Is SWTOR dying?

[jcyrus]

SWTOR isn't dying. It's going through the launch stages that every single MMO goes through. The servers flood at launch, then the MMO sheds some of those launch players, leaving the subscribers who will form the longterm subscriber base.

 

The stage that follows is trying to bring back the subscribers who left, and trying to attract new subscribers, which maintains a steady population to keep the game profitable.

 

SWTOR is already the fastest selling MMO in history, with over 2million copies sold as of the beginning of February. At that time there were 1.7million active subscribers.

 

According to EA, SWTOR only needs 500k subscribers to remain profitable.

 

So no, SWTOR isn't dying.

Edited February 27, 2012 by jcyrus

[Methenu]

It's dying the way we all are.

 

Given a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

[Flowerslayer]

It's certainly not growing....

 

The same can be said about your e-peen.

 

 

Warzones popping instantly 24/7. 250+ players at the fleet during off peak hours. Yeah, its certainly "dying". Bioware is filing bankruptcy papers as we speak.

[Iriestx]

The game pulls you in with great story telling from levels 1-49, and the abruptly drops what was compelling and hands you scraps of bland, unimaginative content at 50.

 

I went from being thoroughly wrapped up in the story of 2 characters that I was leveling to riding around in circles for hours with half a dozen other people, looking for crates, for no particular reason besides 'doing my daily.'

 

They needed to find a way to extend and continue the story, moving you a little further along every few days, with fresh dialog and plot, after you hit 50. I envisioned a game with months of dialog and story telling ready to be dosed out to players after they hit 50, giving you a background and purpose for those daily and weekly quests. One week it's this dynamic event on Tatooine, next week it's something totally different on Belsavis, etc. Whole portions of planets change for the week, or zones are opened up to correspond with the weekly and daily dynamic event. Doing the same old same old on Ilum every day and week, for no discernible purpose, simply isn't fun. Ideally there would be dozens upon dozens of different and unique daily/weekly quests to go along with the story line. Instead, they just dropped the story and gave me a measly half a dozen, dull as a bowling ball daily and weekly quests.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Iriestx

[vindianajones]

The populations certainly is not as vibrant as it once was on my server, which used to be full all of the time and now is typically light to standard. The average population on the fleet during my gaming time has probably dropped to a little over half of what it was in January. Two of our major guilds on the Republic side are either gone or have no population left. The pre-made PvP guilds on the Empire side that I was accustomed to having heated battles against, and all of the player names I knew and feared seem to be gone. Warzones have devolved into an endless sea of nameless Sorcerer and Mercenary opponents.

 

I started playing the game with 6 other real life friends. One of them cancelled his sub yesterday; said he just doesn't have any fun playing the game anymore. Two of them log on only once or twice a week for a few hours in total. One of them hasn't logged on at all in two weeks. Three of us still play fairly regularly and we're all getting bored. We actually started doing the PvE end-game content (and none of us really like PvE) because the warzones are so lackluster, Ilum is useless and there is no open-world PvP, events or real competition to speak of.

 

Of course, none of this is scientific, but if you play the game you can see the changes and decline for yourself. If enough people are echoing these trends, there's probably something to it. I have a feeling I'm going to be the last holdout among my group of friends, but honestly there's just not much here for me. I play these games for the PvP, and I'm already bored of it two months after release. I don't remember ever getting sick of PvP in Shadowbane, Rift, WAR, or even WoW. I keep telling myself I'll stick around in hopes that they fix it, but the overall design of the game, the classes, the talent trees, the warzones, the debacle that is Ilum, it's all just so cookie-cutter and boring. I've seen it all before, and it's been done better everywhere else. Even if the game was bug free, I think I'm finally starting to admit to myself that - compared to every other MMO I've played - it just isn't that much fun. It's missing that magic, whatever it is.

 

So, is it dying? I have no idea, but it's certainly dying for me.

[Quinlynn]

Of course the population is dropping (contrary to what the 2008/2009 fanbois will tell you), and when gw2/tera/secret world/d3/etc are out and it will plummet even further.

 

you'd have to be brain dead to not notice the population decreasing:

- server queues are gone

- most servers are light/std now instead of full/very heavy

- fleets are <150 players now instead of 230+

- wz queues taking longer to pop

- fp groups harder to find

- less items on markets

- most friends in the friends list are "offline"

- where have all out guildies gone?

- etc

 

If they actually had 2 million subscribers just after launch when all the servers had queues and we had 230+ on the fleet in prime times i'd say it's pretty obvious we've already lost at least 1/3 of those 2 million subscribers, probably closer to half.

 

the ea quarterly shareholder statement in may will reveal the truth, they can't lie in that.

Wishful thinking

[Quinlynn]

Whenever a game comes out, players are all rushing at the same time to do the same amount of content. This means players are typically playing at around the same time slots, since the moment they get done with their obligations, they are immediately getting into the game. At this point, the MMO Veteran has finished most of the content that is in the game, obtained most of the PVP gear that he needs, and has now started to work on secondary characters, or even moved to a new server.

 

Beyond that, we have developers telling us that 'omg 1.2 will be awesome!' so there's even less of an incentive to play currently since almost everyone has a promise or two directed at their gaming enjoyment. For me, it's the buffs coming to my Healing Operative. Some players have even canceled their accounts until they see the 1.2 patch notes, and the whole developer conference deal.

 

Then there are the players that bought into the hype and are extremely dissatisfied with the game, who won't be returning. I learned at an early age never to follow a game pre-release, since it often just resulted in me being disappointed. My imagination is always more powerful than the latest game engine, so I've learned to cull my expectations by having none.

 

QFE

Took those words right out of my head.

[Delphis]

Not dying.

 

SWTOR will live a long life simply due to its lore.

 

It is a casual friendly game which attracts a huge demographic.

 

However, the mechanics of this game are in very sad shape, especially the pvp and anything having to do with the end game. As BW releases more content and fixes more bugs it'll continue to get better and better, naturally. Personally, I expect more from a MMO

 

This is not the WoW killer that we were all looking for.

 

I belong to a very large and active guild and 90% of our members are so bored with their 50's that they are playing alts. That is not sustainable.

[radbass]

no 500k is not dead.

 

um... are you paying attention? im not saying it will dip under 500K but if it does the game will be dead. Bioware has stated multiple times that they need 500K subs for the game to remain financially viable. if they dip below that number you can say goodbye to updates and expansions. and i enjoy the game, but i cant play it in its current form for much longer.

[PulseRazor]

every time i log in its the same amount of players or even more then before. Seems like the game is picking up speed. I cant wait until GW2 etc comes out so these pro gamers and their inflated expectations, pith, and ire, find another game to spit on, and SWToR is filled with Kotor/SW fans, like it was intended.

 

Its shiny, its new... but it obviously isnt for you.

 

So many people play this game with no interest in the lore or franchise, just to be on board the latest new thing.

 

I hear Kotex has a new line comming out, you should try it. Then you can flood their boards with your complaints about how they dont fit.

[Ultratron]

Not dying.

 

SWTOR will live a long life simply due to its lore.

 

It is a casual friendly game which attracts a huge demographic.

 

However, the mechanics of this game are in very sad shape, especially the pvp and anything having to do with the end game. As BW releases more content and fixes more bugs it'll continue to get better and better, naturally. Personally, I expect more from a MMO

 

This is not the WoW killer that we were all looking for.

 

I belong to a very large and active guild and 90% of our members are so bored with their 50's that they are playing alts. That is not sustainable.

 

 

^^this

 

The sad truth is that out of the 6-7 friends that were super pumped about this game and started up with me. I am the only person who even logs in anymore and the ONLY reason I'm able to continue playing the game is because I've been leveling alts.

 

Unfortunately I'm about to finish the 4th story on Empire side so the only "game" that this mmo has is about to end for me.

[Delphis]

The way I see it... SW:ToR is on a timer.

 

Either Bioware buckles up and fixes the fact that there is NOTHING to do in this game at 50 (especially for PvP) before GWII launch or it dies.

 

I've seen nothing but hype from Bioware talking about how 1.2 is going be the savior but I'm skeptical. Maybe they will deliver and that will make me very happy.

 

All I know for sure is that I've been one of this games biggest supporters for a VERY long time. But I'm also a competitive PvPer, and if Bioware refuses to offer me something besides rated WZ's I'll be jumping ship as soon as that "other game's" life boat comes floating by.

 

Agree with your sentiments. I just want to point out something about BW patches. I played the beta and we were fairly unified in voicing many concerns. There was talk about a "miracle patch", but it never came.

 

I do not expect 1.2 to live up to the expectation. And I guarantee that it will introduce more new bugs. BW has proven over and over that they are unable to release a major patch without collateral impact.

[Elyree]

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Teala/012012/22492_The-Tortanics-Maiden-Voyage

 

This is what happens when you create a ranged stun fest and the best pvp dps classes are also the easiest to play.

 

Pretty much the same subscription curve DAoC and Warhammer had. Steady downward trend from the instant of release.

 

DAoC, Warhammer, Swtor.....there seems to be a pattern emerging here

[Tremont]

Pve game will be alive and well (for all its mediocrity) for awhile.

 

Pvp game is at the least, terminally ill.

 

This^^^

 

I estimate it will be free to play in 12 months. PvP is a joke compared to my experience in other MMO's, and there are alot of great features that most MMO's have that we dont.

 

Sorry BW, but the millions you invested for a "good story" means that the rest of the game got neglected.

[SeloDaoC]

Pretty much the same subscription curve DAoC and Warhammer had. Steady downward trend from the instant of release.

 

DAoC, Warhammer, Swtor.....there seems to be a pattern emerging here

 

DaoC had an increase in subs after first months, and a steady dedicated population, they even added servers every month, ffa pvp, cross realm server etc. It was not until ToA the numbers started dropping.

 

Differance was DaoC was a good game built around PvP with one of the best and dedicated community in mmos history. Although i admit they didnt have much competition at the time either.

Edited February 27, 2012 by SeloDaoC

[UA_Wookie]

This^^^

 

I estimate it will be free to play in 12 months. PvP is a joke compared to my experience in other MMO's, and there are alot of great features that most MMO's have that we dont.

 

Sorry BW, but the millions you invested for a "good story" means that the rest of the game got neglected.

 

Retweeted for truth.

[SirRobin]

Pretty much the same subscription curve DAoC and Warhammer had. Steady downward trend from the instant of release.

 

DAoC, Warhammer, Swtor.....there seems to be a pattern emerging here

 

Meh... AoC, DCUO, STO etc, etc... There were many developers who thought they could imitate WoW's success and were proven wrong.

[AidenPryde]

When I queue up on my 66 Valor Jugg with 6 BM pieces I see very few fellow Battlemasters.

 

This applies to Empire and Republic players. There are far fewer BMs running around in WZs than there were a month ago.

 

This is probably because the early achievers have left.

[ScumNVillawut]

Not dying.

 

SWTOR will live a long life simply due to its lore.

 

It is a casual friendly game which attracts a huge demographic.

 

However, the mechanics of this game are in very sad shape, especially the pvp and anything having to do with the end game. As BW releases more content and fixes more bugs it'll continue to get better and better, naturally. Personally, I expect more from a MMO

 

This is not the WoW killer that we were all looking for.

 

I belong to a very large and active guild and 90% of our members are so bored with their 50's that they are playing alts. That is not sustainable.

 

You bring up a reasonable point (others as well, but primarily this specific one): the lore. Do people not understand the power of Star Wars? Because I'm sure MMO-players have eaten, thrown up, and re-eaten the same fantasy setting that's been beaten to death since the invention of D&D, and many of those players are tired of it.

 

If you say "this is just WoW in space," THEN SO WHAT?! If you prefer the Star Wars setting more than WoW (WoW being your typical fantasy backdrop with a bit of steampunk sprinkled on top), then why is it a problem? That's part of the demographic that Bioware/EA aimed to please, so **** you if you prefer bows and arrows.

 

Yes, the game is far from perfect. It's also far from reaching its true potential. But it will always, ALWAYS, keep new people coming back for some, because it's Star Wars. They didn't just pick the IP for the pretty lights and pew-pew sounds, y'know?

[Cherepk]

Its not dead yet but Im pretty sure it die the day this release..

Check this out

 

 

It won't die due to GW2, don't have your hopes for GW2, graphics don't mean anything. Its gameplay that define the game, and gw1 failed on this, why would you think GW2 will be more successful ?

[Iriestx]

The same half-a-dozen, mind-numbingly dull daily/weekly quests, every day. Get up, go to work, come home and do the same 3 WZs or Ilum every day gets tiresome real fast. It's the equivalent of having three episodes of the same show on your DVR, and watching them over and over every day for months.

 

I knew this game wasn't going to last long when you couldn't even keyword search the auction house.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Iriestx

[Rogmar]

Its gameplay that define the game, and gw1 failed on this, why would you think GW2 will be more successful ?

 

Do you know what you are talking about?

[Iriestx]

It won't die due to GW2, don't have your hopes for GW2, graphics don't mean anything. Its gameplay that define the game, and gw1 failed on this, why would you think GW2 will be more successful ?

 

Because I've seen more unique, compelling game play and thoughtful, dynamic events packed into a weekend of the press beta footage than I experienced in two months or SWTOR.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Iriestx

[SeloDaoC]

Whatever they do, the core of the game is still broken and makes the game boring

 

Adding more operations wont fix that

[ademnus]

Is SWTOR dying? Ques are longer and longer. So many of the good players that I levelled with never log in anymore it seems. Republic fleet on mt server used to have over 100 toons at off hours, and now its mainly 20-30. My server Helm of Garush was one of the top 5 population servers at one point. Now it seems more and more like a Ghostown.

 

What's going on?

 

doesnt seem that way on Begeren Colony. during peak we have 100+ on republic / imperial fleet and we keep seeing new players joining.

 

What you're noticing is attrition after a new launch. There's always a chunk of folks that quit a new mmo. Some didnt like it, some wont like anything, some liked it but raced thru the content by playing 9hrs a day/ 7 days a week and became bored, some can't afford it, and some for a myriad of personal reasons. What remains is the actual playerbase.

 

After a content patch, you'll see numbers swell again and then abate again. After an expansion you'll see a massive swell that increases numbers above launch. And then there will be attrition again.

 

Is the game dying? Well, maple story is fetid turd and its still running. DCUO was perhaps one of the weakest launches of one of the ost content flimsy games in recent years and its still running, albeit f2p. SWg only recently shut down because this game took its place. EQ2 is still running. You see, they dont die. So is this game dying? no, obviously it isnt.

 

What's the purpose, tho, of these "is the game dying, is the sky falling???" posts? Are you trying to frighten the devs? They arent teenagers, theyre industry professionals who made most of the MMOS you keep referencing. They know exactly how numbers wax and wane, they know if their game is failing -and this one has already made record profits. Im sure they thank you for your concern, but the game won't die and theyre not scared. How about you make a new post listing your likes, dislikes and suggestions for the future instead? Just complaining and fear mongering doesnt accomplish anything.