Star Wars: The Old Republic Pre-loading Begins

Those of you who have pre-ordered Star Wars: The Old Republic and have registered your pre-order code on the official website can now pre-load the game in anticipation of the early access kickoff that begins on December 13th. I'm really looking forward to finally getting to check the game out firsthand:
Early Game Access* for Star Warsâ„¢: The Old Republicâ„¢ is only a few days away! Starting December 13, 2011, The Old Republic will begin emailing invitations to start your Early Game Access. Invitations will be sent throughout the Early Game Access period offering rolling access to the game in the order in which you redeemed your Pre-Order Code, so be sure to check your email inbox!

To ensure that players can get into the game as quickly as possible when their Early Game Access begins, we are now allowing everyone who has redeemed a Pre-Order Code at our Code Redemption Center to pre-load the game to their computer.

In order to download the game client before Early Game Access begins, you need have already logged into your account and redeemed your Pre-Order Code. Once you have done this, you can download the game client by clicking on (My Account) in the upper-right of the window and then click (Pre-Order.) On your Pre-Order page, click the large button that says (Download Game Client) to begin download of the game!

If you participated in our recent Beta Testing Weekend between November 25th and 28th and still have the game client installed, you will be able to patch this client instead of re-installing by simply launching your client, logging in and allowing the download to complete. If you did not participate in the November 25th 28th Beta Weekend, first uninstall the Game Testing Client and then re-install to ensure your game client will function correctly during Early Game Access.

Learn more about how to get ready for Early Game Access!

UPDATE: We have an official press release to quote, as well:
STAR WARSâ„¢: THE OLD REPUBLICâ„¢ APPROACHES HYPERSPACE LAUNCH

All Systems Go for Launch on December 20 with Early Game Access Program* Beginning December 13 for those who Pre-Ordered

Austin, Texas December 7, 2011 After successfully concluding one of the largest-ever Beta tests for an MMO, BioWareâ„¢, a Label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), is now making final preparations for one of the biggest entertainment launches of the year as Star Warsâ„¢: The Old Republicâ„¢ reaches stores on December 20, 2011 in North America and on December 15th in Europe. BioWare also revealed today that Early Game Access for players who pre-order the game will begin on December 13, 2011 at 6:00 AM CST, giving some players as much as a seven-day head start to their personal Star Warsâ„¢ saga. To participate in the Early Game Access program, customers must pre-order any version of Star Wars: The Old Republic and redeem their code** at www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/preorder before the official launch of the game. Pre-orders are still available in limited supplies at most participating retailers and via Origin.com.

Die-hard MMO gamers and passionate Star Wars fans worldwide are gearing up for the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic. During the weekend of November 25 November 28, 2011, over 725,000 unique gamers participated in a highly successful Beta test for the game, logging in over 9 million hours of gameplay. With two weeks to go until launch, more than 78,000 guilds have participated in the Pre-Launch Guild Program and over 2.4 million players are registered on the game's official web site www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com. Critics around the world are equally excited, as Game Informer has proclaimed that (The Old Republic is poised to reshape the MMO landscape,) and MSNBC has said that (Star Wars: The Old Republic is looking strong and the attention to story is paying off in a big way.)

(Star Wars: The Old Republic is a go for launch on December 20,) said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder of BioWare and General Manager of the BioWare label's MMO Business Unit. (We are extremely humbled by the surge of players who have joined us on this journey and participated in the Beta Weekend. Their participation has given us the opportunity to stress test the game and allowed us to tune the experience, ensuring that we deliver the smoothest possible MMO launch later this month.)

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 iconic worlds in the Star Wars galaxy such as Tatooine, Alderaan, Hoth and more. Each of the game's eight primary classes will enjoy their own unique storyline, all of which are fully voiced by a huge cast of actors and features 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.

* Conditions and restrictions apply. Early Game Access may be up to 7 days.  The length of your Early Game Access depends on the date and order in which you redeemed your Pre-Order Code. See www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/preorder for 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-orders 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).