Looks as though our rumors from last week were true, EA has decided add a free-to-play option for its popular MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. This fall, they will add an option that will not require a $14.99 monthly fee. Starting August, they will cut the price by $14.95 which will also come with a free month of subscription.
This news has come on the same day as EA’s quarterly earnings call. The player population for the game has just recently fallen under 1 million, with 500,000 players being the break even point. For those of you interested in the new free-to-play system, there will be a few limitations on this version as opposed to the premium one. For example, a free-to-play user can advance to level 50 by using any of the 8 classes, but can only visit war zones and flashpoints a limited number of times per week.
Premium subscribers will get a monthly allowance of cartel coins, an in-game currency that allows users to purchase customizable gear and new features. Free users can purchase the coins to unlock different aspects of the restricted functionality of their game model. This is definitely one way to keep premium users happy, but in another way I feel like veteran users could get angry at users who just blow a ton of money and rise quickly to the top thanks to these new perks/benefits. Let us know if you plan on trying the free-to-play system in the comments section below.
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