Star Wars Galaxies Obituary: SWG is Dead

Lisa Clark other starwars games, star wars galaxies, swg

Star Wars Galaxies
MMORPG
26 June 2003 – 15 December 2011
After more than eight long years (live playtime), it’s time to say goodbye to Star Wars Galaxies. The MMORPG from a galaxy far, far away is officially dead. But it wouldn’t go out without one last big bang from Sony Online Entertainment (SOE).

SWG held a series of farewell events to help say goodbye to the MMO once and for all. While it seems it is being forced into an early grave by bigger and better things (SWTOR anyone?) this does not mean that SWG will go quietly into that dark night.

Let’s take a look back on SWG, according to Wikipedia:

“Star Wars Galaxies (abbv. SWG) was a Star Wars themed MMORPG for Microsoft Windows developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts. Its servers shut down on December 15, 2011.”

And more facts:
  • On 27 August 2008, after the success of SOE’s “Legends of Norrath”, LucasArts and SOE released “Champions of the Force” (see below), an online trading card game based on Star Wars Galaxies.
  • Star Wars Galaxies has gone through 2 major “upgrades”: the Combat Upgrade (CU) and later the New Game Enhancement (NGE), its current form.
  •  On 16 September 2009, SOE informed all current and past account holders of the forthcoming closure of twelve servers (galaxies) ‘due to the recent popularity of the Free Character Transfer Service’; the servers intended on being withdrawn were listed as:- Corbantis; Europe-Infinity; Intrepid; Kauri; Kettemoor; Lowca; Naritus; Scylla; Tarquinas; Tempest; Valcyn; Wanderhome.
  •  On 24 June 2011, SOE and LucasArts announced that they had mutually agreed to shut down Star Wars Galaxies on 15 December 2011.
Throughout those years, millions would play the game. Some would abandon it for other games or to quit games altogether. Still others would remain with SWG until the very end, loyal like a best friend. All of those who played have their own memories of the game and what it meant to them.
What are your best memories of Star Wars Galaxies?

Lisa Clark

Lisa has been an avid gamer since she was old enough to hold her first controller and a game writer for more than a decade. A child of the Nintendo generation, she believes they just don’t make games like they used to but sometimes, they make them even better! While consoles will always be her first love, Lisa spends most of her gaming time on the PC these days- on MMOs and first-person shooters in particular.