Post by Morreion on Jul 20, 2012 13:21:31 GMT -5
Server merges can be great for SWTOR (Keen & Graev)
Given all the SWTOR server merging news out there, I thought I’d weigh in with my thoughts. In my opinion, server merges are a positive action taken to correct a negative situation that only gets worse when left untreated. No one likes to play on a server with a dead population; If you do, you’re weird. People are needed to make a game like SWTOR fun. Some of those SWTOR servers had almost no one playing during prime time. In my opinion, they should all be merged down into a handful of servers bursting at the seams with players and the move should be mandatory.
Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.3 million active subs, new content packs coming (Massively)
According to the report, SWTOR is home to 1.3 million active subscribers (down from 1.7 million as announced in March).
SWTOR Free to Play / Free Trial Overview (SWTORHub)
First, you can play on the origin world and the first two planets. That is the only locations that you’ll be capable of visiting. Second, players will be able to experience the first flashpoint for their faction and all warzones, along with the fleet station and their own personal starship. They will, however, be unable to earn Legacy experience, visit any location outside of those listed, gain more than 40 levels in a crew skill, zone into any other flashpoints, and will be unable to use the majority of social features - like the GTN (auction house) or most chat channels outside of local, group, and guild chat. They can not send mail, but can receive it and they can not whisper someone unless they whisper first.
SWTOR's executive producer leaves BioWare amid layoff reports (Gamasutra)
Amid reports that BioWare Austin is laying off staff today, Gamasutra can confirm that Star Wars: The Old Republic's executive producer Rich Vogel is no longer with the company.
Vogel was instrumental in the development of SWTOR, overseeing all aspects of the MMO before and after its launch in December. The online game, though, has lost around 400,000 paid subscribers in recent months, and BioWare Austin recently said it's considering free-to-play options for the title.
SWTOR executive producer leaves BioWare; new layoffs rumored [Updated: BioWare responds] (Massively)
The article also mentions emerging reports that BioWare's Austin campus is laying off workers as of this morning, though Vogel's departure apparently precedes these new developments. It's unclear whether the cuts are a continuation of the restructuring begun last May or a new round of layoffs.
SWTOR cost so much that they need a high level of subscribers...apparently they're not getting them. That's a lot of people playing the game, but if you spent 300 million on it, I guess you need more. Another blow to AAA MMOs, and MMOs doing the same old same old? Eventually.
Lots of commenters discussing this in the links.
Given all the SWTOR server merging news out there, I thought I’d weigh in with my thoughts. In my opinion, server merges are a positive action taken to correct a negative situation that only gets worse when left untreated. No one likes to play on a server with a dead population; If you do, you’re weird. People are needed to make a game like SWTOR fun. Some of those SWTOR servers had almost no one playing during prime time. In my opinion, they should all be merged down into a handful of servers bursting at the seams with players and the move should be mandatory.
Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.3 million active subs, new content packs coming (Massively)
According to the report, SWTOR is home to 1.3 million active subscribers (down from 1.7 million as announced in March).
SWTOR Free to Play / Free Trial Overview (SWTORHub)
First, you can play on the origin world and the first two planets. That is the only locations that you’ll be capable of visiting. Second, players will be able to experience the first flashpoint for their faction and all warzones, along with the fleet station and their own personal starship. They will, however, be unable to earn Legacy experience, visit any location outside of those listed, gain more than 40 levels in a crew skill, zone into any other flashpoints, and will be unable to use the majority of social features - like the GTN (auction house) or most chat channels outside of local, group, and guild chat. They can not send mail, but can receive it and they can not whisper someone unless they whisper first.
SWTOR's executive producer leaves BioWare amid layoff reports (Gamasutra)
Amid reports that BioWare Austin is laying off staff today, Gamasutra can confirm that Star Wars: The Old Republic's executive producer Rich Vogel is no longer with the company.
Vogel was instrumental in the development of SWTOR, overseeing all aspects of the MMO before and after its launch in December. The online game, though, has lost around 400,000 paid subscribers in recent months, and BioWare Austin recently said it's considering free-to-play options for the title.
SWTOR executive producer leaves BioWare; new layoffs rumored [Updated: BioWare responds] (Massively)
The article also mentions emerging reports that BioWare's Austin campus is laying off workers as of this morning, though Vogel's departure apparently precedes these new developments. It's unclear whether the cuts are a continuation of the restructuring begun last May or a new round of layoffs.
SWTOR cost so much that they need a high level of subscribers...apparently they're not getting them. That's a lot of people playing the game, but if you spent 300 million on it, I guess you need more. Another blow to AAA MMOs, and MMOs doing the same old same old? Eventually.
Lots of commenters discussing this in the links.
