The upcoming Bioware/EA endeavor, Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG will only need half a million subscribers to be profitable according to EA CEO John Riccitielloin in a statement to Gamespot. Most of the interview focused around how SW:TOR works in a marketplace dominated by World of Warcraft. While the game will be profitable with less than a million, in needs more than that to be something worth writing home about from where EA's investors are standing. Mr. Riccitielloin also commented on how much of the audience for The Old Republic would come from smaller games, otherwise known as not WoW.

I think Blizzard may have exhausted the market on this sort of thing. All MMORPGs are basically the same, only with different artwork and different names for things, at least in my experience. The idea of another MMORPG even set in the Star Wars universe kind of puts me to sleep. The concept has worn out its welcome with me. If you're different, I wish you the best and hope that Space Battles: Ye Olde Republic is better than crack. If it isn't, I have some crack I can sell you.