When Sony Online Entertainment said it would shut down Star Wars: Galaxies by the end of the year, many teeth were gnashed and many garments were rent. A lot of people, thinking SOE failed to consider this, postulated about taking the game to a free-to-play model, and voila, the orphanage is saved! If only they wanted to save it, right?
https://kotaku.com/some-star-wars-galaxies-players-arent-taking-the-end-of-5816933
Well, SOE and LucasArts both considered that long ago, smart guys. And while hypotheses are free, putting them into effect costs money. LucasArts said as much in a statement to GamePro, who went asking about the free-to-play chances of the eight-year-old MMO.
“[T]hat model just isn’t financially viable,” LucasArts told GamePro. “Changing the business model for an experience like Star Wars Galaxies takes a major investment and overhauling of the existing infrastructure of the game. We’re unfortunately at a point in our life cycle where a change of this magnitude is just not possible. The harsh reality is that we’ve reached a point where the game is no longer a sustainable business.”
