SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
After a successful release in North America and Europe, BioWare™, a
Label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) announced today that the fastest
growing subscription MMO ever, Star Wars™: The Old Republic™,
will be officially launching in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and
Singapore on March 1, 2012. Fans in those regions will be able to play
the critically-acclaimed massively multiplayer online game on regional
servers, enjoying the story-driven experience that has captivated gamers
worldwide. Players in these countries who currently have or have had an
active Star Wars: The Old Republic account prior to February 28,
2012 will have the opportunity to request a free character transfer for
a limited time to an Asia Pacific server after the launch on March 1,
2012. All players who qualify for a character transfer will be notified
in early March with more details.
"Our biggest priority for The Old Republic has always been to deliver a
high quality product and high quality service and we are pleased with
our results in North America and Europe," said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, General
Manager of the BioWare Label's MMO Business Unit and Co-Founder of
BioWare. "We appreciate that our fans in these countries have been
patient and we are excited to deliver this same great customer
experience to players this March."
BioWare and EA will also be offering players in the region an in-game
color crystal to change their weapon effect as a pre-order incentive*
for reserving a copy of the Standard Edition from participating local
retailers. There are no participating retailers for pre-orders in Hong
Kong and Singapore. Finally, players in Australia, New Zealand, Hong
Kong and Singapore will also be eligible for the Founder's medal**, a
distinction given to the early members of The Old Republic community.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven, massively
multiplayer online (MMO) game from BioWare and LucasArts, breaking new
ground in online gaming by delivering high quality, fully-voiced
storylines with personal choice and consequences. Set thousands of years
before the classic Star Wars movies, players are immersed as they
team up with friends online to fight in heroic battles reminiscent of
the films, exploring a galaxy of vibrant planets, experiencing visceral Star
Wars combat, all set to a sweeping musical score. Players are asked
to join forces with either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire and
choose one of eight iconic Star Wars characters, including the
Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Trooper, Sith Warrior, Sith
Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent.
Players in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore will be able
to choose from the Standard Edition ($79.99 AUD, $89.99 NZD, HK$389.00,
S$64.00) and the Digital Deluxe Edition ($89.99 AUD, $99.99 NZD,
HK$465.00, S$76.00) of Star Wars: The Old Republic at
participating retailers. The Digital Deluxe Edition is exclusive to
Origin.com. 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 by subscribing*** to the ongoing service.
Subscribers will also receive ongoing content such as the recently
released Game Update 1.1, Rise of the Rakghouls. 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.
*PRE-ORDER OFFER EXPIRES WHEN PRODUCT RELEASES. CODE EXPIRES DECEMBER
31, 2012. GOOD ONLY FOR NEW PURCHASES OF "STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC"
("PRODUCT"). VALID ONLY AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS. CODE WILL BE GIVEN
WHEN PRODUCT IS RELEASED AND MAY NOT BE SUBSTITUTED, EXCHANGED, TRADED,
SOLD OR REDEEMED FOR CASH OR OTHER GOODS OR SERVICES. MAY NOT BE
COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, GIFT CARD, REBATE OR DISCOUNT COUPON.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. ACCEPTANCE OF END
USER ACCESS AND LICENSE AGREEMENT, PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION,
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION (13+ TO REGISTER), PAID SUBSCRIPTION AND VALID AND
ACCEPTED PAYMENT METHOD OR PAID GAME TIME CARD (IF AVAILABLE) REQUIRED
TO ACCESS GAMEPLAY. GAME INTENDED FOR PLAY ONLY WITHIN NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE AND CERTAIN OTHER TERRITORIES. SEE WWW.SWTOR.COM/INFO/FAQ/GAME#Q209655.
EULAS AND DISCLOSURES CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.EA.COM/1/PRODUCT-EULAS.
PAYMENT METHOD AGE RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. SEE PRE-ORDER FAQ'S AT WWW.SWTOR.COM/PREORDER/FAQ
FOR DETAILS. SWTOR ONLINE SERVICE MAY BE RETIRED AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE
POSTED ON WWW.SWTOR.COM.
SEE EUALA FOR DETAILS. AGREEMENT TO SHARE ACCOUNT INFORMATION
WITH LUCASFILM ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LTD. ("LUCASFILM") IS REQUIRED.
PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE AVAILABLE AT WWW.SWTOR.COM.
THE FIRST 30 DAYS OF SUBSCRIPTION IS INCLUDED IN THE PURCHASE PRICE OF
THE PRODUCT. SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY BE CANCELLED AT ANY TIME. SEE WWW.SWTOR.COM
FOR DETAILS. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. PRE-ORDER QUANTITIES LIMITED.
**GOOD ONLY FOR PURCHASES OF STAR WARS™: THE OLD REPUBLIC™ WITH
REDEMPTION OF A PURCHASED GAME TIME CODE OR BILLING OF AN ACTIVE GAME
RECURRING SUBSCRIPTION WITH AN APPROVED PAYMENT METHOD. VALID WHEREVER
GAME IS SOLD. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.
CUSTOMERS WILL ACCESS THE ITEM IN-GAME. VIRTUAL ITEM ONLY. ITEM WILL BE
APPLIED TO ALL CHARACTERS UNDER USER'S ACCOUNT. PLEASE ALLOW 7 DAYS FOR
NOTIFICATION OF DELIVERABLES.
AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND — OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 30, 2012 AT 12:01AM
EDT; 2:00AM NZDT
HONG KONG and SINGAPORE — OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 29, 2012 AT 9:01PM HKT,
9:01PM SGT
*** SUBSCRIPTION PRICING IN AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, HONG KONG AND
SINGAPORE WILL BE $14.99 USD PER MONTH, $41.97 USD FOR THREE MONTHS
($13.99 USD PER MONTH) OR $77.94 FOR SIX MONTHS ($12.99 USD 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:EA) 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. © 2012 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.
EA Australia
Jodie Van Hibb, +61 2 8569 1235
PR Manager
jvanhibb@ea.com
or
Electronic
Arts
Alana Logan, 512-287-7732
Publicist
alogan@bioware.com
Source: Electronic Arts
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