SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today, BioWare™ a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), is proud to
turn on the servers for the critically-acclaimed Star Wars™: The
Old Republic™ in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong & Singapore. Fans in
those regions will now be able to experience the award-winning massively
multiplayer online game that has captivated millions of fans worldwide
on regional servers, giving them better game performance with decreased
network latency. Australia's AusGamers has scored the game at a 95%,
saying The Old Republic is "arguably the most complete and polished MMO
ever launched."
"We have been incredibly pleased with the response to the launch of Star
Wars: The Old Republic from fans and critics, as players are finding
that immersive story and personal choice are a real innovation for the
genre," said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, General Manager of the BioWare Label's
MMO Business Unit and Co-Founder of BioWare. "Just as important to our
success has been the smoothness of our launch. Now after months of
testing, we're excited to be able to bring both a high quality game
experience and service to our fans in the Asia Pacific region."
Players in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore will be able
to choose from the Standard Edition ($79.99 AUD, $89.99 NZD, $389.00
HKD, $64.90 SGD) and the Digital Deluxe Edition ($89.99 AUD, $99.99 NZD,
$465.00 HKD, $76.90 SGD) of Star Wars: The Old Republic at
participating retailers. The Digital Deluxe Edition is exclusive to
Origin.com. 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.
Set thousands of years before the classic Star Wars movies,
players will be immersed as they team up with friends online to fight in
heroic battles reminiscent of the films, exploring a galaxy of vibrant
planets and experiencing visceral Star Wars combat. Players 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.
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.
Press assets for Star Wars: The Old Republic are available at www.info.ea.com.
*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 is a
trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Electronic Arts
Alana Logan, 512-287-7732
Publicist
alogan@bioware.com
Jodie
Van Hibb, +61 285691235
ANZ PR Manager
jvanhibb@ea.com
Source: Electronic Arts
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