14 DAY TRIAL // The developers at BioWare and the publisher Electronic Arts have announced that those who have pre-ordered the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic can get up to five days of early access to the game, meaning that at least some players will be able to get access to the experience on December 15.
The Frequently Asked Questions section on the official website of The Old Republic says, “Early Game Access is staggered over five days to ensure a quality experience for players at launch. Staggering access aids server stability and a gradual increase in player population through the game.”
It seems that those who pre-ordered earliest will get the biggest in-game advantage and will be able to get their characters well developed before the masses get in.
The official launch date for Star Wars: The Old Republic is December 20 all over the world, with the developer and publisher hoping that the upcoming Christmas break will encourage players to spend time with the MMO.
The Old Republic has been in development at BioWare for quite some time and was initially set to be launched during the early months of 2011.
The game takes place a few thousand years before the events of the Star Wars movies and allows the player to choose from a variety of classes and then help either the Jedi or the Sith in their quest to dominate the galaxy.
The MMO will have a focus on story, unusual for the genre, and will allow players to group together and vote on their course of action, with the developers saying that creating the game was like developing another five titles in their much-praised The Knights of the Old Republic series.
Analysts have claimed that much of the future of the subscription-based MMO model will be linked to the success of The Old Republic.