A sequel must be in the works

[IstariZen]

I am probably going to get a few negative post for this but oh well:

 

This was the number 2 MMO for a while and remained insanely profitable for a while.

 

GC was a massive risk, it really feels like a beta experience. Also, the team should not have issues releasing full expansions, unless...

 

They are working on a sequel. I think its coming, maybe a year or two, but no one in their right mind would throw away a good IP like this. If GC is bleeding subs, maybe this is there chance to decide how to use it in a sequel.

 

One OP released over the course of a year? The team is not that small. I think this game will live on, but a sequel is coming.

 

Just a guess. There was just too much to give up, by not giving this game full support, unless they had to reassign the team to another task. Even TSW is running still, this game was waaay above that in profits from subs and cash shop purchases.

 

The team may be small, but probably because they are working on something bigger and better that will give Disney a reason to extend that 2020 license. SW will always be perfect for an MMO, lets hope all mistakes have been learned.

Edited February 19, 2017 by IstariZen

[Kurj]

I would love for you to be right. I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.

[fushnchips]

I am probably going to get a few negative post for this but oh well:

 

This was the number 2 MMO for a while and remained insanely profitable for a while.

 

GC was a massive risk, it really feels like a beta experience. Also, the team should not have issues releasing full expansions, unless...

 

They are working on a sequel. I think its coming, maybe a year or two, but no one in their right mind would throw away a good IP like this. If GC is bleeding subs, maybe this is there chance to decide how to use it in a sequel.

 

One OP released over the course of a year? The team is not that small. I think this game will live on, but a sequel is coming.

 

Just a guess. There was just too much to give up, by not giving this game full support, unless they had to reassign the team to another task. Even TSW is running still, this game was waaay above that in profits from subs and cash shop purchases.

 

The team may be small, but probably because they are working on something bigger and better that will give Disney a reason to extend that 2020 license. SW will always be perfect for an MMO, lets hope all mistakes have been learned.

 

I can't see it remember they only have the right for the starwars IP for so long and right now there is no word on that being renewed, If they do a SWTOR 2 I hope the word " Engine " is in the teams mind and they tread very careful ground because this game could be so much better with a real engine that works well this decade and that pre-alpha version just doesn't fit that picture but we all have our fingers crossed and all we can do is hope

[GalacticKegger]

I can't see it remember they only have the right for the starwars IP for so long and right now there is no word on that being renewed, If they do a SWTOR 2 I hope the word " Engine " is in the teams mind and they tread very careful ground because this game could be so much better with a real engine that works well this decade and that pre-alpha version just doesn't fit that picture but we all have our fingers crossed and all we can do is hope

Engine and MMO. This game had a great thing going coming out of 2.10. But starting with SoR it began moving in a single player only direction. Then KotFE and KotET closed the deal by turning SWTOR from a full MMORPG into a solo RPG with some co-op thrown in. Our last real MMO content release was 3.2's Ziost in April of 2015.

 

SWTOR fans really don't have a fresh and full blown MMO to play any more. So I agree with the OP. Allow Bioware to complete the game's transition to a single-player KOTOR III RPG and license the MMO side of the IP to a competent, accomplished and communicative developer who despises lip service as much as we do ... and won't cut us off at the kneecaps.

Edited February 19, 2017 by GalacticKegger

[-Highsteel-]

So you are saying that they decided to piss off a bunch of subs just to see if something may or may not work in a sequel?

 

Call me skeptical, but I'm assuming upsetting people isn't a great way to earn their trust for future endeavors. My guess is they are bleeding the last stone and will fizzle out.

[ThomasTomaz]

My theory on the lack of support for this game is definitely the opposite of them doing a sequel. I can't see it. This game is only five years old, and there is still time left for it to shine. However, Bioware has other things going on which has taken resources from the game:

 

1.) Bioware Austin is developing a new, unnamed original IP, which could mean anything. Assuming it's like other Bioware games, it should have superior storytelling and by a hit with the press and the gaming community. This has to be taking direct resources away from SWTOR, since it is being developed by the same studio.

 

Also, the Austin studio was working on a game called Shadow Realm, which was announced publicly in 2014, only to have the plug pulled in early 2015. The reason given by Bioware was to work on content for Mass Effect and the new DragonAge game (see below.)

 

2.) Bioware has become a victim of it's own success. Mass Effect is one of the premier franchises in gaming, and they are set to release a new game in that universe next month. SWTOR had success out the gate. DragonAge is another great franchise that Bioware is working on, and their last release, Inquisition, scored very well with the press and was a game of the year candidate.

 

The two remaining founders left in 2012, followed shortly after by Casey Hudson, who was lead for the Mass Effect franchise. Stated above, Shadow Realm was in development and then they yanked that from Austin to put resources towards the other studios. With the critical acclaim Bioware has received for their games, this meant that the resumes of their employees just jumped up a couple levels. They faced a choice as to who they wanted to keep at higher pay and positions, and then had to fill the ones who they couldn't keep, or jumped immediately for promotions. I read an article a few years ago that a lot of key talent left Bioware after Mass Effect 3, but I have not been able to find it, but it's definitely known that they weren't able to keep anyone. It's like a sports franchise building a team from the draft- for a time, you are getting a talented player for a cheap price, but you eventually have to pay them as they get experience and time in the game.

 

Bioware can still make SWTOR a successful MMO, but judging from the lack of community presence they have going on right now, I don't think it's a huge priority for them. Maybe we might see some movement when ME: Andromeda launches and their new IP gets closer to release date.........we can only hope, right?

[stoopicus]

Sadly this seems extremely unlikely to me. If they do another Star Wars game, no way would they put the resources into an Old Republic one. They would do a game set in the current movie era to capitalize on the yearly Disney movie bonanza.

 

So unless Disney suddenly starts making Revan movies, TOR is probably dead for MMO-size cash commitments from EA.

[CKNORTH]

This game doesn't need a sequel, it needs someone in the managers chair to freaking realize things need to be fixed, and I am not just talking bugs. Add a ton of OPs and fix OWPvP sheesh. If they can't be bothered with those two concepts then this ship is pretty much dead in space...

[TUXs]

This game doesn't need a sequel, it needs someone in the managers chair to freaking realize things need to be fixed, and I am not just talking bugs. Add a ton of OPs and fix OWPvP sheesh. If they can't be bothered with those two concepts then this ship is pretty much dead in space...

Agreed!!! A sequel by the same folk would turn out no differently.

[stoopicus]

And this game itself is so full of amazing content already a sequel is just a bad plan. Much better to build on what's there.

 

Sony didn't make EQ2 because EQ was so awesome that it needed a sequel. EQ was so riddled with ridiculous flaws (loot system, epic quests, hell levels, lol) that it needed a rewrite. The reason FFXIV got the same treatment is that it was so damn bad. The same is not true of this game - what this game needs is a rollback to 4.x, if anything, not a rewrite.

 

I mean, you don't see Blizzard jumping up and down to do "WoW 2", do you?

 

The reason Sony makes MMO sequels is because Sony is very bad at making MMOs. The same is not true of this MMO. Despite the recent badness this is probably the most player-friendly MMO I have ever played that isn't a literal P2W clickfest.

[CKNORTH]

And this game itself is so full of amazing content already a sequel is just a bad plan. Much better to build on what's there.

 

Sony didn't make EQ2 because EQ was so awesome that it needed a sequel. EQ was so riddled with ridiculous flaws (loot system, epic quests, hell levels, lol) that it needed a rewrite. The reason FFXIV got the same treatment is that it was so damn bad. The same is not true of this game - what this game needs is a rollback to 4.x, if anything, not a rewrite.

 

I mean, you don't see Blizzard jumping up and down to do "WoW 2", do you?

 

The reason Sony makes MMO sequels is because Sony is very bad at making MMOs. The same is not true of this MMO. Despite the recent badness this is probably the most player-friendly MMO I have ever played that isn't a literal P2W clickfest.

 

And for CEO/Management and to get there heads out of the sand...

 

Really if they announced 2-3 new ops a month at least that would be a good "Start" so many people are tired of MMO's right now because nothing new is happening. And this one sits here like a wart on a frogs... Seriously this is the bottom line, give people something to do other than stare at the GTN for hours on end... Because storyline is good for what 3 hours tops each month?? Cmon Bio kick it into high gear already!!

[IstariZen]

And this game itself is so full of amazing content already a sequel is just a bad plan. Much better to build on what's there.

 

Sony didn't make EQ2 because EQ was so awesome that it needed a sequel. EQ was so riddled with ridiculous flaws (loot system, epic quests, hell levels, lol) that it needed a rewrite. The reason FFXIV got the same treatment is that it was so damn bad. The same is not true of this game - what this game needs is a rollback to 4.x, if anything, not a rewrite.

 

I mean, you don't see Blizzard jumping up and down to do "WoW 2", do you?

 

The reason Sony makes MMO sequels is because Sony is very bad at making MMOs. The same is not true of this MMO. Despite the recent badness this is probably the most player-friendly MMO I have ever played that isn't a literal P2W clickfest.

 

I think you are absolutely right. That is why this doesnt make sense to me, the fact that they are dropping the ball. The only thing that seems to make sense is that they must be working on a sequel. And despite what people say, it would be huge. Potentially one of the biggest MMOs ever, if it followed the same formula but minus all of the mistakes that players have vocally opposed. Could you imagine? SWTOR 2 with the best graphics in the industry? It would topple wow. Andromeda would be the perfect teaser for it. They know the market is there. To me, it would be foolish not to do it. They can release a full sub game with the Cartel Market backed in... man thats money right there.

Edited February 19, 2017 by IstariZen

[CKNORTH]

I think you are absolutely right. That is why this doesnt make sense to me, the fact that they are dropping the ball. The only thing that seems to make sense is that they must be working on a sequel. And despite what people say, it would be huge. Potentially one of the biggest MMOs ever, if it followed the same formula but minus all of the mistakes that players have vocally opposed. Could you imagine? SWTOR 2 with the best graphics in the industry? It would topple wow. Andromeda would be the perfect teaser for it.

 

Uh no... If their were to be a sequel by EA/Bioware it would be the second biggest flop this side of dantooine. Sorry to say but how they launched and the fact they don't give a crap about the community people are quite bitter about how they have ran this game to the ground...

 

It wouldn't even push over a young Bantha, or topple any game other then maybe Mario. There is a serious decline inMMO's after all why play an MMO when for $40 and no subscription fees you could play Conan Exiles...

[GalacticKegger]

I mean, you don't see Blizzard jumping up and down to do "WoW 2", do you?

Blizzard never butchered WoW's loot system. Or its progression system. Or its leveling dungeons and their heroic elder game variants. When they recycle content the original content remains intact while what's recycled and level sync'd is added to the game as an optional progression route (they call it Timewalking) ... it doesn't outright replace the game.

 

Blizzard releases new raids (ops), dungeons (flashpoints) and battlegrounds (WZs) with a cadence that would drop Bioware to its knees puking and sucking wind. Their expansions are real ones, with 100's of hours of new continent exploration and story (with an emphasis on cinematics now), dungeons and raids you get to play through right away.

 

And Battle.net's cash shop updates are left out of the game's patch notes because it isn't built into the game. Blizzard won't stoop to adding time sink speed bumps and hurdles to their game's progression, then steer their players to the cash shop expecting them to pay to have those speed bumps and hurdles removed.

 

Therefore, Blizzard doesn't have to do a WoW2 because by keeping WoW true to its roots they are retaining the trust (and revenue) of their core player base. Bioware sent theirs packing with 4.0.

 

By comparison, ugh ... I'm sorry. I can't. Bioware loses that one hands down because there is no comparison. I will say this however ... if Bioware ever snapped to and jettisoned the CYA decision makers who are weighing this game down to build an organization that matches the quality, quantity and support that Blizzard puts into WoW ... then I would not only sign on for the 6-month auto-renewal plan but I'd also pay WoW money for SWTOR expansions as well. Our guild would be back with a vengeance too.

Edited February 19, 2017 by GalacticKegger

[midianlord]

Wouldn't touch anything made by BioWare with a 10 metre cattle-prod at this point.

[DPswfan]

For the love of god, Bioware should never ever make another MMO. It's just not their thing. They have proven time and again that they are good at single player RPGs. That's their strength and they should stick with it. Also, as an aside, if they ever try to turn the Mass Effect series into an MMO, I will cry for days.

[heythereqt]

Blizzard never butchered WoW's loot system. Or its progression system. Or its leveling dungeons and their heroic elder game variants. When they recycle content the original content remains intact while what's recycled and level sync'd is added to the game as an optional progression route (they call it Timewalking) ... it doesn't outright replace the game.

 

Blizzard releases new raids (ops), dungeons (flashpoints) and battlegrounds (WZs) with a cadence that would drop Bioware to its knees puking and sucking wind. Their expansions are real ones, with 100's of hours of new continent exploration and story (with an emphasis on cinematics now), dungeons and raids you get to play through right away.

 

And Battle.net's cash shop updates are left out of the game's patch notes because it isn't built into the game. Blizzard won't stoop to adding time sink speed bumps and hurdles to their game's progression, then steer their players to the cash shop expecting them to pay to have those speed bumps and hurdles removed.

 

Therefore, Blizzard doesn't have to do a WoW2 because by keeping WoW true to its roots they are retaining the trust (and revenue) of their core player base. Bioware sent theirs packing with 4.0.

 

By comparison, ugh ... I'm sorry. I can't. Bioware loses that one hands down because there is no comparison. I will say this however ... if Bioware ever snapped to and jettisoned the CYA decision makers who are weighing this game down to build an organization that matches the quality, quantity and support that Blizzard puts into WoW ... then I would not only sign on for the 6-month auto-renewal plan but I'd also pay WoW money for SWTOR expansions as well. Our guild would be back with a vengeance too.

 

This.....THIS is what I want to see with SWTOR. I really want to say "take notes BW!" but we all know that it's never what this game will be. Sometimes I'm just dumbfounded by how terrible the development and content release has become with this game, and how they think that an emphasis on the cartel market is a magic bandaid that will make the players happy. If BW put the same passion and principles towards this game that Blizzard does with WoW, I dare say it would absolutely be the WoW-killer that everyone thought it would be half a decade ago.

 

It's not just WoW though, games like ESO with a payment model that is much more accessible (and therefore takes in much less money from the players) are releasing content that makes this game's look like it was designed for kindergarteners. It's infuriating to be a Star Wars MMO-fan at the moment. They really need to pull their heads out of the sand and think long and hard about how much potential this game has.

[HuaRya]

The other day I was looking at the packaging of a Star Wars toy and was shocked (but not surprised) to no longer see any mention of Lucasfilm on the box it was just Disney branded and 70% written in Spanish/other. SWTOR is kind of the last remnant of Star Wars licensing Lucas style and like Pixar you won't see any release uniquely bearing it's name. You will only see Disney. They have very different ideas about their intellectual property than the former and it revolves around getting people to see their movies and ultimately their parks.

 

The Jedi MMO'ers are extinct, their fire has gone out of the gaming universe. You, my friend, are all that's left.

[Rabenschwinge]

I expect SW:TOR to be eventually replaced a while after Star Wars IX is out, not earlier, and that regardless of how well it's going. It does not make a lot of sense to start concerning oneself with a new game at this point.

[Sir-steve]

On the one hand, I would not be surprised if a replacement game is in the works i.e. 5 years is a reasonable lifespan for any piece of software and the lead time to develop one is significant. If they started work on it a couple years ago they have positioned themselves well to capitalize on the SW IP. That said, it would need to be more in line with the timelines of the current movies (unless that rumoured SWTOR Netflix series happens) to truly cash in.

 

On the other hand, MMO's are cost intensive with long delivery times so I would also not be surprised if we don't see another SW MMO come out. Just look at the other SW games out there for mobile platforms like Galaxy of Hero's. It's a great way for EA to deliver content quickly and generate revenue. Have you seen the prices for in game purchases? We're talking the $12-75 range per pop. On the one hand that might seem high, but its basically the same as buying a digital version of an action figure.

 

While we might all miss MMO's, odds are the shift to mobile for licensed IP will be more desirable from a business perspective.

[GalacticKegger]

The Jedi MMO'ers are extinct, their fire has gone out of the gaming universe. You, my friend, are all that's left.

The Jedi MMOers are nowhere near extinct as is evidenced by the fan upheaval that prompted 4 PR damage control Livestreams within the first 8 weeks of 5.0's release. It does however look like Jedi MMOers may have to get used to not having a Star Wars MMO because DisnEAware apparently wants nothing more to do with one. All we can do is continue protesting until BWA grows a set and either gives us our MMO back or outright tells us they're not supporting MMOs any more. Until then the bedazzled Bioware backers will just have to suffer through the noise cuz this sure as hell ain't it. Pre-3.0 is the MMO standard for this game. Pre-4.0 is an acceptable compromise. Anything 4.0 and later is NGE fodder. They broke it by trying to fix what did not need fixing. Edited February 20, 2017 by GalacticKegger

[ImmortalLowlife]

For the love of god, Bioware should never ever make another MMO. It's just not their thing. They have proven time and again that they are good at single player RPGs. That's their strength and they should stick with it. Also, as an aside, if they ever try to turn the Mass Effect series into an MMO, I will cry for days.

 

So much THIS!

 

I personally have NO interest in another MMO. I'm waiting for tha single player RPG I can play on my PS4, buy DLC, and completely ignore whatever "multiplayer" aspect they include. Give me the SW version of GTA meets SKYRIM meets God of War with epic storytelling like Legacy of Kain or DA:O, a character creator like Saints Row, and a space combat like BF2.

 

*drops mic and throws money at the screen

[DarthZaul]

They won't make another MMO. MMOs are a dead genre. There are hundreds of small niche ones but the idea of a AAA MMO other than WoW is long dead.

[GalacticKegger]

So much THIS!

 

I personally have NO interest in another MMO. I'm waiting for tha single player RPG I can play on my PS4, buy DLC, and completely ignore whatever "multiplayer" aspect they include. Give me the SW version of GTA meets SKYRIM meets God of War with epic storytelling like Legacy of Kain or DA:O, a character creator like Saints Row, and a space combat like BF2.

 

*drops mic and throws money at the screen

/ picks up the mic / Though I can't for the life of me figure out why you're waiting for a SWTOR MMO to turn into tha single player RPG you can play on your PS4, buy DLC, and completely ignore whatever "multiplayer" aspect they include ... actually, wait ... scratch that. This is no longer a MMO. And as a pre-order CE founder who backed this game through thick and thin when it was an awesome MMO it pains me to say that your wish may come true faster than you realize.

 

Here's your mic back.

Edited February 20, 2017 by GalacticKegger

[PatrykJesionek]

There will be no sequel. Even WoW have no sequel and they barely touched graphic options in all those years. Its still playable at trash computers. SWTOR might be second best MMO... might be in TOP5, TOP10 or whatever... but creating a new MMO from scrap in times when MMO are not even a popular genre is suicide.

 

How many players are playing SWTOR? How many of them will happily throw away all of their stuff that they wasted money for? I remember how folks raged about shutting down Galaxies and that game was dead compared to SWTOR. If I would be in charge... I would keep releasing monthly expansions with subscriber rewards (but without unique quests.. that was low-blow) because that influenced a sub numbers considerably.

 

Someone smart... would release something similar to "Star Wars: Force Arena". Its combination of MOBA and CARD GAME that was a excellent idea for smartphones/tablets/stuff. I was playing it using emulator for a while and had a blast. PC needs a good MOBA or CARD GAME or maybe combination of those in Star Wars universe.

 

And for the last thing... Higher Requirements = Lower Population = Less Cash

Edited February 20, 2017 by PatrykJesionek