Electronic Arts reveals business model switch for Star Wars MMO has been lucrative; paying subscribers stand at 500,000.

Since Star Wars: The Old Republic added a free-to-play option in November, monthly average revenue has doubled, Electronic Arts revealed today in a post-earnings financial call. Specific figures were not mentioned.

EA Labels president Frank Gibeau said the massively multiplayer online role-playing game has added 1.7 million new players since the business model switch. This is lower than the 2 million announced in March.

Concerning paying members, Gibeau said The Old Republic now has “just under” 500,000 subscribers. This is down from 1.3 million subscribers year-over-year.

To keep gamers logging in, Gibeau said BioWare will continue to invest in new content and services, expected to be added to the game every six weeks. Star Wars: The Old Republic added the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion last month.

For more, check out GameSpot’s review of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

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