http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFDESAIkmlE&feature=g-u-u#
Oh SWTOR, what you could've been! What you could've been was amazing, I was truly excited about you(Insert Star Wars prequels joke). Potentially moar excited about you then any game I've ever anticipated being released. My childhood is riddled with memories of your superior predecessors Knights of the Old Republic, and Knights of the Old Republic 2 The Sith Lords( Although the second installment unfortunately suffered from what I can only describe as unused potential. The Sith Lords was incredibly deep and expansive at the beginning, but presumably got capped and released early most likely due to time and/or money constraints. But this is another rant all together.)
I specifically remember a per-release showcase on stage where a developer of SWTOR promised the game to be Kotor 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Of coarse I sympathized with them thinking "Well I'm sure it has to be a lot like the original series, and can't be thaaaat bad", but at that time in my life I was not aware of the disease known as EA and MMOs in general. I have nothing much against subscription based MMOs, except for the obvious ability of the owning company to take advantage of the fact that time equals money to them, and puffing the story up with filler is extremely profitable.
What I'm getting at here with the first paragraph is to explain that the original two incarnations of this game were excellent, good story and plot, good pacing, and good game mechanics. My second paragraph however is the importance, I want people to understand how profit effects games negatively. I stress that the ONLY reason SWTOR was made instead of Kotor 3 was profitably. Not to showcase an excellent game.
If you watched the video above, you will be aware that SWTOR has recently been switched into a free to play. Free to play is now the most profitable video game genre. And as you can see, EA has taken advantage of this exponentially. After all, a free to play is nothing more than an MMO that constantly encourages you to pay for a subscription and buy micro-transaction money( except WoT, I love WoT)
So in closing, I would like to state the obvious here. The obvious is clearly that EA has almost completely left the video game art market, and entered the video game profit market, contorting most every game they produce into what will make the profits. Taking advantage of there consumers, taking advantage of us. So, EA...I would sincerely like to wish upon you bankruptcy. Little harsh? Well make Kotor 3 and we'll talk.
Thank you for reading. /endrant