AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Force™ is strong with this one. BioWare™, a label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), is entering the final hours before the launch of Early Game Access* for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The globally acclaimed MMORPG goes live on December 20, 2011 in North America and Europe, but customers that pre-ordered the title will begin entering the game starting as soon as today, December 13, 2011 at 6:00 AM CST. Players will access the game in waves, creating a rolling thunder of fans pre-loading and playing the game. The Early Game Access program will help manage server volumes, helping to ensure a smooth day-one experience. To participate in the Early Game Access program, customers must pre-order Star Wars: The Old Republic and redeem their code** at http://www.swtor.com/preorder/code. Pre-orders are available in limited quantities at most participating retailers and digitally via Origin.com™.
“The Old Republic blends the best of breed features from the MMO space and adds significant innovations, resulting in an emotionally engaging online experience where you have a clear, meaningful purpose,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager of EA’s BioWare label and Co-Founder of BioWare. “Our Beta testers have told us we have truly captured the magic of the Star Wars™ universe and changed what they expect from an MMO. The Old Republic team is incredibly excited, honored and humbled to provide early access to our pre-order customers today. This is just the beginning of a grand adventure together!”
Fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Millions of players have already experienced the game during pre-launch Beta tests, and dedicated players have already formed more than 78,000 guilds. Feedback from fans has exploded on forums and blogs worldwide, praising the game for its genre-changing innovations. Never before has an MMO offered players the opportunity to explore such a vast Star Wars™ galaxy populated with fully-voiced characters, each brought to life by professional voice actors with performances in English, French and German. It is also the first MMO to deliver compelling stories that unfold as players make meaningful personal choices and encounter companion characters who are truly transformative to each player’s journey.
Set thousands of years before the classic films, Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven, massively multiplayer online game challenging players with epic quests, featuring dynamic combat across the classic worlds in the Star Wars™ galaxy. Players will be asked to join forces with either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire and choose one of eight iconic Star Wars™ characters: Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Trooper, Bounty Hunter, Imperial Agent, Sith Inquisitor or Sith Warrior. Each character class has two different sub-classes with their own skill tree, and each primary class will enjoy their own unique storylines, all of which are fully voiced and feature a sweeping musical score.
Included with the purchase of every copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic is 30 days of access to the game, after which players can continue to play through subscribing*** at either $14.99 per month, $41.97 for 3 months ($13.99 per month), or $77.94 for six months ($12.99 per month). For more information on Star Wars: The Old Republic, please visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com, follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/swtor or “Like” Star Wars: The Old Republic on Facebook at http://facebook.com/starwarstheoldrepublic.
* Conditions and restrictions apply. See www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/preorder for details.
** Codes are redeemable at www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/preorder. Pre-order quantities are limited and Early Game Access will be granted during the Early Game Access period in the order pre-order codes are redeemed.
*** Subscription pricing in the United Kingdom will be £8.99 per month, £25.17 for three months (£8.39 per month) or £46.14 for six months (£7.69 per month). Subscription pricing in Europe will be €12.99 per month, €35.97 for three months (€11.99 per month) or €65.94 for six months (€10.99 per month).
About LucasArts
Founded in 1982 by filmmaker George Lucas, LucasArts is a leading publisher and developer of interactive entertainment. With development facilities in San Francisco and Singapore, LucasArts leverages the global skills, technology and resources of the Lucasfilm family of companies -- including visual effects leader Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation and Skywalker Sound -- in addition to strategic partnerships with best-in-class external partners, to further the boundaries of game development. LucasArts is dedicated to delivering deeply immersive, visually spectacular and engaging experiences that inspire and amaze generations.
About BioWare
The BioWare Label is a division of EA which crafts high quality multiplatform role-playing, MMO, social, play-for-free and strategy games, focused on emotionally engaging, rich stories with unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed titles and franchises, including Baldur's Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon Age™. BioWare currently operates in eight locations across the world, including Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec, Canada), Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia), San Francisco (California), Los Angeles (California), Sacramento (California) and Galway (Ireland).
In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. In 2011 EA created the BioWare Label, alongside EA Games, EA SPORTS™ and EA Play. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bioware. To join the millions of fans already registered with the BioWare community, go to http://social.bioware.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
LucasArts, the LucasArts logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks in the United States and/or in other countries of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © 2011 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. BioWare and the BioWare logo are trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. EA and the EA logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.