SEPT. 24, 2011 • During a keynote address at the Eurogamer Expo in London, BioWare founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk announced Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch in the U.S. on Dec. 20, and in Europe on Dec. 22. The standard subscription fee will be $14.99 per month.
Impact: The Star Wars MMOG will be a huge test of whether the mandatory subscription model has any life left. Star Wars is aiming for a level of success that to date only World of Warcraft has achieved. The question is can a new game still follow the WoW model and reach a mass audience. Many big MMOG products have seen strong initial sales but consumers have not been willing to pay the monthly fee over the long haul. While we expect Star Wars to have strong initial sales, the key to success for the product will be keeping consumers playing.  In other words, with so many free-to-play options will consumers be willing to stick around for Star Wars at $15 a month.
