The recession has changed MMOs says SOE

The current state of the economy will drive MMOs to adopt a free-to-play model, according to SOE president John Smedley.

In an article on GamesIndustry.biz, Smedley wrote that this shift will be inevitable thanks to the economic climate:

“Economic times are hard out there and a recurring subscription is something that glares at you from a credit card bill every month.

“For some people, saving money starts with getting rid of subscriptions that hit the credit card every month. But it’s fair to say that subscriptions are likely going to be a strong component of revenue for the foreseeable future, although I don’t believe they will be remotely as dominant over time.

“There’s another large juggernaut coming out soon in Star Wars: The Old Republic from EA/Bioware. That’s a game that I think has a legitimate shot at a two million subscription user base and I believe they will stick with the subscription method.”

Smedley added he is “positive” Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the last large-scale MMO to use the traditional subscription business model.

SOE is currently working on two major MMO projects, EverQuest Next and PlanetSide 2. It was recently revealed PlanetSide 2 will be a free-to-play title.