• Pre-Order Rise of the Hutt Cartel Expansion Today

    This morning, visitors to the Star Wars: The Old Republic Official Website found a new addition to the swtor.com/buy page, most notably, a pre-order section for the new expansion -- Rise of the Hutt Cartel. The page reveals details regarding price, content, and how to pre-order. For those that do not care to visit it themselves, here is what you need to know.

    • Coming in Spring 2013
    • Subscribers can buy the expansion for 50% off the regular price off $19.99 making it $9.99.
    • Preordering entitles you to Five days of Early Access if pre-ordered by January 7, 2013 11:59PM CT / 5:59AM GMT
    • Increased level cap by five levels to a total of 55 which include new story based missions
    • Includes story on the Hutt Cartel and the new planet Makeb

    Included on the page is a new FAQ about the new expansion. In it, there is a pretty lengthy description of what players can expect.

    BioWare

    Face off against a frightening new enemy on the brand new planet of Makeb as you battle the nefarious Hutt Cartel and its massive new creatures and weapons of destruction. The Hutt Cartel has emerged from the shadows to challenge the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire for control, unleashing never-before-seen Droids and monstrous battle stations to serve as powerful weapons of destruction. As a player, you will be forced to take a side as you earn new weapons, armor, abilities and more.

    To pre-order the new expansion, head over to the announcement page.

  • Asia Pacific Launch Details

    BioWare has previously said that March 1st, 2012 was the estimated date for Star Wars: The Old Republic launcing in Oceanic regions. That date has now been officially confirmed. With the introduction of dedicated servers in the region, players will be allowed to transfer existing characters from the current servers to these new servers.

    Courtney Woods
    BioWare and LucasArts are excited to announce that Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will officially launch in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore on March 1st, 2012! Fans in these regions who purchase the game will be able to experience their very own Star Wars™ saga on regional servers. Players who have already begun their journey will also have a limited-time opportunity to migrate their characters from their current servers to Asia Pacific servers after the launch on March 1st, giving them the chance to take advantage of the decreased network latency by playing on a regional server. All players who qualify for a character transfer will be notified in early March with more details.

    Read More

    The entire post can be found after the jump, including pricing information for different versions of the game and some early information on character transfers.

  • The Galactic Census: This Week's Sales Update

    EA will have their Q3 2012 Earnings Call on Wednesday, Darth Hater will cover this with our normal live blog at 2 PM PST.

    We hope that EA will announce subscription numbers in additon to the total number of box sales YTD.

    In the meantime, a look at VGChartz gives us some idea of what the sales numbers may look like for Star Wars: The Old Republic. We tracked the pre-order numbers using this site and now we can look at it from the post-launch sales perspective. Here are the numbers for the week ending January 21:

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic
    • Weeks Since Release: 5
    • Platform: PC
    • Global Total Sales: 2,061,403
    • Global Weekly Sales: 61,708
    • Global Weekly Rank: #10

    Note: Sales numbers come from retailers only and may not include digital. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented. 

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of December 17, 2011:

    • Rank: #1 (no change from last week)
    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic
    • Platform: PC
    • Weeks Until Release: 1
    • Change from Last Week: 18,715 (4153 fewer than last week)
    • Total: 958,073


    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Art and Making of SWTOR Book Giveaway and Pico Visits Alien World

    As early access continues and more people are getting to play Star Wars: The Old Republic, Curse has put together a couple videos to celebrate the approaching launch of the game. 

    The first video introduces a contest that will award one lucky winner a copy of The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic. This 160-page hardcover book is filled with art from the game ranging from very early concept models to final versions that appear in the game. In addition to the wonderful visuals, the book contains some great insight into how BioWare got involved with the title, how Knights of the Old Republic influenced SWTOR and what it takes to become a writer for BioWare. Please visit the official sweepstakes page for full details and rules.

    The second video follows Pico from Curse around a mysterious alien world as she asks its inhabitants whether they've pre-ordered SWTOR, their thoughts on the planet, and for their best Chewbacca impersonations.

    Full videos after the jump.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of December 10, 2011:

    • Rank: #1 (no change from last week)
    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic
    • Platform: PC
    • Weeks Until Release: 2
    • Change from Last Week: 22,868 (7134 more than last week)
    • Total: 939,358


    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • SWTOR Early Access Starts December 13

    BioWare's Courtney Woods has just announced on the official forums that the game is now available for pre-load to anyone who has redeemed their pre-order code. Check out the Dev Tracker quote below, or visit the official site for the full announcement. Stephen Reid also clarified the announcement on Twitter, and notified the community that the Early Access section of the Preorder FAQ had changed.

    In addition to moving the start of Early Access up to December 13th, the FAQ notes that there will be no "grace period" for preorder purchases; when Early Access ends (just before launch at 12:01 AM EST on 12/20), the servers will go down for a short time, and when they come back up all players will be required to enter a Product Registration Code in order to continue playing. Check out the FAQ for more details, and look for quotes from Stephen Reid after the jump.

    UPDATE: You can now preload the game if you pre-ordered by visiting the SWTOR official website and following the instructions listed in this post.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of December 3, 2011:

    • Rank: #1 (no change from last week)
    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic
    • Platform: PC
    • Weeks Until Release: 3
    • Change from Last Week: 15,734 (59,182 less than last week)
    • Total: 916,490


    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Pre-Launch Guilds Are Locked

    The Pre-Launch Guild program for Star Wars: The Old Republic has officially ended. If you are in a guild that qualified, you can expect an e-mail in the next couple of days with details regarding joining your guild in-game, how to check the status of your guild and your server assignment. BioWare also stated that while they will try to ensure all your Allies and Adversaries will be assigned to your same server, they cannot guarantee it.

    Read past the jump for the text from the official SWTOR news post.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of November 26, 2011:

    • Rank: #1 (no change from last week)
    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic
    • Platform: PC
    • Weeks Until Release: 4
    • Change from Last Week:  74,916 (2208 more than last week)
    • Total: 900,756


    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

    Darth Hater did not publish Building a Death Star for the week of November 19, 2011, due to the late publication of pre-order numbers by VGChartz and the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. 

  • Pre-Launch Guild Program Ends Dec 2

    BioWare announced that Phase 3: Deployment of the Star Wars: The Old Republic Pre-Launch Guild Program will end at 11:59 PM CST on Friday, December 2. Any guilds that have met the deployment requirements by that time will be prepared for Early Game Access server assignment.

    Read on for the full details from SWTOR.com.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of November 12, 2011:

    • Rank: #1 (up three spots from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 6

    • Change from Last Week: 62,693 (12,372 more than last week)

    • Total: 865,669

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of November 5, 2011:

    • Rank: #4 (same as last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 7

    • Change from Last Week: 50,321 (5,693 less than last week)

    • Total: 802,976

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented

  • Early Game Access "...may be up to 5 Days"

    Ahead of today's Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday Update, the official pre-order page received an update and now shows a little tidbit about the Early Game Access period.

    CUSTOMERS WHO PRE-ORDER STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY THE GAME BEFORE THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH. EARLY GAME ACCESS IS THE PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE OFFICIAL GAME LAUNCH WHEN PRE-ORDER CUSTOMERS MAY ACCESS THE GAME. EARLY GAME ACCESS MAY BE UP TO 5 DAYS. THE LENGTH OF YOUR EARLY GAME ACCESS DEPENDS ON THE DATE AND ORDER IN WHICH YOU REDEEMED YOUR PRE-ORDER CODE AT THE CODE REDEMPTION CENTER. SEE PRE-ORDER FAQ FOR MORE DETAILS.

    On a side note, the rest of the page also received an update with a new comparison chart of all of the pre-order options for fans. The changes should give players a better understanding of the options that are available to them leading up until release.

    Hat tip to Zosha on the tip.

    UPDATE: Early Game Access details are now available.

    Many of you have been wondering how long Early Game Access will last, and we are now happy to announce that depending on when you redeem your Pre-Order Code, you will gain Early Game Access up to five days before the official game launch date.

    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. Early Game Access will be granted according to when your Pre-Order Code is redeemed at the Code Redemption Center. If you have not yet pre-ordered Star Wars: The Old Republic, theres still time! Visit our Pre-Order page for more information and watch the Collectors Edition Unboxing video for a peek inside this highly coveted edition of the game.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of October 29, 2011:

    • Rank: #4 (up one spot from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 8

    • Change from Last Week: 56,014 (10,162 less than last week)

    • Total: 752,655

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of October 22, 2011:

    • Rank: #5 (no change from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 9

    • Change from Last Week: 66,176 (31,368 more than last week)

    • Total: 696,641

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of October 15, 2011:

    • Rank: #5 (no change from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 10

    • Change from Last Week: 34,808 (28,976 fewer than last week)

    • Total: 630,465

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of October 8, 2011:

    • Rank: #5 (no change from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 11

    • Change from Last Week: 62,884 (19,922 more than last week)

    • Total: 595,657

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-Order Update

    As the December 20, 2011 release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of October 1, 2011:

    • Rank: #5 (-1 from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 12

    • Change from Last Week: 42,962 (16,272 more than last week)

    • Total: 532,773

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.

  • Building a Death Star: This Week's Pre-Order Update

    As the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, pre-order numbers start to become more and more interesting. This feature would not be what it is without the numbers, of course, and we have VGChartz to thank for the data regarding the pre-orders.

    Without further ado, here are America's pre-order numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic for the week of September 24, 2011:

    • Rank: #4 (+1 from last week)

    • Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic

    • Platform: PC

    • Weeks Until Release: 13

    • Change from Last Week: 26,690 (7,405 more than last week)

    • Total: 489,811

    Make sure to check out VGChartz for how it compares to the rest of the games currently available for pre-order. Note: Pre-order numbers come from retailers only and does not include digital or Europe. Due to this, the numbers above are not 100% accurate and may be under or over-represented.