SW:TOR Going F2P Soon?

[flux1]

An update for anyone that might want to try the game out. They enabled the f2p trial accounts today. Any old trial accounts did not get re-enabled, so if you had one before you can't use it anymore unless you pay to upgrade.

I tried it out with making two new trial accounts. The process to get the first one actually enabled as a trial was a pain until I went to the main site and clicked the Play Free link on the right. I used it directly for the second account and it went smoothly.

In game I made two bounty hunters on different computers and was able to invite without any issues between two trial accounts. So boxing trials shouldn't have any major issues as long as your software/hardware works for the game. I saw a post on another forum saying trials couldn't be in groups or join warzones. However Bioware's trial FAQ mentions nothing of either one, and invites did work fine. So hopefully Warzones will work fine once your level is high enough.

Also currently all expired accounts have free time until July 17th to play.

Edit: Regarding invites, I had both chars on each others friend's lists, and invited by clicking on the toon in-front of me and inviting to group from their portrait. No idea yet if only this method works as I haven't had time to play yet tonight.

[Crum1515]

Yeah, I am 99% certain that our goal was to have a restriction free trial other than level cap and already in game standard restrictions. If any one would like me to get clarification I can probably do it quicker than asking CS lol.

[MiRai]

Update!

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/31/its-official-swtor-is-going-free-to-play/

http://www.swtor.com/free

[flux1]

Apparently everything for "The first 50 levels" will be free with most end game content requiring coins to unlock for free accounts, or needing a subscription. Subscribers will have everything unlocked along with some coins each month to buy in-game content with. The game itself will be lowered to $15 next month also to prepare for the f2p launch.



http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...20120731006602

Edit: Sorry, didn't see MiRai's reply to the other thread while making this. Go ahead and delete this to keep the discussion contained to one thread.

[Korruptor]

Update!

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/31/its-official-swtor-is-going-free-to-play/

http://www.swtor.com/free

Holy Crap!

I expected this but not this soon!

[Riiker]

Is this the beginning of the end? Can an MMO survive this?

[Homer]

Is this the beginning of the end? Can an MMO survive this?

It has missed its chance to become big, I see it turning into a APB: Reloaded situation.

[Khatovar]

Is this the beginning of the end? Can an MMO survive this?

Plenty of MMOs have gone Free To Play and been very successful. LotRO and DDO both saw seriously massive increases in subscribers and revenue after going F2P. I went back to EQ2 for about a month and that's still busy as ever. If I recall, the original Everquest also has a free to play.

Of course, I personally hated SWTOR so it wouldn't surprise me if this does nothing for their numbers, but F2P doesn't automatically mean dead.

[MiRai]

Is this the beginning of the end? Can an MMO survive this?

I think SW:TOR set a record for the shortest time a P2P game was released before going F2P...

...if that tells you something.

I have no interest in this game either because there was waaaaaay too much hype before its release and waaaaaay too many bugs after its release; but, if you're still having fun now, I don't see why you won't continue to have fun even though it's going F2P.

[Crum1515]

The model they are going off of very closely is DCUO, so I think they will stay alive for a while. Like in my second week at bioware I was bored and going through the Intranet and found their F2P model documents, and new that I was doomed lol.

Only thing that I think may stop some people is you still have to buy the game, to use the F2P model. EA really stuck their dick in this one, hard.

And deep.