Is Bioware gambling that non subs are going to stay subs becausee of endgame?

Hello. Your friendly non subscriber here who got lost into subscriber territory because bioware bribed me enough to become one for a month (1 account speeder, 2 expansions for my account, cartel coins from the sub etc).

I just wanted to bring up a topic again for everyones benefit, considering what we know post fallen empire is pointing at a distinct lack of endgame content.

My question/concern is.. Bioware has lost interest in group content as people aren't doing it anymore (this must be taken as fact).. but is this because the content itself is not in demand by all players, or is it because players have adapted to get fun elsewhere in the game because of non subscriber restrictions?

What i would like to not think is happening is, bioware are looking at the activity metrics of various gameplay, seeing a vast majority only doing story content and dailies, and deciding that this is the only thing that people do... Just imagine if non subs didn't have group gameplay restrictions, there would be more people in endgame instances, and overall participation would be much greater even from paying subscribers because of this...? Both subscribers and non subs (everyone) is effected by the group gameplay content not being able to clear the subscription "barrier" thats been placed infront of it.. And this barrier has nothing to do with the actual gameplay itself...

Which ends with biowares strategy for post fallen empire.. Guess what, after my sub runs out im going right back to my arrangement of cc alacarte purchases... the 500cc's was the main value in subbing (apart from the free stuff) for me. Learning to like endgame, especially when there is not much coming, and especially if i lose it going back to non sub is really not going happen. The point of endgame is not to suck at it, so there's a personal commitment i'm required to give as well...

I dunno... i wish you the best of luck in getting this right.. i actually hate whale based mmo's where i don't want to spend anything, i think swtor has something for everyone at the moment.. And if you feel like chiming in snowflake subs, just think about that... subscribers paying for new content is probably the most guaranteed form of income this game has. This is money literally dropping out of biowares wallet, and some observation they're making behind the curtain is suggesting that bending over to pick up your $20 (previous xpac costs for all) not worth their time... :P For everyones sake lets hope the content thats sub only at the moment isnt falling off for the wrong reasons.

Ops shouldnt even be included in the sub.

The way it should work is you have to buy ops pass to access ops (regardless of subs)

BW can then use that money to make new ops.

Its really simple, if theres enough players that play ops (so buy passes), it will pay for itself.

I don't think it's a bet. It's transition to more easily anticipated revenue flow. It's a condition and a very conscious choice. Premise is that as a free to play you get to play stories up to level X for free. If you want to continue with up to date story content you have to sub. It's perfectly viable and I'd say natural way of gating content to add extra reason to be a subscriper. I like the idea of sub being the king instead of buying an expansion once and then playing it as free to play for an example. I think it's a choice towards more sustained and balanced income model instead of boosting up to expansion sold alongside the subscription and for free to play players. It's extremely fair system and if they manage to put out content every month and it's measured to be enough for large part of the community enjoying stories, then it'll be a brilliant model. From business point of view, it's a great thing they are doing.

**EDIT**

When I first heard about their plans to go to this direction, I was so pleasantly surprised that they had actually evolved in monetizing what they do the best - stories. At the same they are forcing the game revenue to more anticipated, steady and easily monitored and analyzed direction. All great business decisions. Respect BW.

You must be new here!

Bioware base their decisions on flawed metrics. They rarely listen to player feedback and then plaster over the open wounds until it requires major surgery.

Why are the metrics flawed? Well, their decision to bring us Fallen Empire is based on 'player feedback' that they want MORE story. Yes - CLASS story. Then, they state that all the players love the story and its the most popular activity in this game - all driven by their 'metrics'.

NO WAY!?!!! When its the only real form of levelling a character, no wonder its so 'popular' Its like saying that if you only have road A to work, you must take road A then the highway agency claiming that road A is the most popular route to work.

Story didn't sell the game, or keep it afloat just after launch and within 3 months, the game was all but dead. Sure there will be a small minority would will embrace story but its SMALL. The lack of new end game content is disgusting, when you consider that the game has gone through its longest content drought of all time and that these small episodes of content (like Netflix for games as Bioware put it) is enough to demand a subscription AND lock ancient content such as Warzones, Flashpoints and Operations behind pay walls.

The latter MUST change. SWTOR is the only MMO now that asks for a sub AND locks content behind pay walls. Then, maybe yes they can get away with the lack of new endgame and just churn out story. At least then, the group finders will be busy again.

If I were at BioWare, my metrics about people doing stories would be based on how much people skip cutscenes, if they replay the stories and take the time on them. Not actually just leveling. There are possibilites on metrics and I'd guess they are using variables to see if it's just powering through levels to get to the end game or actually doing it for the story. It's not rocket science. They can do it. Assuming it's flawed metric because you did not come up with more intricate way of measuring does not mean BW didn't.

This game lived off story for past 4 years.

Barely anyone did ops. No matter how much BW tried to cater to those.

If story and lore is so much more important, then why is flashpoints, operations and heroic missions forum more crowded? If no one is doing operations, why are people so active on that part of the official forums?

Because demographic is different.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/03/t...otro/#comments

I guess I am in a bubble of my own choice. I only know one player concentrating on stories and other non-raiding or pvp activities in this game. Everyone else I know is here for the PvP and raiding in Star Wars theme. I suppose my view is distorted if we can derive anything from LOTRO statistics. I am guessing those are somewhat accurate even in SWTOR.

Yup, and LOTROs forums were pretty much the same as SWTORs. Its the same type of game, more similar than they are even to WoW (even if both are WoW clones).