Bioware is really slow with content updates, could it be the majority of the team is finishing a surprise expansion pack for Christmas?

With space combat and minigames perhaps?

Because on top of the F2P content, they need a truckload of cool premium content to make sure many people will stick to the subscription model. At the moment there is no real reason to keep a sub after they pull the F2P switch in November.

I mean look how long they need to add one single mini warzone, it is impossible that the whole team is working on this ridiculously small content updates.

So my wild guess is 1.5 in November with F2P, fat expansion pack with a lot of surprises in December for Christmas.

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

We don't know how big Makeb will be.

In fact we have very little information. If they drop something big... it would be a nice surprise which would invigorate fan base, no question about it.

Edit. But you are right. looking at light content of updates, they are probably working on something big... :)

Originally posted by Yakamomoto

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

They don't have many people to be twiddling their thumbs they have laid off a huge chunk of the team in the last three months or so. Not completely unheard of for an MMO, but generally not a sigh that big projects are still being worked on. 

Indeed there are still players playing SWTOR (shocker).

Originally posted by Leoghan

Originally posted by Yakamomoto

Originally posted by Sevenstar61
Makeb might be ready for anniversary. It was in work for a long time now. It would be a nice touch. Maybe HK-51 will be a Christmas gift /grin

Still Makeb cannot be all they have. This must have been in the works since release. Also there is the SSSP which is SS since release. I say they plan to make a big splash soon, after all of these very content light updates. BW team is still huge, either they are twiddling their thumbs most of the time or working their a**** off to release a huge X-pack with a lot of unannounced material. Maybe talking about Makeb was just throwing us a bone. Same with HK51.. I mean seriously, a companion? How much work can that be? It's an NPC with a handful of voiceovers and one mission.

They don't have many people to be twiddling their thumbs they have laid off a huge chunk of the team in the last three months or so. Not completely unheard of for an MMO, but generally not a sigh that big projects are still being worked on. 

Nobody knows how many people they fired. There were never any numbers stated. They said that they have still very big team of devs working on the projects. Other statements are pure speculations.

Facts:

1. They fired some people, notably from community managing - which was noted.

2. There is no information how many employees they fired. At least I could not find it.

3. There is no information how many employees are still working in BioWare Austin on SWTOR. At least I could not find it.

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game  except WoW. The last available information about subscriptions is that it's somewhere between 500k and 900 k.

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game  except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

Originally posted by Jonoku

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game  except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game  except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

Originally posted by Jonoku

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game  except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

It's not working that way. This business is working differently than movie business. There was a big thread about it on SWTOR forums. One day I might find it and link it LOL.

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

It's not working that way. This business is working differently than movie business. There was a big thread about it on SWTOR forums. One day I might find it and link it LOL.

Ya its going to work that way, it's a gamble to use more money on the game to release expansions, they haven't been having success with swtor. like you said there was a big thread about it, that just means that we can discuss this for a thousand years and not agree or even make any progress of agreement.

What I would like for a Christmas Gift in SWTOR is:

Nar Shaddaa transformed into full blown casino with all kinds of gambling :) Pazaak, slot machines... and more:)

I love the city... it is so... just created to become a center gambling Vegas of Galaxy

I hope that Lucas does allow that...

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Jonoku
I doubt it, expansions don't come in one year of the game's release, usually comes later then that. Plus they spent so much money on the game that they are still working on getting back by recieving cash from the players. They might not be able to afford it for a while, their population is quite low.

But much higher then any other P2P game  except WoW

I'm pretty sure SWTOR spent more money then WoW did at the release of the game.

That might be correct, but as everybody who has business will tell you these money were already spent and accounted./shrug

Thats a given that bioware/EA spent the money on swtor, I'm not doubting anything about it.....they are still trying to make money to replace the money they have spent, then they can start profiting and making expansions.

It's not working that way. This business is working differently than movie business. There was a big thread about it on SWTOR forums. One day I might find it and link it LOL.

It's not working what way? MMO's need to make a profit. If they haven't made what they spent, they have not not made a profit. Any business operates that way, it is plain and simple. Nothing posted on any forums will change that. Do I think SWTOR made a profit, maybe, but not the profit they thought they were going to make, hence the server merges and free to play move.