The Republic or the Empire? Choose Your Side and Forge Your Own
Personal Star Wars Saga in the Groundbreaking, Story-Driven MMO from
BioWare
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today during their keynote address at the Eurogamer Expo, Dr. Ray Muzyka
and Dr. Greg Zeschuk, co-founders of BioWare™, a label of Electronic
Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), announced that Star WarsTM:
The Old Republic™ will launch in North America on December 20,
2011 and in Europe on December 22, 2011. Set thousands of years before
the rise of Darth Vader, Star Wars: The Old Republic is a
massively multiplayer online game challenging players with epic quests,
featuring dynamic combat across iconic worlds in the Star WarsTM
galaxy such as Tatooine, Alderaan, Hoth and more. Each of the game's
eight primary classes will enjoy their own unique trilogy of storylines,
all of which are fully voiced with a sweeping musical score.
Anticipation for the award-winning MMO is at an all-time high as Star
Wars: The Old Republic has broken EA pre-order records and won over
95 industry awards and accolades from game critics worldwide.
"In 1977, Lucasfilm created magic with the release of Star Wars.
Our goal is to capture some of that magic when we go live with Star
Wars: The Old Republic on December 20," said Dr. Ray Muzyka,
Co-Founder, BioWare and General Manager, BioWare Label. "This is an
incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts
who have dedicated so much of their lives to building this extraordinary
game."
Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder, BioWare and General Manager of the
MMO Business Unit of BioWare, "We appreciate the patience of the
millions of fans who have been waiting for the game's release. When we
launch this groundbreaking MMO with world class storytelling this
holiday season, we hope you will agree that it was worth the wait."
Star Wars: The Old Republic is available for pre-order now at
participating retailers* while supplies last. All players who pre-order
will receive a redemption code that will unlock Early Game Access**,
granting them access to the game before December 20, 2011 in North
America and before December 22, 2011 in Europe. Pre-order quantities are
limited and Early Game Access will only be available to those who
pre-order the game and redeem their code before the game's official
release. 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).
Star Wars: The Old Republic has been lauded for breaking new
ground in the genre by building on traditional MMO gameplay pillars of
combat, exploration, character customization and progression, and adding
a powerful fourth dimension to the experience — story with personal
choice and consequence. The Old Republic is set thousands of years
before the rise of Darth Vader, when the Star Wars galaxy is in
the midst of a cold war. 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 and
Sith Warrior. Every player's story will unfold based on meaningful
choices made throughout the game, enabling them to become the hero of
their own personal Star Wars saga. Along their journey, players
will encounter companion characters with whom they can build and break
meaningful relationships as they fight by their side. Players will
explore a vibrant galaxy, engage in heroic battles, and experience
visceral Star Wars combat.
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 will be processed in the order they
are received.
*** 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 Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world's leading film and entertainment
companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held,
fully-integrated entertainment company. In addition to its
motion-picture and television production operations, the company's
global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound,
serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for
visual-effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading developer
and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide; Lucas
Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for
Lucasfilm's entertainment properties; Lucasfilm Animation, which is
currently producing content for film and television, including Star
Wars: The Clone Wars, a CG-animated half-hour television series; and
Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm's
entertainment properties and businesses. Additionally, Lucasfilm
Singapore produces digital animated content for film and television, as
well as visual effects for feature films and multi-platform games.
Lucasfilm's motion-picture productions include three of the 20 biggest
box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars and more than 60
Academy Award nominations. Lucasfilm's television projects have won 12
Emmy Awards. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif.
LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company, is a leading developer and
publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game
console systems, computers and the Internet. Based in San Francisco,
Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com,
LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive
element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multifaceted entertainment
company.
About BioWare
The BioWare Label is a division of EA which crafts high quality
multiplatform role-playing, MMO 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 seven locations across the
world, including Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec, Canada),
Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia), San Francisco (California), Los
Angeles (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 , Jade
Empire, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are trademarks of EA International
(Studio and Publishing) Ltd. EA SPORTS, The Sims and Need for Speed are
trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners.
Electronic Arts
Andrew Wong, 650-628-2781
Director of PR
anwong@ea.com
or
Tammy
Levine, 650-628-7223
VP, Worldwide PR
tlevine@ea.com
or
Lucasfilm
Ltd.
Emilie Nicks, 415-623-1962
emilie.nicks@lucasfilm.com
Source: Electronic Arts
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