Star Wars is not so popular brand name anymore. Not for MMO game. SWG has died. SWtOR is heading the same way. I wouldn't count on FTP version of this game. Not under EA/Bioware.

The population decrease is a fact. And it is like an "avalanche reaction" - there are plenty of "ghost" servers around with 3 - 5 ppl in Fleet. Hanging around unable to form a team to WZ. The game is becoming an expensive chat room packed in the Star Wars theme.

I have personally re-rolled a char at the last VERY HEAVY server, but i cannot withstand going through the same contest for x-th time. And Bioware is deaf for cries for server merger/free transfer services.

My subs finishes soon and i wil not renew it.

Originally posted by maciopa

And Bioware is deaf for cries for server merger/free transfer services.

My subs finishes soon and i wil not renew it.

 

This is me exactly /\

I find this to be the most entertaining MMO launch I have ever experienced.  Usually I don't give a rip about the story being told by quests and rush straight to max level and look for the end game but with SWTOR it's been a real fun experience to just level up and there have been no lack of that kind of content.  I don't just want to see the game through one character either which is also something I never thought I would say for an MMO.

My response to "the analysts" is simple.  These games never launch with a full compliment of end game content.  Anyone who bought into a freshly launched MMO thinking that was going to have a completely fleshed out end game was stupid frankly.  It usually takes 10-12 months to get the meat of an end game going in an MMO.  That's just how it goes.  That's how long it took WoW and every other MMO I have ever played.  To expect otherwise just doesn't make any sense.

BioWare knows that it needs to make some changes along the lines that Blizzard made with WoW to help with server population issues.  Blizzard created "battle groups" for PvP and BioWare needs to do something similar.  Also Blizzard offered server transfers which BioWare also needs to do.  These things are all part of a mature game service and are usually not around in the first several months after the initial launch.  Again to expect otherwise just doesn't make any sense.

SWTOR is a great game i love it! I just hope Bioware stays focused on the coustomer! that needs to be number 1! And what is up with the Auction House Kiosk in the game its been broke i hope they fix it soon i need some gear!

You can knock probably half or more off those stated numbers, and that will be the real number of real subscribers both in February and now. Bioware has taken fudging subscription numbers and made it a high art form.

The decline may have a bit to do with not enough end game content, but the lack of a cross server LFG tool for Flashpoints is what has really killed the game quick. Why would anyone in their right mind think people would want to keep subscribing to a game where most of your time is spent spamming LFG messages while you stand around on a space station. Bioware didn't get this before release, they didn't get it shortly after release, and given that all they have talked about in the future is a server wide LFG tool, they still don't get it.

actually EA has come up a new way to calculate sub # that has never been done before, free month = sub .

Yeah your right on the Lfg tool! i wounder if Bioware even looks at their surveys that people put in!You can tell that their subs are down just by being in the game,you hardly see anyone anymore!But still i love this game,I just wish Bioware would listen to the people that still play the game.LFG tool would be real nice to have and free server transfers would be nice too.But you would think with all the people that actualy feeled out a survey and told them what they thought that they would actualy listen.I hope they get their act together.

Originally posted by free4gab

Yeah your right on the Lfg tool! i wounder if Bioware even looks at their surveys that people put in!You can tell that their subs are down just by being in the game,you hardly see anyone anymore!But still i love this game,I just wish Bioware would listen to the people that still play the game.LFG tool would be real nice to have and free server transfers would be nice too.But you would think with all the people that actualy feeled out a survey and told them what they thought that they would actualy listen.I hope they get their act together.

Same here the LFG tool not being implemented is a game breaker for me.

AFter wandering in the lonely planets, questing my own buisness alone, I really wished they had that  LFG tool implemented at launch.

They said it come with 1.3 but at that time it's not even sure the game will stay up in the next 2 month.

I would have resub if  1.2 was with LFG tool, and i'm sure thousands of people would have has well.

SO i thought why didn't they do it, they surely not that stupid, shooting their own foot with a lightsaber, but then it occur to me:

I think they don't have the technology to achieve the server transfer / merge / and ofc LFG Tool.

They need more money and time to devellop those but they are out of both.

I'm pretty sure they'll try to salvage the game and sell it to a free mmo publisher to cut their losses. (if the contract with lucasart allow it to be sold to another party)

But for what we know they might have to carry this costly game untill many years before being able to shut it down.

Because Lucasart know that it is bad buisness for the name to close a service with his brand on it.

yeah your right!

Originally posted by Denambren

1.25 million seems a little optimistic by 2013

 

my thoughts.. i think that number is way exagerated.

Their 'scheme' for grabing subscribers offering them a 1 month free sub might be distorcing those numbers and artifitial inflating them.

Originally posted by EduardoASG

Originally posted by Denambren

1.25 million seems a little optimistic by 2013

 

my thoughts.. i think that number is way exagerated.

Their 'scheme' for grabing subscribers offering them a 1 month free sub might be distorcing those numbers and artifitial inflating them.

WoW did the same thing for different reasons. How many of WoW's 12 million are paying versus freebies? (Not knocking WoW, just using the example). The problem with SWToRs numbers is that everyone knows they are false, supporters and non-supporters alike.

It's too bad really. They blew it on a potentially long term money maker. Not sure what their 'must maintain' numbers are on the books but I doubt they will hold them for long (if they are now).

Originally posted by free4gab

And what is up with the Auction House Kiosk in the game its been broke i hope they fix it soon i need some gear!

If you go into the rarity drop down menu and select premium, the GTN will search like it used to.

Originally posted by skulldron

I just hope they don't pull a NGE and make the game into another SWG.

I would much rather have the NGE. I am not a SWTOR hater, but SWG was a much better game.

Originally posted by Digna

It's too bad really. They blew it on a potentially long term money maker. Not sure what their 'must maintain' numbers are on the books but I doubt they will hold them for long (if they are now).

That was blown the minute they designed their gameplay.  Zero focus on retaining players, lack of community building, lack of social gameplay, lack of quality end game content, lack of quality competitive play.  This game was doomed.  A focus on themepark driven story?  How quickly that got eaten up, I am sure.  If they want to retain players, they need to give players a reason to stay.  Investment in their character, community, and their creations. Bioware wanted a cheap buck from the start.  I am sure they are sitting around someplace today with $ $ in their eyes, already laying out the code and design for SWTOR's F2P cash shop phase.

They say they have 1.25 million but it feels way,way less than that! I love the game, the story is great but that is about it right now! Swtor has so much potential to be a greater game if they would just listen to their coustomers and start takeing an aggresive approach changeing things.I know some things can not be changed,but the things that can be changed should be changed.Such as reading their surveys that people put in.I know that their has been rumur that they might be working on a expantion,which would be great!! Honestly at this point it might end up going free 2 play it almost feels like it.It feels that bioware just is not responding to what their coustomers want.LFG Feature would be great but by the time they get around to it they may lose alot more subs to a unforgiveing market. We have so many MMO's comeing out, but not alot of scifi MMO's which bioware could take the market if they want it bad enough.Its their to be taken!!

Thats true! seems like when a game goes free 2 play they make more money when realy its not realy free 2 play!! they Make more money from store shops.They make it where you almost have to buy iteams to level etc..Dcuo made a killin from their store shop as well other free 2 play models.

And the real sweetness of SWTOR is the forum moderation, there is more people working on censorship there than there is actual game designer.

The future is now, you've been in-corporated.

Meh. The story was fun. Bioware can build a really nice story. They did it with Mass Effect and others. That's what they are good at and they did it well in SWTOR.

Sadly, it runs out of steam after a few play throughs at most (one for me). A lot of people stay with these games for PvP. More so now than ever before. It's the only thing that isn't a carbon copy every time. How many times can you do a quest or run a raid before it's completely predictable???

PvP is the reason I stay, no matter how good the ride to the top was. PvP in SWTOR is crap.

No functional open world pvp (ilum was exploited more than it was fought over) and the limited selection of warzones was ruined by the crowd control CRAZED combat mechanics. They invented "resolve" which was sort of an immunity timer (eventually) to protect you from abusive CC'ers. As far as I could tell, resolve was a myth. I would get stun locked, rooted, force choked, knocked back and you name it, 5 or 6 times per fight and basically not be able to do anything at all half the time. IIt turned into a shadow/assassin or sage/sorc swarm real quick and the other classes became rare to none in pvp.

They have no end game other than endlessly repeating FP's and OP's.. aka raids.

It was the easiest leave I've had in any mmo. Just logged off and don't miss a thing.

Lol... That's just....

Optimism at it's best... It's impossible they have 1.25 million subs at this time, not to mention how redicilous the 1.7 mill sounds... That would mean ~70% people who bought would still be playing, which can't be true since the servers are drop dead empty at its peak hours...

By 2013 I predict around 300 000 subs and falling.

It's just pathetic how EA thinks by doing stuff like this will help them keep their stocks rate... Pathetic :D