Star Wars: The Old Republic gets release date and pricing
BioWare has confirmed that EA MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic will release on December 20 in the US and December 22 in Europe, and has finally announced subscription fees.
The game's launch trailer has also been
released today.
The news came out of a Eurogamer Expo session, and additional information has appeared on the game's official site.
The game was first announced in 2008 and had been on track for release in EA's current financial year.
Said BioWare head Ray Muzyka: “This is an incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts who have dedicated their lives to build this extraordinary game. We appreciate the patience from the millions of fans who have been waiting for the game’s release.”
News of a firm date will thrill fans. There's been constant dodging on the subject of launch from both EA and BioWare, with director James Ohlen saying in August that a date wouldn't be given until the studio and publisher were sure the release would be a "bug-free experience".
He added: "I’ve been on this project for six years: I want it to live up to the expectations.”
Pricing has also been confirmed. The game will cost $14.99/£8.99/€12.99 for one month; $13.99 per month (a one-off charge of $41.97/£25.17/€35.97) for three months; and $12.99 per month (a one-off charge of $77.94/£46.14/€65.94) for six months of play.
The game comes with 30 days of play-time.
The Old Republic has been the subject of intense press coverage throughout its development, with speculation most recently emerging that this will be the last great subs-based MMO.
Beta issues have dogged the title in the last few months, with weekend testing announced at PAX last month.
Analysts have predicted the game will move 3 million units in its first year, although pre-orders have been strictly limited, presumably to stop a day one rush.