Going free-to-play has paid off for Star Wars: The Old Republic. We knew that it had seen an influx of new players since adopting the model, but all those new players are just a drain on resources if they aren't spending money. According to EA's earnings call, they are.

Read more: 'Monthly average revenue more than doubled' »

Playable catfolk are coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic with update 2.1, BioWare has proudly revealed. As well as introducing the Cathar race, who look an awful like humans wearing bad facepaint, the 'Customization' update will let players redesign their character's looks and recolour their armour.

Watch: Cathar are on the move, Cathar are loose »

Star Wars: The Old Republic started losing subscribers fairly quickly after launch. At a Game Developers Conference talk, BioWare creative director James Ohlen explained that the studio was inexperienced in MMOs, and therefore underestimated the speed with which customers would plow through the content.

Read more: Expected endgame to take 3-5 months »

If you want to boldly go and tease those husky Hutt, or simply spark a non-heterosexual romance, draw a big red ring around April 14 on your calendar (floating hearts optional). That's when Star Wars: The Old Republic's digital expansion Rise of the Hutt Cartel will launch, EA announced today.

Read more: $20, or $10 for subscribers

It's been nearly half a year since Star Wars: The Old Republic transitioned into a free-to-play game. So, how did it go? Pretty darn great, if you asked Jeff Hickman, executive producer on the game.

In a new blog post, Hickman owns up to the shortcomings of SWTOR's rapid decline at launch. "Last spring, there was some uncertainty surrounding Star Wars: The Old Republic as we were starting to lose subscribers and players were growing frustrated," he said. "In fairness, many of the complaints and worries were justified."

Read more: 'Our servers are teeming with people »

In an effort to upgrade security, BioWare is changing the way that players will be able to login to their account for Star Wars: The Old Republic. As of April 2, instead of using your email address to access your characters, you will need to login with your screen name instead.

Read more: Change to cut down on account takeovers »

Star Wars: The Old Republic is preparing to roll out its 1.7 update, giving the game a fresh in-game event and a new aspect of character progression. The "Relics of Gree" event kicks off with the update tomorrow and lasts through February 26, while the new "Galactic Reputation" system is here to stay.

Watch: Handsome rewards for saving a starship »

Garnett Lee is away at DICE this week, but never fear! Jeff Cannata, Jeff Mattas, Andrew Yoon, and Alex Albrecht convene for this week's spirited episode of Weekend Confirmed. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time gets a glowing recommendation from Andrew, Mattas talks about his experience playing through Dead Space 3 twice in one week, and Alex opines about a big crop of past and present MMORPG's. Cannata also shares his very impressive, hands-on experience with Google Fiber, and an extra-strength dose of Finishing Moves puts the wrapping on this week's show.

Listen: Weekend Confirmed Episode 151 »

These days, only suckers buy a game and only get the "game" part. Between pre-order bonuses, first-run bonuses, and Collector's Editions, publishers have found a myriad of ways to reward you for buying stuff. That trend is starting to bleed into expansions too, as pre-ordering Star Wars: The Old Republic's "Rise of the Hutt Cartel" expansion will net you some extra goodies.

Watch: First look at the Hutt Cartel »

BioWare's latest State of the Game blog for Star Wars: The Old Republic has revealed a few plans for the year, including more end-game content for level-capped players, and an ongoing effort by the developer to add same gender romance between players, as well as NPCs.

Read more: More PvP and end-game content »

Have you ever watched Return of the Jedi and wondered how a race of repulsive and not particularly mobile space slugs became a powerful crime syndicate? Star Wars: The Old Republic has your answer next year with the first full expansion to the game, titled "Rise of the Hutt Cartel."

Read more: $19.99 regularly, $9.99 for subscribers »

When a subscription-based MMORPG turns free-to-play, as they almost inevitably do, it's very important to strike a balance between what's free and what players must pay for. Star Wars: The Old Republic kind of cocked that up. Responding to complaints, BioWare is still trying to find that balance, and yesterday rolled out a few more changes kind to players.

Read more: Quickbar limits raised »

Story has always been a defining component of BioWare's RPGs, and it was one of the major strengths of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Since going free-to-play, what does the future hold for the MMORPG?

"If anything, The Old Republic's transition to a free-to-play game will create more opportunities to advance the epic story arcs and interesting characters we introduced when the game first launched," lead writer Hall Hood said.

Read more: 'Powerful new factions' will cause problems »

In a move Electronic Arts has been prepping for months, Star Wars: The Old Republic will be going free-to-play on November 15. EA is hoping to renew interest in the MMO, which has seen its subscriber base dip below 1 million.

Read more: F2P players to gain experience slower »

Star Wars: The Old Republic will be free-to-play before the end of the year, and BioWare has now detailed just what you can expect if you want to explore the galaxy without paying for the privilege. The good news is that one major aspect of TOR, the detailed story, will be completely free for all classes.

Read more: Purchase to unlock sprinting, extra mission allowance »