Old Republic could have non-sub payment model

LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez has revealed that BioWare and LucasArts haven't yet settled on a specific plan for how upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic will actually be priced.

He also implies that it's possible a number of different options will be provided for players, with both subscription and micro-transaction models integrated into the game to allow LucasArts to target the largest areas of the market.

Micro-transactions are often a good way to make money in the short term, but rely on the game having a long-lasting appeal that'll continue to bring funds in as players pay for new items. Speaking to GI.biz though, Rodriguez said he was confident that The Old Republic would for at least as long as Star Wars Galaxies - which lasted seven years.

"So it's a 30 year old IP and we anticipate that the IP and the quality game that we're making here is going to continue on for a very long time," said Rodriguez.

"We talk about the business curves of subscriptions, interest and investment it takes to make these games, but at the end of the day it's about making a compelling offering for our consumers."

"You start looking at how different communities, territories such as Asia, actually play games, and we start to consider it all - especially if we want it to be a worldwide phenomenon."

No mention was made of the rumoured Sony MMO that's being built around the Star Wars franchise.

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