BioWare's Star Wars MMO Won't Make Any Money, Says Free-to-Play Developer
- Thread starter Logan Westbrook
- Start date
Yeah... I'd just like to point out that I've played quite a bit of the F2P MMOs, and I haven't put a single cent into the companies. Of course, that's mostly because most of the F2P games are terrible, but that's beyond the point. It's probably a much safer business plan to put in a relatively cheap subscription fee than to perhaps maybe hope that people will buy your overpowered crap.
After all, it's not like F2P games are cheaper. Twenty bucks to remove the gold cap on LotRO? Bite me, Turbine.
After all, it's not like F2P games are cheaper. Twenty bucks to remove the gold cap on LotRO? Bite me, Turbine.
You and your big mouth. Now one of those three will do just that. You go to your room with no dinner. And we are having CabbageBrusselSproutBroccoliLiver Casserole tomorrow and you will clean your plate or no Escapist Forum for you!Irridium said:
What I would like to know is why a nobody thinks his opinion means anything. I probably have seen ads for some of the games that this company makes but I don't even think of playing them as all of them are cheap quality games for the more casual crowd. And here he thinks he has expertise on how the big MMO's work. If he was talking about the next MapleStory incarnation then sure.
Maybe Bioware goes subscription, maybe they go another direction. Star Trek Online is subscription plus microtransactions(Which WoW is now, too) and everything I see in that game tells that game is on a growth curve. And STO, btw, happens to be made by the same company that also runs Champions Online. Which seems to be a point BigPointHead missed.
That shouldn't be Bioware's intention here, and I highly doubt it is. The idea would be more getting people to spend $15 more a month to play SWTOR as well as WoW. Get a taste of Sci-fi Fantasy along with Fantasy. Business isn't a battlefield on destroying the other guy, it is about getting people's money. I go to both Burger King and McDonald's in my town because they offer different things that I want. It would be financial suicide to start telling customers that they can't go to a competitor. Of course it would be a different story if I worked for either but thank goodness I do not.Cid SilverWing said:
If anything WoW is a boost to other MMO's with its name recognition. People who haven't played an MMO see WoW, so they try that(15 days of trial definitely help). They find they like the MMO scheme but there is something missing. But through playing WoW they feel secure enough to try more MMO waters and discover EVE Online, LOTRO, STO, or others and decide to play one of those as well, finding what they will enjoy but quite possibly staying with WoW because they already joined a guild, and there is a battleground next weekend that can't be missed, and Mystara is so good to chat and level with.
That is good business which is why Blizzard makes the big bucks and the companies who fear WoW and can think of only trying to make a WoW-killer fail.
This is actually part of what makes Bigpoint's CEO's argument such a....small point.
(But that railshooter thing....yeah, Bioware, we need to talk)
Agreed. I'd say that this game has a chance. There's a good fan base (Star Wars fans) and Bioware has a very good name when it comes to making RPGs. If any game can steal WoW's thunder it's SW:TOR.lacktheknack said:
What is you complaint about the wookie? Do you think every smuggler will walk around with a "pet" wookie that all have the same name? Because I really doubt that's what they have in mind. I'm betting that your companions are only used during story missions which will probably be instanced. So no other players will actually see you and your wookie. Also, because this is a MMO, you'll probably be able to form parties with other players to grind, search dungeons/temples, or PvP if you want.bak00777 said:
I'm sorry, but I'm getting annoyed with people shitting on the companions because they can only see it working like pets in WoW. Use some imagination!
See what this man doesn't seem to be getting here is this: Its a KOTOR Game we're talking about. Seriously, Bioware's taking the most successful (atleast fanbase wise) RPG in the history of gaming and turning into an MMO. How the hell is that going to fail? It will played. A lot. Will it kill WoW? Of course not, WoW's been around for too long for it to be toppled suddenly by some new comer. However, I do not think this game will die. Ever.
Nah, doesn't matter. It will succeed or fail regardless of the moniker tossed on it.Irridium said:
It seems like a lot do, since it's lucritive.Crimsane said:
Considering it's well backed up by what's happening on the market, he makes a strong case.lumenadducere said:
There's a reason so many MMOs are going F2P now, and it's not out of the kindness of their hearts.
Good question. I hope it doesn't come down to WoW II!Garak73 said:
[sub]If not, it would probably just be World of Starcraft instead.[/sub]
This developer's opinion is not too much to go by and KOR's success or failure will do the real talking. Personally though, I think that the MMO nature is naturally going to cut off a large amount of consumers who don't like them (me, for one) and furthermore those who still do not wish to invest in the game monthly. Nonetheless, there is a market who is willing to dedicate themselves to a monthly-subscribed, Star Wars MMO. For sake of the game's success, how many of those people will step up to the plate?
The games industey, and in fact all money-making arts, need to learn that it's NOT ABOUT THAT!
In 100 years when they're looking back on the history of gamin, the amount of profit wont matter, but the best games will go down in history as contributions to the art and to culture.
BALLS to profit, if I had the idea for the best game ever that everyone would love, I'd do it even if I lost all my cash and made no money. It's for the players, not the devs.
In 100 years when they're looking back on the history of gamin, the amount of profit wont matter, but the best games will go down in history as contributions to the art and to culture.
BALLS to profit, if I had the idea for the best game ever that everyone would love, I'd do it even if I lost all my cash and made no money. It's for the players, not the devs.
I really think you're missing the point.lacktheknack said:
The market is monopolised, no other MMO will get a foot in because WOW has the majority of subscriptions.
Only hardcore fans will leave/subscribe in order to play SW:ToR.
Basically if your MMO has a good background & fandom already, you're a shoe in to be able to run with subs.
However, if you're just making another fantasy world then F2P is your best option.
i don't think TOR will fail, because Bioware does deliver quality, even if I don't like the direction they are moving with recent games, and EA is big enough to shield the game from the need have hundreds of thousands of subscribers in the first month. Many people forget that WOW didn't start that big but grew steadily.
^^^^Crimsane said:
I bought (and subscribed to) Warhammer: Online and I didn't know jack about the universe. Star Wars and Bioware, come on.... They'll at least get a few months of my money on name and rep alone; after that it's up to the game to deliver. They'll do fine subscription based, for a while at least, unless their game is crap.