Really soon, in a galaxy far, far away… gamers can start choosing sides in the war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire! Bioware has just announced that, starting December 13, 2011, they will be mailing early game access invitations to those who pre-ordered Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Players will have access to the game through till December 19, when it will be down briefly before it’s launch the following day. This gives early adopters almost an entire week to build a character and play before the rest of the world.
What’s nice is this perk is available regardless of the edition pre-ordered, be it regular, Deluxe or the limited Collector’s Edition, which is now difficult to find. Players will receive early game access by registering their pre-order code on their Star Wars: The Old Republic account page. Pretty sweet deal for those chomping at the bit to play what some consider to be the next evolution in MMOs.
It is highly encouraged that those who pre-ordered install the game now so they’re ready to roll when server doors are open. After playing the game at E3 2011 and testing in Beta, we quickly discovered that this game is big. With a fully voiced cast, it’s no surprise installing the game requires a lengthy download and some decent hard drive space.
As World of Warcraft slowly loses its players and its position as king of MMOs, other games are stepping up in the hopes to fill those very large shoes. Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the biggest contenders and Bioware has been extremely ambitious in its development, putting everything they have into evolving the genre to today’s gaming standards — something World of Warcraft has been struggling to catch up with.
So, readers, do you think The Old Republic be the next big thing? Who out there has already pre-ordered and is raring to play?
Star Wars: The Old Republic will be available for the PC on December 20, 2011.
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Source: SWTOR Homepage
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I’ve tested this since April and am looking forward to the game when it comes live. I’m sure their will be some hiccups on launch day, but overall I enjoyed playing the game. Sometimes I didn’t even feel like I was playing an MMO. The voice conversation system is so in depth and sucks you right into the story.
As for being the next big thing, I believe it will be. It’s new and refreshing, and being Star Wars doesn’t hurt at all. I saw alot of people complaining over the course of testing saying it “wasn’t a real MMO” or “this is nothing like WOW.” Guess we’ll see how it fares when it goes live.
Well up for this game, been following it since 2009, and haven’t tested it in anyway shape or form. Gonna be a blast !
Totally agree, Vain. The voice acting is great and sucks you right into the game. It doesn’t feel like an MMO, just a much longer version of KOTOR.
I pre-ordered the collectors edition as soon as pre-orders were being taken, I can’t wait to pick up my copy and get immersed in the world of star wars.
I am down for it but I cannot say my expectations are very high. I will give it a shot but the graphics are just horrible and the game play looks so… ordinary. I hope the people making positive comments are correct and that I am so amazed by some other aspect of the game that I can ignore the 5 year old game vibe I am getting from the trailers :-/
I pre-ordered the Deluxe version 4 hours after it went on sale, and participated in the Beta weekend that happened two weeks ago. This game is absolutely amazing. It made me feel immersed in the universe in a way that Galaxies never did, and the voice acting added a major element to the game. This is not WoW, it is a very different beast. There are certainly elements that are similar to WoW, such a combat. That is difficult to get away from in an MMO. However, the fact that this game pulls you into the story, allows you to pick your morality through your actions, and had voice acting, these elements all make it into not just an MMO, but a true MMORPG, a video game where you take a role, are immersed in it, and are able to share the experience with others. I cannot wait to start playing.