Star Wars: The Old Republic Early Access Begins Today

As we already reported before, today starts Star Wars: The Old Republic’s early access period, which gives people who pre-ordered the title a 7-days window of access into the game, the official launch of which is slated for the 20th of December. Here’s the press release:

SITH OR REPUBLIC? CHOOSE YOUR SIDE AS EARLY GAME ACCESS FOR STAR WARSTM: THE OLD REPUBLICTM BEGINS TODAY

Immersive Star WarsTM Universe, Captivating Digital Actors and Riveting Stories among the Groundbreaking MMO Innovations Driving Fan Frenzy Worldwide

GUILDFORD, UK December 13, 2011 The Forceâ„¢ is strong with this one. BioWareâ„¢, a label of Electronic Arts, 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 12pm GMT. 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.comâ„¢.

(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 Warsâ„¢ 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 Warsâ„¢ 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 Warsâ„¢ galaxy. Players will be asked to join forces with either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire and choose one of eight iconic Star Warsâ„¢ 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.

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* Conditions and restrictions apply. See www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/preorderfor 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).

In more curious news, BioWare’s co-founder Greg Zeschuk is apparently now sporting a The Old Republic-themed tattoo in celebration of the game’s launch.