Hey Dev's How about an actual expansion? Is that in the works ?

Nope, I said, the cartel sets would have been world drops, raid gear or quest rewards, had it not been for the cash cow shop.

Just like when those above sets were released there was a ton of orange mod-able gear you could choose from, with the makeb expansion there were next to none, only more cartel market gear.

That right there is the problem...EA has far too many things going on. They don't care about SWTOR. Even if SWTOR doubles it's revenue (SWTORs revenue), it's a fraction of what they would make on any other games DLC, so it won't matter to them. Hell, EA views each new Madden as an "expansion" every year.

SWTOR is a big MMO in the MMO market, but insignificant in the eyes of EA. The revenue being made by SWTOR doesn't seem to be going back into it. EA seems more intent on short term returns than they do long term returns, which is what MMOs excel in.

Gree event has been here way before 1.7. Its not new content by any means. 2.2 content Same ops we had for month on a new difficulty is considered content now? Whats next? If they bump black hole daily to level 55 is that content too?

That does make sense, didn't think of it that way. Turbine may be a small company, but it has what, two MMOs it runs? That would make a lot of sense that they could put the time into real expansions as they don't have their hands in a million things.

I haven't wanted to say it, because I'm sure I'll get yelled at for it, but I sometimes do feel like EA is trying to squeeze as much cash out of the game as they can before they shut it down. I really expect to start seeing game content in the cartel market instead of cosmetic only stuff, and that would be the nail in the coffin for me as a subscriber.

I hope I'm really wrong because this game is good and can be polished into a real gem. To bad they can't sell the game to a developer that might care about it, EA wouldn't give up the rights I'd bet on that.

The game just needs a little more polish, the space game reworked completely, and the announcement of a real expansion. That would bring players back, I'm sure. It will also never happen, but I hope I'm wrong.

Really? Is that why it was titled "Game Update 1.7: Return of the Gree", with the following in the patch notes, "A new Event, Relics of the Gree, has been added to the Western Ice Shelf on Ilum."

And the NiM introduces new mechanics, plus new speeders, and gear. It's new stuff, it may not be a LOT of new stuff, and you may not like the new stuff, but it's new stuff.

Most expansions in the future in MMOs will be digital only publications. For that matter, I expect MMO launches will head this same direction. Personally, I prefer a box and will buy it if it's available... but I'm a realist and understand that the packaging does not define the product.

Why? For the same reason that streaming video is eroding the DVD/Blu-Ray markets: 1) technology enables it 2) it's lower delivery cost for the developer 3) it provides modestly lower prices to the consumer. 4) no inventory (which is a big deal in a competitive market place).

My point? Box or digital in today's market does not define what is/is-not an expansion. MMOs have in fact been doing both for years now and will continue to do more digital over time. In fact, boxed units only really exist to serve the nostalgic player (as I stated, I prefer a box as I like having the disks) and to serve as a retail vehicle for big store chains (until such time as they go electronic kiosk, which is coming for even the big department store chains, for all the reasons I stated above + internet competitors like Amazon already do it).

Well look here we agree on something. Well put!

/Agree..... except for the "red carpet treatment" statement about Blizzard. It's true that they have more to lose if they let their franchise go belly-up (because it's a significant percentage of their gross revenues)... but while they do quality expansion... I don't seem them as market defining nor red carpet treatment go players.

In reality, terms like "expansion" or "DLC" are just attempts to parse for bias in discussion. The market is changing and some players get it and embrace it and others dig their heels in and go to war over it. The market however, changes regardless.

Personally, I don't care if I get a big $40-$60 expansion every three years, or several smaller $10-20 dollar expansions in the same time frame. In the end... three years later the net effect is the same in terms of content. But IMO, the nomadic and growing impatient nature of the MMO player base in general drives the market to more frequent paid expansions, and these are by definition going to be smaller because expansion content for MMOs is hard, time consuming, and resource intensive.

I don't care if its 1 large 50 buck expansion or 4 smaller 10 dollar expansions either. I just don't think they are going to put our 4 smaller expansions either. If we only get 1 small expansion per year, I believe it becomes a problem.

Apples & oranges. Are we getting 1 small paid expansion only? Or are we getting 1 small paid expansion and some number of unpaid expansions? Sure, the unpaid ones may not have new planets or increase the level cap, but they seem to do most other things in the game, over time, don't they?