"Star Wars: The Old Republic" could include sex, but if it really does turn out to be the most expensive game that EA has ever produced, it's going to need a massive subscriber base as well. They may not pass the 11 million mark that "World of Warcraft" did back in 2008, but they may be shooting for a cool 2 million.
One million subscribers will be necessary for "The Old Republic" to break even, and even though "earnings are somewhat depressed due to ongoing expenses of the Star Wars MMO, management has high hopes for this and believes 2M+ subs is possible," industry analyst Arvind Bhatia of Sterne Agee said after meeting with EA, according to Industry Gamers.
How they price the game may play an important role in achieving that, but neither EA nor BioWare has been completely candid about whether or not they'll follow industry norms with a $15/month rate.
"With 'Star Wars: The Old Republic,' we haven't announced anything yet," BioWare general manager Ray Muzyka told Kotaku. "But what we're striving to do, to clarify what I said earlier, is to make sure the fans and the audience that we're trying to reach feel they are getting something they understand and feel that it is a good value for their money — and feel that there is a way they actually want to engage in the experience, both in how they play it and how they pay for it. That's our high-level goal."
That phrase "how they pay for it" sounds like BioWare may have some surprises up their sleeves for when "The Old Republic" launches in 2011. You can bet Star Wars fans will be doing lots of wallet inventory when they do — maybe even 2 million of them.
Do you think BioWare should stick with a $15/month model for "The Old Republic"? Do you expect the game to draw 2 million subscribers? Share your predictions in the comment section below.