Everyone is awaiting the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic, which has been marketed quite a bit before its release on December 31, 2011. But right now, they are soliciting beta testers and have already gotten 1.5 million, which is a good start to the game’s success. Execs at Bio-Ware and EA have a lot riding on this huge undertaking and have been quite careful to keep the public involved. For instance, they recently put up a section of their site where guilds can be formed in anticipation of the game.
They hope to get at least a few million to be able to be profitable and compete in the marketplace with Worlds of Warcraft. To do this, they know that they may have to introduce the idea of MMO to people who’ve never played WoW or any other MMO, but are interested in Star Wars. This will involve not only good marketing and communications, but less intense and easier entry systems in the game itself. In other words, discouraging players with instant kills when they arrive is not going to garnish the beginners who may later become avid players. Fortunately, they’ve kept that in mind with non violent areas and levels that people can enjoy without getting into huge battles if they don’t want to, while those who live for the kill also have a place to go and use their lightsaber for good or evil.
I don’t think producers have to worry about it. With Star Wars comes a built in market and if they don’t mess it up, Star Wars: The Old Republic should do very well.
In other game news, another Lego Star Wars III trailer is out. This one shows more of the humor side that has made the Lego series so popular. Check it out…
And for those of you who are a fan of Robot Chicken: Star Wars III, don’t forget to mark July 12th on your calendar. That is the day that the comedy classic will be available on Blu-Ray. The stop motion animation goes through a series of skits as told by the emperor on the Star Wars Universe. If you haven’t seen it, at least rent it. The skits are hilarious and twisted and told from the Emperor’s point of view. It’s definitely one for the Star Wars fan. We cracked up a lot watching it and have featured a couple skits here. The show originally aired as part of the Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. While it does have adult situations, it’s no worse than Family Guy (which incidently stars Seth Green, Robot Chicken’s mastermind. As you watch it, listen for some voices of your favorite stars from the movies and other films, such as Anthony Daniels (C3PO), Ahmed Best (Jar-Jar). Also featured is Seth McFarlane (Family Guy’s Stewie and Peter) who plays the Emperor and Rachael Leigh Cook (She’s All That). You may even recognize Tom Kane who plays the narrator in Clone Wars as well as Yoda. You can also see other Robot Chicken skits on YouTube. Just type Robot Chicken Star Wars into the search and you’ll find a wide range. Here’s a sample…
[video=youtube;APFWujcLDYw]
