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Star Wars: The Old Republic delayed - Report

  • By Eddie Makuch, GameSpot
  • Posted Jan 26, 2011 7:43 am PT

BioWare sources cited for tip that long-awaited space-bound MMORPG will miss projected spring 2011 debut, with launch now planned for September.

A year ago Electronic Arts announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic--BioWare's massively multiplayer online role-playing game take on the esteemed film series--would arrive during the spring 2011 window. However, according to one report, the publisher was a bit ambitious with that date.

The force of delay is strong with The Old Republic, it seems.

The force of delay is strong with The Old Republic, it seems.

Game business site MCV is reporting that sources within BioWare have informed it that the long-awaited PC MMORPG will arrive at an undisclosed date in September. As of press time EA had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment or clarification on the purported delay.

SW:TOR is currently in testing phase, where BioWare-selected bug squashers are traversing the game's universe, said to be bigger than every BioWare game released to date…put together.

SW:TOR--which EA will publish solo--takes place approximately 300 years after the events of the original game but some 3,600 years before the events of LucasArts' quintessential films. Players can choose to align themselves with either side of the Force, taking on professions like the Sith warrior and bounty hunter for the Dark Side and the trooper and smuggler for the Galactic Republic.

For more on the MMORPG, check out GameSpot's preview of SW:TOR, as well as a narrative analysis from Comic-Con 2010.

368 Comments

  • Evenios

    Posted Jul 26, 2011 10:58 am GMT

    game wont come out in September as thats when the beta weekends are planned most likely around christmas my guess is after Star Wars Galaxies shuts down.

  • savagetofu

    Posted Mar 31, 2011 11:30 am GMT

    How many years did it take them to make this game?

  • TheWarpLynx

    Posted Mar 29, 2011 1:55 pm GMT

    Ok, it is hard for me not to think that this is not the case since September, according to the Walmart and Best Buy web sites, is the month of arrival of Star Wars - The Complete Saga on Blu-ray. I think that EA decided that that month would be the best as more and more Star Wars advertisement would show up near September. I think that it must be a good deal in advertisement: Star Wars: The Old Republic advertises Star Wars in general and vice-versa with Star Wars - The Complete Saga on Blu-ray. It can't be just a coincidence. After seeing a long demo online this game looks like it is either very near ready or just ready to be launched. The delay is more marketing than not. I'm no expert on this, but it sure is hard for me to think that this is a mere coincidence.

  • Mafia217

    Posted Mar 24, 2011 10:36 pm GMT

    @Metropolis3003: Wow lol 2 months in...forgot about this. Anyway, they had enough time to do this...if they weren't sure of the due date then it would be wise to no just announce the game in the first place. Then they wouldn't have hyped fans raging all over the place over this silly delay.

  • Metropolis3003

    Posted Mar 24, 2011 12:56 am GMT

    @Mafia217: Don't be a fool. If a delayed game didn't turn out well, think how bad it would have been if it didn't get the extra work; a delayed game, is a better game.

  • Quidium

    Posted Feb 24, 2011 8:56 pm GMT

    SWTOR...
    The Next Duke Nukem...

  • Thathanka posted Feb 16, 2011 3:31 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Thathanka

    Posted Feb 16, 2011 3:31 pm GMT (hide)

    I think they have realised that their game is terrible and they have 6 months to save it.

  • potterman201

    Posted Feb 9, 2011 8:10 pm GMT

    we don't need a repeat of the sith lords, I'm good with any release date, so long as every story line has a more satisfying ending than KoTOR 2. (Where is everyone? What's she doing here? How'd the wookie follow us? What happened to Atris? Why am I alone? Ahhhhh!)

  • CombatJackUSMC

    Posted Feb 7, 2011 9:23 pm GMT

    Behold the day will come when we are graced with this mighty and most powerful presence! This day will have a cataclysmic effect upon our natureas a whole! Arise my dark jedi ! For when this day comes, WE WILL PREVAIL!!! AH HAHAHA

  • Allegedman

    Posted Feb 2, 2011 3:46 pm GMT

    spring or september i do not care which. I need time to build a new machine to play this

  • jjmullen763

    Posted Feb 1, 2011 7:10 am GMT

    bioware or ea should just give us a release date i just wanna when its going to come out, later this year seems more likely as its such a big game

  • GamerJedi29

    Posted Jan 30, 2011 6:16 pm GMT

    God I hope this is wrong, I've been waiting forever

  • ZackMAck43

    Posted Jan 30, 2011 2:11 pm GMT

    People should really read the source of this information, cause its wrong. Until we have an official statement from Bioware/EA , which is releasing their projections February 1 we should not trust this info so blindly.

  • Freakgrenade

    Posted Jan 29, 2011 3:40 pm GMT

    @PewPewNinja Fantasy means mainly dealing with magic and is diffrent from sci-fi/space mmo's.Eve is the only notable space mmo out there,has'nt reached it's full potential and hasnt done to space mmo's what wow has done to fantasy mmo's genre.Currently there are so many hard hitting fantasy mmo's like gw2, darkage,dndo, lotr, wow,war,conan,aion,pwi,dragonica,final fantasy just to name a few.
    Wow's next mmo won't be another fantasy mmo,It just won't make sense and won't have the staying power that wow had 6yrs ago.They need fresh fertile territory and that's the sci-fi mmo genre which swtor is now the most serious contender.

  • PewPewNinja

    Posted Jan 29, 2011 1:04 pm GMT

    @Freakgrenade I don't get your space mmo thing, do you mean games like EvE online? If not then there isn't much difference between lets say your typical generic fantasy mmo and an mmo that take place on a random planet, years 3500, the only thing that will change is the visual no? (example: Earthrise)

    For WoW i know that it's repetitive, always been, but as far as i know number are growing over years and not the other way around. If i remember well blizzard said that their new MMO wont be in competition with WoW.

  • Chainer323

    Posted Jan 28, 2011 10:31 pm GMT

    @DarthVeng_basic
    Techinally, TOR could have a DLC. Take a look at FFXI, it has expansion, then it has it's smaller Add-Ons, which could be considered as a DLC since they were just little things that were added on to the game

  • Freakgrenade

    Posted Jan 28, 2011 1:06 pm GMT

    @PewPewNinja Trust me ive been playing wow since vanilla and have enjoyed it immensely.But even wow developers have already jumped ship to work on their "New mmo".Wow has given players a good 6yrs of fantasy play trust me it's starting to get repeatative.There already some very good fantasy mmo's their next xpac....if there is gonna be one is gonna have a lot less people buying it.Space mmo's by enlarge is still unexplored territory infact it is rumored wow's replacement is gonna be in space.Propably related to the startcraft universe.
    Go to the swtor forum you will be suprised how many long time wow players are there.

  • VidGamAnonymous

    Posted Jan 28, 2011 11:57 am GMT

    I'm okay with this, but EA, DO NOT turn this likely GOTY candidate into another Duke Nukem Forever

  • Punizher

    Posted Jan 28, 2011 7:22 am GMT

    damn it i was hoping it would come out in the summer.

    until then i have DC universe online and helpfully GW2 is not 2 far away, cos if SWTOR and Guild Wars 2 are coming out in the last Quarter, its going to be nasty.

  • Alexandru04

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:47 pm GMT

    Release it when its ready and not a moment earlier please !!! We dont need "half polished" games. Thank you! "the fans"

  • Kitein0

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 5:22 pm GMT

    (Darth Vader Style)

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOooooOOOO!!!

  • adidas32x

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 1:58 pm GMT

    bioware only puts out top notch games. if this is true, good. rather see them put out a polished complete game, than a bug infested game with such little content there isnt a reason to play after a month, like dcuo. but until we hear an official statement i wouldnt take this seriously at all. its also been said this game has cost 400 million, which is not true. so gamespot is now posting rumors? yikes, i bet they also get their news from tabloids and believe every word of it. @savagetofu amazon says march 25 2011, along with a long list of other places with different dates. get used to the fact that pre order dates mean nothing until there is an official release date.

  • reanor2

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 1:27 pm GMT

    You hurting your reputation, Gamespot:

    Originally Posted by williambr Yesterday , 12:19 AM Hi all,

    Dutch_Gamer is correct -- the target launch window for STAR WARS: The Old Republic is set for Spring 2011. If you've seen or heard any date more specific than that, you should treat it as speculation or a placeholder from those discussing the date.

    Hope that helps! Tyler Rowe | Community Representative
    Follow us on Twitter @SWTOR | Like us on Facebook
    [Contact Us] [Rules of Conduct] [F.A.Q.]

  • rljensen3

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 11:33 am GMT

    If you follow gaming like most of us on the internet this was almost to be expected. We've waited this long. If t helps the development of the game than so be it. I will still play it.

  • SuperMegaMaster

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 10:27 am GMT

    May the force be with this game

  • MERGATROYDER

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 10:10 am GMT

    Hope they fix everything.

  • Stonecutters908 posted Jan 27, 2011 9:57 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Stonecutters908

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:57 am GMT (hide)

    I've never understood the point of endless MMO RPGs like WoW. Without a set goal the constant grind becomes a pointless endevour.

  • Shaun373

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:52 am GMT

    I'd rather they delay it 6 or 8 months and release a game worth playing than releasing a half finished piece of garbage like so many other MMO's recently.

  • IAMTHEJOKER88

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:40 am GMT

    Predictable. But at least i might actually revise for my exams in the summer now.

  • darktruth007

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:37 am GMT

    Whatever. I've long since given up waiting for this game to come out - in the mean time I'll be playing the **** out of my Xbox and PC. And I'm just about to pick up DC Universe which should tide me over for at least a month.

  • solartiger

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:26 am GMT

    Jumpgate...Now might be the chance you need...

    and let's "pop tall"...Black Prophecy...

  • fLaMbOaStiN

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 9:12 am GMT

    Wow.. Ive been patiently waiting for this game for what seems like a lifetime now.. Ugh, now almost another year.. Oh well, I guess i have Rift to play until then.

  • TheWarpLynx

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 8:55 am GMT

    Alright, this may cause me to go hospitalized later this evening due to extreme anxiety, but I don't mind. BioWare does not fool around when making games. At least it doesn't look like they do. I think they want to be certain this is going to work, and please the community that has been waiting for years now.

  • Joe5327

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 8:31 am GMT

    Yeah, I think this is good news. Unlike other games, they are trying to release the game as complete as possible so that the first 6 months of playing the game won't be a bad experience for gamers. Thumbs up!

  • LordLuxul

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 8:26 am GMT

    well, by the time it comes out i will have ammased the funds to play it. though i still cant wait.

  • smithboy1177

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 8:20 am GMT

    I say thankyou Bioware. Take your time on this one. This is the best material in the Star Wars universe since the original films.

  • slpr21

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:52 am GMT

    Fake.

  • dragoonslayer19

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:42 am GMT

    Yep, probably trying to hit the coveted Christmas buying season release as close as possible. Or maybe they need more time to do some tweeks to make the game better. Either way I'm still can't wait for this game to come out!!!

  • Munstable posted Jan 27, 2011 7:28 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Munstable

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:28 am GMT (hide)

    from the trailer, the game really doesn't look like anything related to the star wars universe if you ask me.
    unfortunately, no amount of delays will ever make it great.

  • Onyx99

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:24 am GMT

    @Hampton2003
    You bring out an excellent point. They actually give us a month to look forward to instead of an ambiguous time period like sometime in Spring 2011. This does show more confidence that they are closer to a true release.

  • Raven_Lord

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:23 am GMT

    Actually, I think it's a good sign. At least BioWare still has spine to stand up against pressure from EA, and delay the game if they feel it's not ready.

  • Vrybrd

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:11 am GMT

    Take as much time as you want, if it means getting the full Bioware intended experience! Don't let pressure ruĂŻn your good name and credibility, which took years to built..

  • Onyx99

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:05 am GMT

    I've loved every Bioware game that has been released in the last decade. If they need more time to get this one right, I say take it. This game needs to be epic and epic takes time. DA2 and ME3 will have to satisfy me til then.

  • airshocker posted Jan 27, 2011 6:56 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    airshocker

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 6:56 am GMT (hide)

    Wouldn't be surprised if this was true. Either way, my faith in the game is falling every time they release more info.

    Should have just made a KOTOR3 and not have gotten our hopes up.

  • Bellendaine

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 6:41 am GMT

    Awesome ... released just in time to go back to school when I won't have time to play it ...

  • reanor2

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 6:26 am GMT

    Gamespot, is MCV Bioware??? Why are you supporting rumors without Bioware or EA confirmation? You do understand that this rumor spreading will hurt your reputation? Imagine how stupid Gamespot will look IF SWTOR releases in SPRING?

    My POINT - don't support rumors of UNKNOWN source from UNKNOWN source. Neither Bioware nor EA released ANY information about the delay...

  • Bauholzwolf

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 6:19 am GMT

    FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

  • Warshock

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 6:10 am GMT

    Wow, I predict that they are going to loose ALOT of potential buyers because of this. I mean come on. Elder Scrolls IV, Mass Effect 3, Gears of War 3, Starcraft 2: HOTS, and the supremely maybe of Diablo 3 coming at the end of this year. I agree with @ZackMAck43, this would of been the PERFECT thing for them to release it before summer. (That's what I was going to use to get through it) Maybe release it during May? Sorry Bioware, but I'm going to have to change my reservation. But don't be too sad, I already have Dragon Age 2 paid off and soon you will have my money from Mass Effect 3.

  • Sith90Lord

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 6:07 am GMT

    @ZackMAck43
    Yeah... me too =(

  • savagetofu

    Posted Jan 27, 2011 5:44 am GMT

    I just paid to preorder this game on Jan 18 2011 when I picked up my copy of lbp2 from gamestop.They said the game was not hitting the shelf until early 2012. The website says no date has been given yet. Get used to the fact that 2012 is the true date guys. I recently got dcuo & let me tell u that game is buggy. They pushed it out way too soon. DCUO has 2 major cities. swmmo is going to have planets, cities & space. I don't care how long they take so long as the game doesn't freeze 3 or 4 times every time your try to get on & do something.

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