EA, BIOWARE AND LUCASARTS TO LAUNCH STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC ON DECEMBER 20, 2011
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, England September 24, 2011 Today during their keynote address at the Eurogamer Expo, Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk, co-founders of BioWareâ„¢, a label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced that Star WarsTM: The Old Republicâ„¢ 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 Lucas Arts 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 Gateâ„¢, Neverwinter Nightsâ„¢, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republicâ„¢, Jade Empireâ„¢, Mass Effectâ„¢ and Dragon Ageâ„¢. 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 SPORTSâ„¢ and EA Play. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com, or follow us on Twitter atwww.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 Simsâ„¢, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speedâ„¢, Battlefield, and Mass Effectâ„¢. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
