-up game where people would be eager to buy new outfits or fancy weapons. If they tried to sell a Jedi outfit with massive armor and eye-popping particle effects, it wouldn't sell because most people want their Jedi to be appropriately dressed in a simple brown robe.

99% of the reason for playing the game is the class stories. The only way they could make the game F2P is if they monetized the stories, perhaps by having players pay for the game chapter by chapter. I don't think that kind of F2P model would be very successful. Many people would buy only the bits of story they want to play, and NOTHING else. It's great for the players, but SWTOR wouldn't make much money that way.

From the article:

"Outside of World of Warcraft (at least until recently), all subscription-based MMOs have been fighting the losing battle of subscriber attrition; it’s just the way things go."

I don't think the sub is the problem, I believe it's because just about every release the last couple of years have not been worth the sub price. It's a long time since a really good MMO was released. I don't mind paying a sub, but I don't pay for crap.

Should SW:ToR go F2P?

For me, it doesn't matter. Imo, it's not an MMO at all, it's a single player RPG with some online features. I might play it when it gets older and gets lots more contents, but today it's way too shallow and boring for me.

Its decline isn't because it costs money, it's becasue it's not that great a game.

With all the other FTP/B2P options out there, it would be hard for me to justify a switch to FTP. Market saturation is starting to become a problem for FTPs because there are just so many out there now.

Play a FTP with standard MMORPG features such as a Dungeon Finder, Housing, quality raid content, a differnt spin on the genre... or play SWTOR.

Originally posted by Seriousblack
Jumped Swtor from the release. Still subed and find it interesting enough to hang on a couple more. The complaints are always the same and every new game gets flamed down sooner or later. Would never play a Ftp for one simple reason... the model allows anyone with more spendable income to simply outspend me for gear, upgrades, etc. The frustration would be enough to cause discouragement. I like the prescription model and will stick to that model.

Well said!

"Would never play a Ftp for one simple reason... the model allows anyone with more spendable income to simply outspend me for gear, upgrades, etc."

Not every ftp is like that, but how is that worse than someone having better gear than you because they have more time to grind for it?

The reason Tor gets ripped on isn't because "that's what people do to new games", its because Tor is a mediocre game. There isn't anything interesting about it, besides the storylines. If it wasn't SW no one would be playing it.

Originally posted by Vepgenus

Originally posted by Seriousblack

Jumped Swtor from the release. Still subed and find it interesting enough to hang on a couple more. The complaints are always the same and every new game gets flamed down sooner or later. Would never play a Ftp for one simple reason... the model allows anyone with more spendable income to simply outspend me for gear, upgrades, etc. The frustration would be enough to cause discouragement. I like the prescription model and will stick to that model.

Well said!

 

F2P model allows people to outspend you in gear only if gear is allowed to be purchased, which by far is not the only source of income for F2P games. I understand the concern, though, I do. I'm not knocking it. But I have seen some great, and still profitable, examples of f2p item malls and, as MB specifically stated, if done "responsibly", gamers are warm to the idea. I think Star Wars would be phenomenal as a F2P, one of the pluses of that model is people are FARRRR more patient when a patch fails or bugs pop up. They're not paying monthly fees, they can afford to wait it out.

It also allows people to jump in and out of the game. The majority of gamers, even if they love a game, are not entertained by it enough to play it exclusively. That's not the fault of the game, that's just being human; humans like variety and don't want to do the same thing over and over. Without that barrier of entry, not only do you attract new players, but vets are more likely to re-visit as well.

I'm not a sci-fi fan, I know balls about the Star Wars universe and frankly, I wasn't a fan of my SWTOR beta experience. But would I play SWTOR if it was F2P? Yap. I have several friends who play it, and I'd play it casually just to have something to do with them. But I'd be enjoying my time with them, less so the game, which is why as it stands, it's not worth the price of admission for me.

Originally posted by Ryowulf

"Would never play a Ftp for one simple reason... the model allows anyone with more spendable income to simply outspend me for gear, upgrades, etc."

Not every ftp is like that, but how is that worse than someone having better gear than you because they have more time to grind for it?

The reason Tor gets ripped on isn't because "that's what people do to new games", its because Tor is a mediocre game. There isn't anything interesting about it, besides the storylines. If it wasn't SW no one would be playing it.

 

That's easy. If I get outplayed by better gear because someone spent the time grinding for it. so be it. To get outplayed by someone with better gear because Dad and Mom gave up a credit card number, is troubling. I would disagree with your assesment of Swtor. As games go of this type, it ranks well. It has some innovative features and a decent storyline for each class.  End game is ok right now and the pvp is horribly imbalanced by class, but it's not been around that long, yet. Last year ftp was not the way to go, at least in the US market. If that is changing then I propose there will be alot more average games. Just like the cable market and the music industry...the mmo gaming world will fragment...into many smaller pieces. The big development, design dollars and marketing revenue just simply will not be there and smaller less profitable, quicker to market games will be the result. The mmo gaming world is fickle. I would rather commit a month or two at least to a sub and get a better product in the end, especially with the time sink of the genre of mmorpg's. I have not played alot of ftp (five or so), for the reasons stated. Unless other revenue sources are there that are not readily seen, it would seem difficult to design, market and build a very big title without having  major studio backing and that might be why the sub model has prevailed so far.

Originally posted by Seriousblack
 To get outplayed by someone with better gear because Dad and Mom gave up a credit card number, is troubling. 

I have always had a hard time wrapping my mind around this.

If you want to cry because someone paid money for stuff... GET A JOB.

I know this is an unpopular sentiment on this site but I have a job that consumes 60+ hrs, a family that consumes the rest, when I want to game, I game on MY terms.  Why should I not get to see some of the cool dungeons because I can't farm for rep for 8000000 years.  Why do I have to miss content because losers insist you have a certain item score in order to participate in a group?  Money levels that playing field.  PERIOD.

I would possibly throw a couple of bucks towards ToR as a F2P but again... only if it allowed me to do things my way.  As long as you have the ability to earn the same item for free in game... well then here's to you.

And you weren't outplayed because they threw money at a problem, you were outplayed because you just didn't think of the method first.  

1.7 million! <(0.o)<

Idk. I can't see TOR being F2P. Doesn't have a model that would fit. They could restrict level content asking you to pay to access, but really? Would you enjoy that? 

Cash Shop? Vanity items? Doubt it. Give me a consular that doesn't look like a nun and I'd consider spending $5, but that would be it. With the amount they spent in production; There's no real way it can convert to a F2P now. 

However if the game was a F2P, it would finally be considered a AA MMO /chuckle.

I'm a bit lost here, how many of you work for free???? How many, I bet none, so you want B2P games well guess what thats what GW is for... I fyou want B2P then, they should  do it and they we will get no updates and no content like GW does and every  other B2P because I would not work for free, I know what it takes to make these games I have my degree and I would not work for free knowing how much work it takes to build such a game, some of you than whine and complain need to work for  free if  you expect Bioware to..

If you want free to play there are plnety of other games on the market, and its funny when people won't spend 15 bucks a month but they will play LOTR and spent 30 with the so called F2P model, you people amaze me, and by you people I mean gamers today.

People wonder why we don't get many new games that are good, its because gamers have stopped many MMO's ....They won't because trying to please a gamer today is a no way situation..... and not worth it....

By the way I no longer play SWTOR... for now, I did like it but it did fall short being a fan of star wars, I didn't expect anything but what we got, because games are not made by gamers hardly anymore .... They have moved away from MMO's and these are facts.. Gamers if you want good games stop whining about everything !!

Swtor going F2P might bring in some new players, but I doubt it would pull people back who already gave up on it. I never went back to a game just because they went F2P, I only went back to games that I liked regardless if they have a sub or not.

Swtor's problem is not the sub fee, swtor's problem is it was made 5 years too late.  People are tired of the WoW styled theme park games, we want innovation. If we wanted to play WoW, most of us would just play WoW.

When an MMO is F2P you have more input and choice. IT is easer to vote with your wallet in F2P.

However, with regard to SWTOR, I don't think anything could make me go back; It's not simply one thing, I don't TORs design philosophy  from the ground up. 

The issue with SWTOR also is the fact that the formla has been played out, games need something fresh and with Tera, TSW and GW2, I see some of this, not all is new , but some, which is good thing, SWTOR is my eyes should of used a fresh new style of combat and style of game play, not the typical, WOW, EQ formula, people are tired of raiding, and raiding has ruined gaming and communitys people act  liek 3 yr olds in a candy store in these type of games.

In more sandbox styles games I notice it attracts more mature players, I wish they would of done a cross over something like TSW is doing.. But with SWG elements Minus the combat.

They spent way to much on voice overs which is fun once or twice but is no big deal... I still have  hope for the game but I been looking into GW2 and TSW as well... SO sadly my days of SWTOR will end, I hope it never goes  F2P, F2P was the worst thing they could ever do to any game.

ANy game that went F2P , I quit, they ruin the game as far as i'm concern..