Sith or Republic? Choose Your Side as Early Game Access for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Begins Today
Immersive Star Wars™ Universe, Captivating Digital Actors and
Riveting Stories among the Groundbreaking MMO Innovations Driving Fan
Frenzy Worldwide
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.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Electronic Arts
Alana Logan,
512-287-7732
Publicist
alogan@bioware.com
or
Electronic
Arts
Andrew Wong, 650-628-2781
Director of PR
anwong@ea.com
or
Electronic
Arts
Tammy Levine, 650-628-7223
VP, Worldwide PR
tlevine@ea.com
Source: Electronic Arts
News Provided by Acquire Media
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