Over One Million People Register For Star Wars: The Old Republic, Content Sneak Peek
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Yesterday was quite a day here in Austin. We likely had the largest one-day subscription account registration process in MMO history over one million people are now registered players of the game, and the number is growing rapidly.
As you might imagine, this presented a huge strain on our infrastructure and systems, but the good news is that we seem to be through the worst of it now thanks to folks working hard all day to serve our community. And as Greg mentioned in his earlier note, we've also been working hard on resolving queues those being another side effect of the huge demand for Star Warsâ„¢: The Old Republicâ„¢ over the past week. We were definitely anticipating a very high load but if anything the demand for the game has only exceeded our expectations!
We're very appreciative of your support and we look forward to surprising and delighting you throughout the journey ahead. To that end, we plan on letting you know soon about some cool upcoming content planned over the next few months.
What sort of cool content? James Ohlen explains:
Next month we're going to be releasing a new Flashpoint and an expanded Operation. The new Flashpoint involves a plague that could have significant repercussions across the galaxy. It takes place on a brand new world and involves some pretty epic battles. I can't go into much detail, but be prepared for something different. The expanded Operation takes the existing Karraga's palace scenario and more than triples it in size. It includes three new boss monsters and some pretty epic set pieces. You won't believe the last boss, so we've provided an image as a tease.
We plan to continue releasing Flashpoints, Operations, Warzones and new game systems on a regular cadence. This patch coming early next year is only a taste of what is to come.
And then there's this press release from EA heralding that the game is the fastest-growing subscription MMO in history;
STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC JUMPS TO LIGHT SPEED
Critically Acclaimed Game from BioWare Already the Fastest Growing Subscription MMO in History
REDWOOD CITY, Calif December 23, 2011 BioWareâ„¢, a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), launched Star Warsâ„¢: The Old Republicâ„¢ on Tuesday, and already fan engagement is setting new standards for an MMO game launch. Star Wars: The Old Republic is the fastest-growing subscription MMO in history, with more than one million registered players since launching on December 20, 2011. BioWare and EA will continue to steadily pulse players into the game through the holiday and into 2012 by limiting supply, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all while further growing the community. Fan reaction has been extremely positive, with the first wave of players posting impressive play-time feats after having been granted Early Game Access and playing up to seven days before launch. To date, players have:
'¢ Logged 28 million in-game hours roughly equivalent to watching all six Star Wars movies, two million times
'¢ Averaged well over five hours a day playing the game
'¢ Created more than 3.8 million characters; 510,000 Jedi Knights and 550,000 Sith Warriors
'¢ Killed more than 2 billion non-player characters in the eight days since Early Game Access began
(Already over a million players strong after our Dec 20th launch, The Old Republic has become the fastest growing subscription MMO in the history of our industry,) said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager of EA's BioWare label and Co-Founder of BioWare. (Everyone at BioWare, EA and LucasArts is honored - and humbled - by the stellar response from our fans. We're going to work together closely with our community in the weeks, months and years ahead, continually serving our audience with regular delivery of compelling new features and content.)
The first reviews are in and critics around the world are giving the game high praise for dramatic, genre-changing innovations in the MMO category. By adding voiced characters and story, BioWare is innovating the genre and giving players a much more immersive experience. In the USA, G4 scored Star Wars: The Old Republic a perfect 5 out of 5 and PC Gamer rated the game a 93%. Australia's AUSgames.com and Germany's Games Aktuell scored the game 95%, and Sweden's GameReactor gave The Old Republic a 90%.
Star Wars: The Old Republic stands as one of the largest and most ambitious achievements in video game history. Beyond the critical and commercial success, this game represents an enormous milestone for Bioware and LucasArts teams. In 2006, Dr. Ray Muzyka, Dr. Greg Zeschuk and the talented team at BioWare began this project with a great vision and a plan to recruit an army of engineers, designers, artists, quality assurance, customer service agents, marketers, community managers, network operators, scriptwriters and voice-over talent. Five years and millions of hours of game testing later, BioWare and LucasArts have released an unparalleled artistic achievement, always putting fans and product quality first.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven, massively multiplayer online (MMO) game from BioWare and LucasArts. 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 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.
* Subscription pricing in the United Kingdom is £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 is €12.99 per month, €35.97 for three months (€11.99 per month) or €65.94 for six months (€10.99 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 Gateâ„¢, Neverwinter Nightsâ„¢, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republicâ„¢, Jade Empireâ„¢, Mass Effectâ„¢ and Dragon Ageâ„¢. 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 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: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 Simsâ„¢, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speedâ„¢, Battlefield, and Mass Effectâ„¢. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
