Bioware will be closing the Australia/Pacific servers shortly after the expansion Rise of the Hutt Cartel due to low population issues. An official statement was made on the game's forums by Community Manager Eric Musco.

Getting to the point of being able to merge the servers is going to be a multistep process. First off we need to update our Free Character Transfer System to include the game changes that we have made recently along with the upcoming changes in Game Update 2.0 and the Digital Expansion: Rise of the Hutt Cartel. We will then offer Free Character Transfers to anyone currently playing on an APAC server to a North American server of the same gameplay type, specifically:

• Mastar Dar’Nala (PvP) will transfer to The Bastion (PvP)
  
• Gav Daragon (RP-PvE) will transfer to Begeren Colony (RP-PvE)
  
• Dalborra (PvE) will transfer to The Harbinger (PvE)

We will also need to update our server merge technology at which point we will ultimately merge each of the APAC servers into the corresponding North American servers as indicated above. We are moving as quickly as we can to make this happen, but we want to make sure this is a smooth transition, so it will take some time.

The Rise of the Hutt Cartel content expansion is due to arrive on April 14th 2013.

Promoted/Edited forum item

Star Wars: The Old Republic developer BioWare has today unveiled new details regarding upcoming game update 1.7, which will see new in-game content coming to the free-to-play title including a look at the mysteries behind the Grey Secant, an ancient Gree starship.

Game Update 1.7 is coming soon to Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ which will give players brand new in-game content to experience including Relics of the Gree, a limited time live event occurring across the galaxy, and the Galactic Reputation system, an exciting new way for players progress their characters.

Relics of the Gree – Discover the mysteries behind the Grey Secant, an ancient Gree starship that has suddenly appeared over Ilum’s Western Ice Shelf. From February 12 to February 26, players can visit the in-game News Terminals located on Carrick Station or Vaiken Spacedock to begin their adventure. The Gree have promised advanced technology, including powerful weapons and armor, to anyone who is brave enough to aid them against an insidious foe who has taken control at the heart of their ship.

Galactic Reputation – This new system enables players to earn Reputation points by completing missions for factions such as the Gree, or for military divisions within the Republic and the Empire. The Galactic Reputation system advances characters through six ranks of increasing prestige: “Outsider”, "Newcomer", "Friend", "Hero", "Champion", and "Legend". Galactic Reputation is also tied to a character’s Legacy, so Reputation points and ranks are shared across all the characters within the same Legacy.

BioWare has also released a new sneak peak trailer showing just what to expect from this Gree-orientated updated, which you can check out below. You can also find more information on the update at the official website here.

BioWare has revealed their first digital expansion for the recently gone free-to-play title Star Wars: The Old Republic (thanks Nerf Lord), making its way to players in 2013. The new expansion is titled "Rise of the Hutt Cartel" and will see a level increase to 55, new story content and also the introduction of the Makeb planet.

The first Digital Expansion for The Old Republic introduces an aggressive new enemy threatening the future of the galaxy: the Hutt Cartel

Experience 5 new levels, including story-driven missions, as the level cap increases to 55!

Face-off against a frightening new enemy when you battle the nefarious Hutt Cartel.

The fate of the new planet Makeb is at stake... and in your hands.

Currently information is still light on what else players can expect from the first expansion, however for those eager you can expect to pay $9.99 as a subscriber or $19.99 for anyone who is using the new free-to-play option. BioWare are also offering five days of early access to the expansion if you pre-order before January 7th 2013, with both pricing plans able to take up on the offer. Pre-ordering will also garner a "preferred status" for free-to-play players, allowing access to more of the games content.

BioWare and Lucas Arts have today announced that the free-to-play option for their Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO has now gone live, allowing players to experience the eight class stories available.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven, massively multiplayer online game with a Free-to-Play option from BioWare and LucasArts. Set thousands of years before the classic Star Wars movies, players team up with friends online to fight in heroic battles, explore a galaxy of vibrant planets and experience visceral Star Wars combat, all set to a sweeping musical score.

Players are asked to join forces with either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire and choose one of eight iconic Star Wars characters, including the Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Trooper, Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent.

BioWare has also coincided the release of Game Update 1.5: HK-51 Activated, which adds new areas to explore, a new Companion character and more. Players who take up on the free-to-play option will find that they can level all the way to 50, however there are certain restrictions being placed, including limited access to chat functionality and Flashpoints.

For more info on what to expect from the new free-to-play option head over to the official game page which also includes a chart on what features each subscription model can access.

BioWare has announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be going free-to-play next week according to a recent update on the MMO's official website, stating that the option will become available alongside the release of Game Update 1.5.

Today we are excited to announce that the global launch date of the Star Wars: The Old Republic Free-to-Play option will be November 15, 2012. This release will be simultaneous across all of the territories and countries The Old Republic is available.

If you’re a paying Subscriber at the launch of the Free-to-Play option on November 15th, you will be granted all of the Complimentary Cartel Coins currently listed on your Cartel Coin Ledger page, plus a one-time grant of 250 Complimentary Cartel Coins!

Players looking at joining the ranks of the Star Wars MMO can check out a full run down of what to expect in the free-to-play system, including mentions of restrictions to those playing for free over here. The most significant restriction seems to be that a slower exp gain will be made to those on the new system, however everyone will be able to access all level 1-50 content including each storyline.

A new devolper diary has also been released, detailing what players can expect from the MMO's 'Cartel Store', a marketplace that players can purchase various items from with the new in-game currency being added in Game Update 1.5. CHeck out the video below for more details.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is poised to go free-to-play before the end of November (dated as Northen "Fall 2012"), but in addition to a micro-transaction element, there will still be a premium subscription option. For players wondering how these options are going to differ, BioWare has now published a "Free-to-play Option Chart" detailing the features of each (via: Massively):

As a general rule, the restrictions are in threes: three Flashpoints per week, three Warzones per week, three Space Missions per week. Players will also be able to buy weekly passes for these features to get unlimited access. There will also be restrictions on inventory expansions and cargo hold storage for free players, and field revivals on death will be limited.

Further information on TOR's free-to-play implementation can be found in the game's support pages.

It has been a few troubling months for the first BioWare MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. With talks of going free-to-play on the cards, many are hesitant to put down their monthly payment in hopes of not having to pay. However this isn't stopping the game updates from coming through, with the latest one titled Terror From Beyond, featuring a new operation plus new weapons and armour.

Operation: Terror From Beyond will take you to the remote world of Asation where the mysterious Sith Lords known as the Dread Masters have found a way to unlock the ancient Gree Hypergate, opening a door to an unknown place and an unspeakable horror that now threatens the entire galaxy. It will be your mission to close the portal before it’s too late and to destroy whatever gets through.

New Weapons and Armor to upgrade your characters’ effectiveness and appearance with the Legendary Dread Guard gear.

Improved Group Finder lets you join a group for an Operation or Flashpoint and return to your previous location when you’ve completed the mission.

Unify Colors for Companions allows you to select an option to match all your companion’s gear to his or her chest piece for a more stylish look.

New ‘Facial Expression’ Emotes is a new set of slash commands that allow you to set your character’s expression. Let the rest of the galaxy know how you really feel.

For those still enjoying the game, you can check out the trailer below for a brief overview of some of the new content in the update, as well as checking out the official patch notes for a full run down of what has changed.

We recently had a chance to catch up with BioWare Austin General Manager, Matt Bromberg, to talk to him about the ups and downs of The Old Republic and what the team plans to do moving forward with their new free-to-play model and supplying exciting new content to bolster current players, while bringing in new players as well.

"We’re committed to: about every six weeks, doing a major update for the game -- which would be a new Warzone, a new Operation, a new Flashpoint, a new event -- and to doing that on a really frequent cadence, every six weeks. So we’re going to stick to that," Bromberg told us regarding the team's plans moving forward.

"As well as the free-to-play launch -- which is coming in the fall -- we announced that subscribers who have lapsed are already qualified to get Cartel Coins, which will be the in-game currency in the game once free-to-play launches," he added of bringing back lost players. "So you get credit, not just for becoming a subscriber now, going forward, but also for all the time that you were a subscriber, you get more credits and more coin. So we’re hoping that that will encourage people to come back to the game and try it now."

The rest of the interview talks about free-to-play hurdles, the current vibe out at BioWare and hints at new developments on the horizon.

Click here for the full video interview and transcript.

The inevitable push towards free-to-play MMO titles has been a long and slow process, but has increased dramatically in the few years since the very profitable Lord of the Rings Online showcased how much can be made from switching methods.

It seems this is no different for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Bioware's first MMO that launched late last year and has since been inching towards the free-to-play region. While the notion of change is in the works, president of EA Frank Gibeau believes they won't fully get rid of the subscription model, stating to Kotaku that "I think subscription is just one way delivering content".

In the case of Battlefield Premium, Gibeau believes having the extra subscription has helped moved more than a million subscriptions, however in The Old Republic's case a free-to-play model would better suit the market and the players. Though Gibeau notes that while the game will be free-to-play, it isn't going to not offer subscriptions. While you can easily jump into the game and play for free, you'll be given the option (if you want) to purchase a subscription that will offer a bit more in terms of gameplay and access.

The EA president goes on to say that free-to-play games and ones that require monthly subscriptions will always be able to co-exist, saying that games like League of Legends could easily work together in the same environment as Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Source: Kotaku [The Old Republic Is Going Free-to-Play, But EA Prez Says Subscriptions Aren’t Dead]

Preceding EA's latest quarterly investor call -- where the publisher revealed that Star Wars: The Old Republic subscriber numbers had slipped below one million players -- developer BioWare has announced the long expected news, that their MMO will soon be adding a free to play option.

Due to roll out in Spring 2012 (US Fall, expected to be in November), the free to play option will give all-comers access to all eight classes and storylines right up to level 50, but some "new content and advanced player features" will be restricted and unlockable via micro-transactions with a new game currency called "Cartel Coins".
Paid subscription will continue to be an option, and subscribers will have immediate access to all new game content, as well as receive a monthly "allowance" of Cartel Coins to purchase the customisable gear and "convenience features" from the new marketplace.

“Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic™ universe,” said Matthew Bromberg, GM of BioWare Austin.

Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic added, “Since launch we have been adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace based on the feedback from our fans. We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.”

More details on the transition to free to play can be found in this official press release, and on this preview page on the game's official site.