BioWare made the official announcement earlier today — Star Wars: The Old Republic will be receiving a free-to-play option this fall. I know there are a handful of you out there who still play the game, and might be worried that the change in format might require you to embrace micro-transactions. You’ll be pleased to know that might not be the case, after all. Indeed, there will be several options available to you. If you choose to go the free-to-play route, you will have access to all eight character classes and can play for free until you reach level 50, at which point, high-level content can be purchased through micro-transactions. If however, you choose to go the subscription route instead, you’ll be spared that fate with unlimited access to the content. But wait, there’s more…
With the recent release of Blizzard’s latest cash cow, Diablo 3, BioWare hopes to rekindle gamers’ interest in their Star Wars MMORPG, The Old Republic by announcing another free pass weekend. The move is designed to bolster their subscriptions, following a sharp decline in users from 1.7 million to 1.3 in the last two months alone. Needless to say, that news alone doesn’t bode too well for the fledgling title. That said, EA has suggested in the past that the game could remain profitable with as low as 500,000 subscribers, and seem convinced that the recent declines consist primarily of casual gamers, and not their hardcore MMO base. I’m not as easily convinced — but then again, I don’t play MMORPGs either, so I’m not sure I can offer an informed opinion on the matter. That said, the numbers alone don’t lie. If you want to try The Old Republic for free this weekend, I’ve included details after the jump.
If you’ve been curious about Star Wars: The Old Republic, but don’t want to commit to purchasing a subscription right away, starting today and throughout the rest of the weekend, the MMORPG will be free to play. In order to access the free weekend pass, you’ll have to live in a territory in which the game has been officially released. In addition, only users who have never had an active Star Wars: The Old Republic account will be eligible. Read more…
Star Wars: The Old Republic hit the ground running this week and despite some crowded servers, its reception so far is seemingly positive. At a distance, the gamemay resemble World of Warcraft more ways than one. Visually, both titles might appeal to the lowest common denominator, in that they’re designed function with the average PC, yet feature beautifully crafted opening sequences. Being that they’re MMORPGs, both titles feature an ability-based interface and similar gameplay mechanics. However, one area in which The Old Republic really shines is its ability to tell a story. World of Warcraft has some incredibly deep lore, and the while the story is well-told, Bioware really excels. Here’s a documentary to explain why.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Aug 11, 2011 in Videogames
It looks like BioWare wants to reward players for pre-ordering their upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic with early access and a in-game item. From what it looks like, you’ll be allowed to keep your character along with any items and experience you acquire when the game officially launches in November. Unfortunately, there’s no details in regards when that early access period will actually start. I imagine BioWare will e-mail you directly once you’ve entered your pre-order code. The free item included in both limited and standard editions of the game will allow you to change the color of your lightsaber or blaster bolts. I suppose that’s kind of awesome if you want your character to stand out in a crowd. I’m not really fond of paying a monthly subscription for a game, but I suppose I could deal with it as long as its better than Star Wars Galaxies — I’m sure if anyone could manage that, it’d be BioWare. Let’s just hope they’ll leave our shoulder pads alone.
After last year’s teaser, a lot of gamers have been dying to see more of Bioware’s upcoming MMORPG, Stars Wars: The Old Republic. This year, they showed off a bit more by releasing the entire intro cinematic, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It’s the company’s first MMORPG, and from what little I’ve seen of the gameplay, Bioware might have a product that can really compete with Blizzard’s powerhouse. It seems that I’m not the only one who feels that way either, as Razer has recent announced entire line of Star Wars: The Old Republic gaming peripherals. As Michael mentioned to me, they’re not quite as cool looking as their recent Tron Legacy tie-ins, but I still think they look pretty sharp. While they haven’t announced a solid release date, Bioware states the game should ship sometime later this year.
I really can’t get behind massive multiplayer gaming, at least when it requires large portions of my free time and an exorbitant monthly fee. Occasionally, however, a title catches my eye long enough for me reconsider that stance, and it would seem Electronic Arts and BioWare may have accomplished that very feat here. Their upcoming installment of the Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic saga, Star Wars: The Old Republic, will be the first MMORPG in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first game — I wish I could say the same for Obsidian Entertainment’s second installment of the franchise — and this recently released E3 trailer definitely looks promising, but now I’m left wanting more. Until then, I can only the game ends up being as good as its cinematics might lead us to believe.
This is a cool looking documentary on the upcoming MMORPG game Star Wars: The Old Republic which is being developed by BioWare. There’s still no release date on this title, but it looks like it will be worth the wait when it comes out.
Frankly I wasn’t that crazy about the last three Star Wars films (three words: Jar Jar Binks) but of there are two things that George Lucas still knows how to do well it’s merchandising and preproduction art. These illustrations are for the upcoming second PC MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic — and I must say the images do inspire one to want to play with this mega multiplayer online title.
