Starting this fall, there will be two different ways to play Star Wars: The Old Republic:
- Subscription – A service designed for players who want unrestricted access to all the game features via ongoing subscription or by redeeming a Game Time Card. In addition to gaining access to all game content as our current subscribers do now, Subscribers will receive ongoing monthly grants of Cartel Coins**, the new virtual currency that will be introduced later this fall. Cartel Coins can be used to purchase valuable items including customizable gear and convenience features that will enhance the game play experience.
- Free-to-Play –The first 50 levels will be free-to-play, with some restrictions on access to new content and advanced player features. Some restrictions can be “unlocked” with Cartel Coins.
As the first step towards adding the new Free-to-Play option this fall, in August at retail Star Wars: The Old Republic will go on sale for $14.99 USD, including one-month of free subscription.
RailWizard wrote on Jul 31, 2012, 17:30:NKD wrote on Jul 31, 2012, 17:11:
This still surprises me, given Bioware's reluctance to use the F2P model for Warhammer, which has a tiny fraction of the subs of SWTOR. I guess they figure it's a better fit for this more PvE-centric game. I dunno.
Either way, it's probably the only way to ensure the games longevity at this point. The industry is moving away from subscriptions. The exception will be niche titles from companies like CCP.
EVE is basically FP2 too, you just have to work for it in game. Though to get started you do have to pay.