Star Wars: Old Republic won’t put end to subscriptions

Star Wars: The Old Republic is unlikely to be the last subscription MMO to successfully use the traditional business model, according to BioWare.

Speaking to IndustryGamers, BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk expressed his belief that subscription-based MMOs will continue on in the future.

“I think there will always be a place for premium content at a premium price and that’s one of the differences. Free to play is very much about trial, about ‘Hey, I don’t know what this is, I don’t have confidence that it’s any good, but I’m willing to take a look at it,’ versus ‘I know this is good, from a trusted source, and it’s the biggest license in the world.’ So it’s a different value proposition.”

He explained, however, that premium titles must be worth the price tag.

“They have to earn that from a consumer trust perspective and delivering and exceeding expectations.

“It’s too early to call any business model dead. It’s like the line, ‘Oh single-player games are dead.’ They’ve morphed and they’ve changed into something different, but they’re still there.”

Zeshuk added that people still want premium MMOs.

“We think the market is ready for it. There’s a lack of something new and fresh and really powerful; we have research that shows that a lot of people have been waiting for this game.

“We’re seeing huge demand for it, and we plan to support it long term.”

Star Wars: The Old Republic launches December 20 in North America and December 22 in Europe.

Recently Sony Online Entertainment’s John Smedley stated he was “positive” Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the last large-scale MMO to use the traditional subscription business model.