14 DAY TRIAL // Star Wars: The Old Republic has been widely seen as being one of the biggest video game launches of 2011, but publisher Electronic Arts seems to be hedging its bets when it comes to the release date, suggesting that it might finally be set for the early days of 2012.
[ADMARk=1]Frank Gibeau, who is the president of the EA Games label, has said during an investor call that followed the release of financial results that, “We assume that Star Wars: The Old Republic ships in the calendar year, but our guidance range accounts for a range of ship dates within the fiscal year.”
He added, “While we fully anticipate launching Star Wars: The Old Republic in Q2 or Q3, the low end of our guidance range assumes the outside possibility of a January launch.”
It seems that Electronic Arts is hedging its bets when it comes to The Old Republic, making it clear to its investors that the game will arrive as soon as possible, but also making sure that it can get extra time for the development process if it’s needed by the developers to deliver a good game.
Electronic Arts has told investors that The Old Republic has so far been a hit for the critics and the fans who have seen the game during the beta test phase until now.
The company is also asking European players to join the beta test of the MMO, although it’s not clear how many open spots are available.
The Old Republic will be subscription based and will allow gamers to take on a variety of roles in the Star Wars universe, fighting for either the Light or the Dark Side of the Force.
Rumors suggest that EA invested more than 300 million dollars in the development of The Old Republic.