14 DAY TRIAL // Developer BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts have announced that their MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic would get a new free-to-play business model during the fall, allowing any interested player to play any character class up to level 50.
Those who choose not to pay for the game will have restrictions linked to some advanced player features, which will only be unlocked with Cartel Coins, a new virtual currency that will be introduced in the major fall update.
They will also need to pay real-world money in order to access the new content that BioWare creates for The Old Republic.
Those who choose to continue subscribing to the MMO will get all game content and features as part of the package and they will also receive Cartel Coins for free, allowing them to get customizable gear and other in-game items.
In August, Star Wars: The Old Republic will go on sale for the price of $15 (€13) with one month of subscription offered for free, in order to build an audience ahead of the free-to-play switch.
Matthew Bromberg, the general manager of BioWare Austin, stated, “Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic universe.”
Jeff Hickman, the executive producer of the BioWare MMO, added, “We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.”
John Riccitiello, the chief executive officer of Electronic Arts, called The Old Republic sales disappointing, and the company reported that it has less than one million subscribers.
The company hopes that the move to free-to-play will increase both the number of players and the revenue derived from the game.