BioWare's Old Republic in Jedi Training Until EA's Fiscal 2012

[Tom Goldman]

BioWare's Old Republic in Jedi Training Until EA's Fiscal 2012

Electronic Arts isn't pushing Star Wars: The Old Republic out of the door until mid-2011 at the earliest.

With the end of 2010 rapidly approaching, it's pretty obvious that Star Wars: The Old Republic [http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Old-Republic-Pc/dp/B001CWXAP2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1291218006&sr=8-6] isn't coming out anytime soon. EA still doesn't have a specific release date for the highly anticipated BioWare Star Wars MMO, but the company has at least revealed an official release window.

At the recent Credit Suisse 2010 Technology Conference, EA CFO Eric Brown went on record with what he says is the first official target ship date for The Old Republic. That ship date is the very wide fiscal year 2012, which sounds later than anticipated, but is really the time period between April 2011 and onward.

In January, EA CEO John Riccitiello further testing [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97410-Star-Wars-TOR-Delayed-to-Spring-2011] this week.

Depending on the MMO, the start of closed, but public beta testing is an indication that a game is still a good 3-6 months or longer from the point where it'll be ready for release. For example, World of Warcraft [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H96C9M/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000067FDW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0HT0V0QET6VP42KQTCR0]'s closed beta test ran for about 7 months.

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been compared to World of Warcraft in scope, so it'll probably need just as much time. The game is EA's rumored [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100967-Star-Wars-The-Old-Republic-is-EAs-Most-Expensive-Project-in-History] to have cost over $300 million, so the publisher is likely not releasing this one until it's fully baked and ready to earn some of that money back.

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/31780/EA_Star_Wars_The_Old_Republic_Not_Coming_Before_April_2011.php]

Permalink

 

[JaredXE]

Like I've said before, TOR won't be released until probably April or May. That and Dragon Age 2 being released in March means Bioware wants me to fail college.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

I've never paid too much attention to release windows. Tell me when it's coming out so I know if I have money or not.

 

[theComposer]

Why is it that almost every game now-a-days gets delayed? Maybe it's always been like this, but I'm getting really frustrated hearing all these games that I'm dying of anticipation for getting pushed back and back and back.

 

[RobCoxxy]

Slightly later release means I have slightly longer to finish my work next term before becoming a reclusive Jedi/Sith.

 

[theaceplaya]

Why is it that almost every game now-a-days gets delayed? Maybe it's always been like this, but I'm getting really frustrated hearing all these games that I'm dying of anticipation for getting pushed back and back and back.

I think it's more of the fact that we find out about it right away now-a-days. I'm sure games got delayed in the 3rd and 4th generations, but we wouldn't know about it until someone read about it in EGM or something and then told their friends. Games were smaller back then too.

 

[Worgen]

at least they arnt pushing it out the door too soon like they did with warhammer online but by the time it comes out Ill probably be playing guild wars 2 and not care

 

[tehroc]

They are going to lose their window of opportunity. Let's face it MMOs are already in their waning years. You wait an entire year and you'll lose your audience.

What Bioware should have done was keep all news of TOR a secret until they are stress testing servers phase of beta.

 

[tehroc]

Why is it that almost every game now-a-days gets delayed? Maybe it's always been like this, but I'm getting really frustrated hearing all these games that I'm dying of anticipation for getting pushed back and back and back.

The worst part is all these games come with major delays and yet we still get a shitty product filled with bugs and exploits without fail.

 

[Omgsarge]

God, this is going to cost soooooo much money. How can they hope to make it all back? From what I have seen, I'm not really impressed. Maybe the storylines will be totally awesome but I have become largely immune to hype after Warhammer Online. I don't trust anything those devs, designers and programmers say anymore.

 

[DTWolfwood]

good give Cataclysm a couple months to simmer down XD

 

[Kiefer13]

I wasn't expecting it any sooner than late '11 / early '12 anyway.

Good. Gives them more time to polish it and iron out any major bugs hopefully. I'd much rather wait a while longer than see it rushed.

 

[Xanthious]

Dammit! That means it going to be 2012 before I can tell all the people thinking this game will be the lord and savior of all things gaming "I told you so" when it crumbles under the weight of it's own hype and ultimately joins the ranks of other over hyped "WoW Killers" like Conan, Warhammer, and the most recent Final Fantasy.

Sorry fellas, there just isn't a big enough market for this, or any subscription based MMO to find anything that resembles a fraction of success while WoW is still alive and kicking. Maybe in another five years or so when WoW is finally simmering down there will be a window but the smart money is on Blizzard keeping it's strangle hold on the top spot with it's yet to be named MMO thats currently in development.

 

[Brotherofwill]

I'm with EA Louse on this one. I think this game has a lot of room to fail, so it's better if it's substantially improved with more development time. I mean, this thing wants to go after WoW. Good luck with that EA. May the force...ok ok.

 

[obisean]

The game already seems polished more than most other MMO launches. I'd love to talk about why, but that breaks NDA.

 

[gring]

anytime i hear a game gets delayed, i actually become more excited about it. to me it shows "its not ready yet, and we want it good"

so many games lately have been unfinished and rushed out the door.

I dont mind waiting for a game that works. and specifically with MMO's, they need to be great out the door, or they are doomed to fail... cough*finalfantasyXIV*cough

 

[mythgraven]

They are going to lose their window of opportunity. Let's face it MMOs are already in their waning years. You wait an entire year and you'll lose your audience.

What Bioware should have done was keep all news of TOR a secret until they are stress testing servers phase of beta.

LMAO I called this one coming.

I know it takes time to make MMO's, and I wouldnt presume to tell BioWare how to make a good game... but let me tell you a little story.


I became aware of TOR in late 2007. I was by no means the first one to see their website, and I havent been with them since "day one". My wife bought me a GameStop card for $80.00 to buy the C.E. for Xmas in 2008. I still have it.


Again, stressing my knowledge of game-crafting is inferior to BioWares... but for Gods sakes. The game has been in development for 3 years now, and we have tons of screenshots, and pretty CGI's, and even the chance to obtain an expensive statue of one of the biggest (dont misunderstand me. Im reffering to the characters breast size, naturally.) characters in the "so far-iverse."

And for what????

You Do Not Announce Games Four Years Prior To Their Release Dates.
Its not good business. Its never good business to build up hype that has no chance of seeing realization in the time it would take a person to enlist in, and complete a tour in, the Navy... Not if you expect us to still care when the day comes.

Four years is a long fucking time, people. Times, people, economies, values... everything changes in that much time.

A couple cinematics. Some concept art. Some class announcements. For some people, this is exciting content, to tide you over in your wait. Not for me.

Whiskey Echo!!
Mythgraven

 

[Racthoh]

Sounds like they'll not only be going up against WoW, but potentially Guild Was 2 as well.

 

[Danpascooch]

The game already seems polished more than most other MMO launches. I'd love to talk about why, but that breaks NDA.

oh you SON OF A *****!

lol, come on......NDA's are for sissy's, don't you want to tell EVERYONE, and then rob a series of banks up and down the east coast? That way people know about ToR AND you make a ton of cash robbing banks!