Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-orders limited for staggered launch

Those "limited" Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-orders aren't just a special collection; not everyone who wants to buy the game is allowed to.

Gamefront reports BioWare wants to stagger the game's launch, letting in a select few players in at first before opening it to the predictable swarm of eager Jedi.

Although likely to ensure a smoother launch for the lucky VIPs who get into what amounts to a post-release stress test, those who miss out will be gutted: Amazon has already sold out of its initial allocation of Collector's Edition pre-orders. The standard box may not be far behind.

Furthermore, pre-orders are restricted to retailers in Europe and the US, with BioWare advising forum members it "cannot commit to any timeframe" for the game's retail availability in territories like Australia and New Zealand.

Thankfully, community manager Stephen Reid said on Twitter that the MMORPG will not be region locked, opening the possibility of import to those outside Europe and the US.

No release date has been set for The Old Republic, but BioWare will host beta test weekends beginning in September.