Will new content come to and end? Will the game be shut down? Would really like to know

Will new content come to and end? Will the game be shut down? Would really like to know

EA has not lost the licence to develop Star Wars games, they have just lost the exclusivity agreement that meant nobody else could develop any Star Wars-related games.

EA still have an agreement for swtor and other SW content, and Disney have not (as far as I have seen in the media) indicated that will come to an end any time soon.

There is nothing stopping EA to sell and market their SW games, as long as Lucasfilm Games is ok with it. In fact, EA already has some things SW lined up for after 2013. However, the exclusivity will end as mentioned already.

 

And because Lucasfilm Games is talking to multiple game developers, it follows that there will not be another exclusivity deal, at least for now.

 

That is good news for SWTOR because as there won't be another exclusivity deal in place of this, it also means that nobody else can force EA to stop SWTOR. Unless Lucasfilm Games gets upset with them for some reason.

 

However, and this is the possible downside, if another company gets the ok from Lucasfilm Games, to make another SW MMO, chances are SWTOR will lose out there. Of course, it'd be years of production for another MMO to come out, so even IF that were to be the case, SWTOR will just trod along for years to come.

 

In short, I wouldn't worry about it. EA will only lose its exclusivity license, not the license to market the games they already made.

There is nothing stopping EA to sell and market their existing SW games, as long as Lucasfilm Games is ok with it. In fact, EA already has some things SW lined up for after 2023.

fixt

depends on the wording of the contract(s)

 

And because Lucasfilm Games is talking to multiple game developers, it follows that there will not be another exclusivity deal, at least for now.

If they keep nurturing those brain cells that finally made them reconstitute LA/LFG, there will never again be another SW "exclusivity deal" in the foreseeable future.

 

it also means that nobody else can force EA to stop SWTOR. Unless Lucasfilm Games gets upset with them for some reason. However, and this is the possible downside, if another company gets the ok from Lucasfilm Games, to make another SW MMO, chances are SWTOR will lose out there. Of course, it'd be years of production for another MMO to come out, so even IF that were to be the case, SWTOR will just trod along for years to come.

 

In short, I wouldn't worry about it. EA will only lose its exclusivity license, not the license to market the games they already made.

This one depends on some very specific clauses and how they are worded, though anything amounting to 'breach of contract' is a fairly safe bet to be an instant death sentence.

 

Considering that D /LA /LFG was "in talks" with US for "over a year" before they made the announcement, who knows what else could be in the works already.

 

Again, much depends on the wording of the contract(s), which could contain a pre-set cease and desist upon expiration; could allow them to continue to operate SWTOR, just not develop any more content (and even existing system refinement could be limited /prohibited); and thats just to name a couple of the more plausible scenarios.

 

Another factor that gives these two particular scenarios a bit more weight over the others is SWTOR's non-canon status, and given D's nuclear actions with all other content that was at various stages of development when they took over, and the current day situation(s) where they are very stringent on canon violations... it could go either way tbh. Best case scenario for SWTOR is that so long as EA/BW does not trod on any canon toes, SWTOR will be left alone as the last bastion of the dead and abandoned (but still plundered for ideas) "legends" universe. Worst case... weeelll...

 

Bottom line here, the exact terms of the contract(s) were never made public, nor are they ever likely to. So all we can do is wait and see what happens when it happens.

Edited January 16, 2021 by Kaveat

Technically, SWTOR is the last Lucasarts game, it was developed and released under a license agreement between Lucasarts and Bioware/EA just like KOTOR. When EA took over Bioware in 2008, the game was already in early development, and that wouldn't happen without a license.

 

When Disney bought the IP, that included the royalties for running licenses like broadcasting, toys and video games. With the animated series being on Disney+ now, Swtor might be one of the steadiest money maker of that legacy.

 

I doubt Disney wants to (or even can) withdraw the license to make Swtor shut down; what they could do is come to an agreement with (i.e. pay out) EA to give the next SW-MMO a better chance (see SWG) - But who wants to develop a new MMO in 2021?

Edited January 16, 2021 by Mubrak

But who wants to develop a new MMO in 2021?

 

Amazon does, apparently.

Amazon does, apparently.

 

I'm curious how this is gonna turn out considering the massive failure of Crucible.

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What D (or EA) 'can' or 'can not' do is a matter of contract law, not personal opinion.

 

Fortunately opinions do not have any bearing on contract law, especially where the particulars of the contract(s) in question remain unknown.

What D (or EA) 'can' or 'can not' do is a matter of contract law, not personal opinion.

 

Fortunately opinions do not have any bearing on contract law, especially where the particulars of the contract(s) in question remain unknown.

 

Accurate summation.

 

I would add one addendum ... future negotiations and or agreements as a "possibility". To which, at this point in time, none of us have anything specific or definitive.

 

Conclusion:

Everything we have is speculation at best. Hopefully, this will interpret into a more focused effort to provide the best product possible. That would unquestionably be in in everyone's best interest.

I’m just waiting for more information regarding this new open world sw game from Ubisoft. It’s doesn’t mention MMO, but until we get more info, there is a possibility that it will have some MMO elements and that may mean swtor is shuttered the same as swg was shuttered when swtor was released,

I’m just waiting for more information regarding this new open world sw game from Ubisoft. It’s doesn’t mention MMO, but until we get more info, there is a possibility that it will have some MMO elements and that may mean swtor is shuttered the same as swg was shuttered when swtor was released,

 

Crysis was also "open world", no MMO aspect at all, so not thinking it being an MMO is very likely.

 

Devils advocate though, if they were to launch another SW MMO while SWTOR was still active, I doubt they would announce it until right before it was ready to go live, say maybe right at T-30 days.

Edited January 17, 2021 by Kaveat

Until more info is forth coming about the game, we won’t know.

 

And we will know well in advance if it’s an MMO once they start drip feeding info to build up hype. If it’s not an MMO, then swtor is probably safe as long as it’s making money. But if it is an MMO, expect the same thing to happen to swtor that happened to swg.

Edited January 17, 2021 by TrixxieTriss

Devils advocate though, if they were to launch another SW MMO while SWTOR was still active, I doubt they would announce it until right before it was ready to go live, say maybe right at T-30 days.

Nah that's not enough time for the hype train. You can often order new games like 6 months before release anyway but they start building hype for a game well before that.

 

And they would want to attract the SWTOR players anyway, so ticking them off just a month before they release their MMO would be a really bad move.

Until more info is forth coming about the game, we won’t know.

 

And we will know well in advance if it’s an MMO once they start drip feeding info to build up hype. If it’s not an MMO, then swtor is probably safe as long as it’s making money. But if it is an MMO, expect the same thing to happen to swtor that happened to swg.

 

With the only difference being that SWG emulators will still be played long after swtor is closed.

 

 

Back on topic, as long as we don't get an announcement about a new Star Wars MMO, swtor is safe. But, we have to see what happens in 2023 when EA loses the exclusivity deal. Maybe this means that they won't be able to add any content to swtor without Lucasfilm Games' approval. Or maybe they can continue to earn money by selling bootleg star wars virtual merch, like they did with the near identical armor from The Mandalorian. That we can't really know.

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There is power in a name, and an equal power in human curiosity.

 

Its Star Wars, and if it was done right, one could run a very successful campaign whose "hype" page will get millions of refresh/hits within seconds just to see what it is about, and even more could be done with that all without a single released "detail" other than its Star Wars.

There is power in a name, and an equal power in human curiosity.

 

Its Star Wars, and if it was done right, one could run a very successful campaign whose "hype" page will get millions of refresh/hits within seconds just to see what it is about, and even more could be done with that all without a single released "detail" other than its Star Wars.

 

Well we were all hyped for swtor that way.

We saw the trailers, the announcement of the game.

"So cool, it's gonna be SWG, but prettier and during the kotor period !"

Peoples were all over this.

Then the beta dropped, and smashed our hopes and dreams in the process.

At Trixx:

 

I'd say there is a degree of truth in this. Yet it should also be tempered with other facts as well. I still believe that these are some of the better points made thus far (my own $.02 worth not withstanding).

 

What D (or EA) 'can' or 'can not' do is a matter of contract law, not personal opinion.

 

Fortunately opinions do not have any bearing on contract law, especially where the particulars of the contract(s) in question remain unknown.

 

I’m just waiting for more information regarding this new open world sw game from Ubisoft. It’s doesn’t mention MMO, but until we get more info, there is a possibility that it will have some MMO elements and that may mean swtor is shuttered the same as swg was shuttered when swtor was released,

 

Until more info is forth coming about the game, we won’t know.

 

And we will know well in advance if it’s an MMO once they start drip feeding info to build up hype. If it’s not an MMO, then swtor is probably safe as long as it’s making money. But if it is an MMO, expect the same thing to happen to swtor that happened to swg.

 

I would still like to add that future negotiations and or agreements as a "possibility" of which, at this point in time, none of us have anything specific or definitive. In those negotiations a current review of this game and it's performance and over all design would have to be examined. While I have been somewhat candid in my campaign about all of the BUGS there is a VERY serious underlying message to that crusade of sorts. Additionally: I find it equally disturbing that we see an increasing number of "addendums" (such as the newly proposed character UI) which fail to provide anything new to the game but (if anything) are proven to be considerably less functional that what we currently have. WHY??? IMO this is the sort of thing that not only CAN but WILL be a point of contention when reviewing the future of this game.

 

EDITED

Edited January 17, 2021 by OlBuzzard

I would still like to add that future negotiations and or agreements as a "possibility" of which, at this point in time, none of us have anything specific or definitive. In those negotiations a current review of this game and it's performance and over all design would have to be examined. While I have been somewhat candid in my campaign about all of the BUGS there is a VERY serious underlying message to that crusade of sorts. Additionally: I find it equally disturbing that we see an increasing number of "addendums" (such as the newly proposed character UI) which fail to provide anything new to the game but (if anything) are proven to be considerably less functional that what we currently have. WHY??? IMO this is the sort of thing that not only CAN but WILL be a point of contention when reviewing the future of this game.

 

That's pretty much it. There is always a moment where they look at what the game does, what it did, how much it costs, and how much it brings to the table. This includes what is currently worked on, what are the future plans for the game, and estimations of how successfull those plans can be, as well as an overall look at how the game is seen by players/if it's still played.

 

Lets just hope that "steady Cash Shop income" isn't the only good side about swtor.

 

Another good note is the "estimations about the success of any future plans", since BW is always way too optimistic even when they release... Not so good content. Or even no content.

Based on recent MMO releases, even if a new Star Wars MMO comes out there is no guarantee that it will actually be good (or bad).

"So cool, it's gonna be SWG, but prettier and during the kotor period !"

 

Lots of people are happy with the game, and not everyone went into it randomly assuming it would be SWG 2.0 just because they liked SWG.

Lots of people are happy with the game, and not everyone went into it randomly assuming it would be SWG 2.0 just because they liked SWG.

 

I've never played SWG. I do like SWTOR (for the most part). That said there are several "Red Flags" (so to speak) that are a matter of concern right now.

** Quality (fewer BUGS please.)

** Companions (several categories here)

** Story content (improved somewhat ... but shorter and shorter)

** Crafting (with real genuine purpose ... more than just GTN stuff)

** Other items .. but frankly I'm trying not to focus on so much negativity.

 

IMO the people who are part of the team (I mean the ones who are really getting the work done .. not just the lead people or the designers) are very capable people. This has been demonstrated from time to time. Yet the simple fact is that right now there are several issues that have been drawn out over a period of several months.

 

This is not a rant or an indictment against this game. It is a plea that someone (in the development team) understand that even though many of us have been as supportive as possible ... please be advised: We are watching !! We WANT this game to continue and to be successful.

Edited January 18, 2021 by OlBuzzard

There is power in a name, and an equal power in human curiosity.

 

Its Star Wars, and if it was done right, one could run a very successful campaign whose "hype" page will get millions of refresh/hits within seconds just to see what it is about, and even more could be done with that all without a single released "detail" other than its Star Wars.

Well, it's still going to be an MMO in that scenario. There are millions and millions of SW fans but they're not all gamers and not all fans of an MMO. That's why I say that they'd want to appeal to SWTOR players. And I think that announcing it 30 days before release (if that's even possible, cause leaks happen), is going to tick off a lot of these players.

 

I suspect that a game publisher would want to hype their game a few years before release. With teasers, trailers and pre-orders. That's what is the norm. The thing is that hype also makes money for shareholders and that's ultimately who publishing companies serve.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Tsillah

They're using the snowdrop engine. Simply because of this I'm guessing it'll be a single player game with optional multiplayer made for next gen consoles and PC. MMO's are way too risky in this f2p environment. Not to mention people have been begging for a single player open world Star Wars RPG for over a decade now. We weren't gonna get one from ea because they to focused on "games as service" monitization, and don't think people play single player anymore.

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meh, there are plenty of MMO's with much less (if any) F2P exposure that are doing much better in... well, pretty much all areas - and a few have been running much longer than SWTOR has been.

 

It has been clear for decades that "they" have been a cancer on the gaming industry, gobbling up developers and studios just to turn and burn their products right into the garbage heap.

 

Sadly, if it had not been for the D acquisition, they probably would have done as much of the same with SWTOR as they could have gotten away with (and by all appearances is still what they have mostly done, they just had to be more circumspect about it)

Lots of people are happy with the game, and not everyone went into it randomly assuming it would be SWG 2.0 just because they liked SWG.

 

Oh don't get me wrong, I had my fair share of good moments about the game. However, there are, like somebody else noticed earlier, some remanent red flags that are still going strong since a bit of time. Flags that most of the others successfull mmos around have been able to really easily avoid for the most part. Be it in terms of balance, new content release, multiplayer content release, in-game rewards not tied to a cash shop only, good gearing system, and also bug fixes.

 

All in all, this game is still good. But its "glory days" are long gone if you ask me. Be it because the developpers have left the ship since 5.0, or simply because EA/Bioware has other stuff to focus on that is more "important" than swtor. That I don't know, but judging from my past personnal experience, I'd say it's a bit of both.

 

And unlike swtor, SWG was decent at release. Even tho it's quite old. Wishing for a new SWG to get released at the current time would be like wishing to see a new HD version of Final Fantasy 11. It's old and dated games which couldn't succeed right now due to how slow and tedious their overall game design is built around.

 

Still, at the time, especially since they closed SWG before Swtor's release, it made sense for the few of us who played to expect at least some level of inspiration. At least space travel and housing-wise.