Have you gotten an email from BioWare when you reached level 10 in the game? Have you gotten one at any other increments such as 20, 30, etc? While I personally did not get one at level 10 nor at level 20 and so on, some players are reporting introductory emails like this one. The email titled “Helpful tips and advice for level 10 and beyond” comes with a congratulations from BioWare about your new accomplishment and then reminds you of some things in the game that your character can now achieve or acquire at this level. It’s a nice little addition for a player and it’s a sign that BioWare wants to go the extra mile to help players and also to make them feel more welcome to the game. While some players (like myself) are not getting the emails, it is believed that they only go out to…
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BioWare Not Excluding a SWTOR Mac Version At This Time
If you’ve been waiting for a Mac version of SWTOR (I know a few friends who are), then there may still be hope for you yet. BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk are devoted to their fans and they know how important it is to reach a larger audience and for SWTOR, that includes Mac gamers as well as PC. When talking about how the game will continue to grow in the future, the topic of a Mac version is one that comes up repeatedly. Massively by Joystiq covers the story of what the BioWaredocs think about creating a Mac version: “”Weknow there’s a big Mac audience of BioWare fans … we know that’s an importantand large audience. And we want to serve that audience,” Muzyka told mewhen asked about a potential Mac version of the his company’s latest majorrelease, Star Wars: The Old Republic.” The Massively writer tells…
Research firm: SWTOR has 350,000 peak concurrent users
Just how many people are actually playing SWTOR? It’s obvious that the game is very popular but how do you put numbers on just how popular it is? GamesIndustry.biz has a story that tells us a little more about just how many users SWTOR boasts today, just weeks after the official launch. One research firm says that SWTOR has 350,000 concurrent users. “”We view the early success of Star Wars as an indication of a healthy MMO market,” said Baird spokesman Colin Sebastian. These users are said to be spread across 215 servers in America and Europe. This is nearly half the 491 servers in WoW. However, these numbers from the firm are different from what the BioWare doctors are reporting. They had different numbers according to their blog post on the official forums. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk say: “Yesterday was quite a day here in Austin. We likely…
SWTOR Beats WoW at its Own Game- Epic Battle of the MMORPGs
We have heard talk for years now of how BioWare just might have the first MMO to rival the infamous World of Warcraft. However, it would not be the first game to make attempts to take down the Blizzard giant in the MMORPG scene. There were skeptics and there were supporters but no one could say for sure if SWTOR would measure up to the level of WoW until it happened. Here were are just a few days past the official launch and SWTOR is breaking records right and left. It would appear now that they have also beaten WoW at their own game. Daily Mail reports on the stats: Hits 1 million subscribers faster than any rival, including World of Warcraft Gamers play for 5.5 million hours over Christmas Three billion enemies are killed Dark Side is narrowly ahead: 810,000 Jedi created, 850,000 Sith While WoW boasts the title…
SWTOR Shows MMO Market is Healthy, According to Analyst
If there was any doubt that the MMO market is at an all-time high, SWTOR just took measures to highlight this for all of the industry to see. Kris Graft from Gamasutra gives us the lowdown on how SWTOR points to a healthy MMO market right now. Baird Equity Research analyst Colin Sebastian said: “”We view the early success of Star Wars as an indication of a healthy MMO market. While there is likely some shifting of usage from Activision’s World of Warcraft, we see a viable market for multiple million-user MMOs in the U.S. and Europe.” The Gamasutra article goes on to explain why the analyst says this about SWTOR and what it might mean for the MMO industry/genre as a whole. While the MMO market does have a wild history of bug launches that failed miserably, it’s safe to say that gamers in general are willing to try…
SWTOR “fastest in history” MMO to 1 million subscribers
Star Wars: The Old Republic “fastest in history” MMO to 1 million subscribers – or so says Geek.com. I am not surprised in the slightest to hear of these statistics. Even if I wasn’t a personal fan of the game, it’s easy to follow the history of the game to date and see the great popularity of it thus far. It has the makings of an incredible, stat-breaking game or a failure of epic proportions if it lets the gamers down. So far, it’s leaning towards the former. Sure there are gamers who just aren’t that impressed with SWTOR and that’s ok. To each his own, right? But still, there are millions who are into the game and appreciate it for what it is and what it might be. Can you believe that SWTOR has 1 million subscribers already? This makes it the fastest MMO to reach this feat. Geek.com…
Star Wars: the Old Republic Initial Statistics
Since the launch of SWTOR just a few days ago, the world has seen new standards being set in the MMO industry. It’s the fastest-growing subscription MMO in history, with more than one million registered players since launch and growing. Darren Centinello brings us a feature that discusses just how well SWTOR is doing post-launch based on a few stats and early numbers. It’s too early to say exactly what this will mean for the future of SWTOR and BioWare but it’s definitely a strong start to a popular game. Quick stats on SWTOR from VGRevolution: Logged 28 million in-game hours – roughly equivalent to watching all six Star Wars movies, two million times. Averaged well over five hours a day playing the game. Created more than 3.8 million characters; 510,000 Jedi Knights and 550,000 Sith Warriors. Killed more than 2 billion non-player characters in the eight days since Early…
Star Wars: The Old Republic TV Ad
If you haven’t caught it yet, there is a really fun and interesting SWTOR TV ad out for you to see. Maybe you hate watching TV, always skip the commercials or maybe it won’t be airing in your country. But don’t worry if you haven’t seen it yet because your friends online have your back. The ad is on YouTube and we are happy to bring it right here to you for your viewing pleasure. It’s a fun little video. I showed it to my mom who wants to play the game even more now and while it’s made up of snippets of other cutscenes, it’s still very well done. It will definitely grab the attention of anyone who has yet to play the game or even those few who have not heard of it yet (have they been living under a rock?) So check it out and tell us…
Game Hunters USA Today brings us Interview with BioWare Doctors
SWTOR is big news these days and with the launch of Star Wars: The Old republic – we heard about it all from all directions. USA Today’s Game Hunters had a fantastic interview with BioWare doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka about the game and its development. The article by Mike Snider would draw interest to even those who have not already bought the game. First, they talk a little about the undertaking and the development process for SWTOR. Then they tell us about how big of a project this is for BioWare, something that those of us who have been following the game for years definitely know already. Muzyka says “It is probably bigger in content than all prior BioWare games put together. The volume of content is going to give players a ton of different things to do and many different kinds of activities, too, so it’s really…
“Your Saga Begins” Launch Documentary
With the official launch of Star Wars: The old republic this morning, BioWare have released a new documentary titled ‘Your Saga Begins’. Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ has launched! This is an incredibly exciting time for everyone at BioWare and LucasArts, and to celebrate this event we invite you all to watch this launch documentary, “Your Saga Begins.” Watch as members of the Star Wars: The Old Republic development team discuss the many facets of building the game, from bringing life to the epic stories for each class, to hand-crafting the numerous iconic worlds that you can explore!
The Old Republic already has over 1 million players – analyst
Are you in SWTOR early access? If so, you could be part of 1.5 million gamers who are already experiencing what SWTOR has to offer. Pre-order customers like yours truly have been enjoying the early access offered by BioWare which served as a great incentive for people to lay down some cold hard cash on the game before it’s official launch. While the big day is not until tomorrow, reports say that 1.5 million people could already be in the game. We have been getting in by “waves” of people at a time, in the order in which our pre-order codes were put in after purchase. While this was intended to ease the access and spreadout login queues, there have still been some long queues for access, especially throughout the weekend. At its worst point on Saturday night, it took me two hours to get into the server that my…
Old Republic will ‘live or die’ on future content Says BioWare
BioWare recently admits to what most of us have already beensaying- SWTOR will live or die based on the future content. Because they knowthis, they also have a very “aggressive” plan to develop their future content. Theyunderstand the importance of their post-launch content and will be putting agreat deal into ensuring gamers get just what they paid for and what theyexpect. BioWarediscusses their “aggressive plans” for post-launch and senior writer AlexFreed says, “I can’t talk about specifics for post-release content. I cansay yes, there are many people working on that content – MMOs live or die basedon adding new content, refining old systems, adding new ones – all of that.”” He clarifies that they are not doing a single-player gamewhere you just put it out on the market and then you’re happy that it’s outthere. Instead, they want to continuously offer more through the game, addressplayer concerns and keep an…
“BioWare Bets Big With the Old Republic” Says Fast Company
Star Wars: The Old Republic is scheduled to launch December 20, 2011 and BioWare’s expectation for its future is huge. With all the time and energy put into this MMO, BioWare bets big that it’s going to be a big hit. The SWTOR headquarters is located in Austin, Texas. This seems fitting to some since the Lonestar State has the slogan “everything is bigger in Texas” and SWTOR is one of the largest MMO to ever be released. Fast Company tells us how BioWare bets big with SWTOR. Is it a bet that will pay off in time for the company? BioWare has put 6 years of testing and debugging into the game and logged 4.6 million hours of beta testing. They are now ready to see if the efforts they’ve put into the game are going to pay off. Will gamers respond to this MMO the way they expect…
Will the Novelty of SWTOR Stand the Test of Time?
As we draw close to the biggest beta weekend in the history of SWTOR, we take some time to look at all the things that make SWTOR great. It’s an awesome game from a popular title wrapped up in a pretty bow with all the bells and whistles. The amount of polish that has been added to the game is the one thing that sets SWTOR apart from other MMOs that have come before and will likely come after as well. Without this polish and the Star Wars name, it’s just another MMORPG and for many gamers, that’s nothing so special after all. It’s the little details that make all the difference in SWTOR. The voice acting, the animation and of course, the story are all things that make this game stand out from so many others in the market. They make you feel that your character is more important…
SWTOR Won’t have the Server Problems Battlefield 3 Had
There many good things to say about SWTOR but then again, there are skeptics, some with good reason to have concerns. One issue of importance was in regard to server problems but BioWare continues to reassure investors and players that this will not happen with SWTOR, set to launch 5 days before Christmas of this year. The Old Republicordie tells us: According to its game label head Frank Gibeau, while Battlefield 3 suffered technical difficulties specifically on EA servers’ inability to handle the amount of players trying to login with the game, “the same thing won’t happen” when SWTOR have its premiere launch this holiday. This is precisely what many players were concerned with and what BioWare states they have been working hard to avoid at launch. It’s the reason they also said there would be a limited launch at start and why they have been working hard…
SWTOR Release 5 Days before Christmas- a Genius Idea?
Now that we finally have a release date for SWTOR, people are talking about the choice of that date. With December 20th, 5 days before Christmas set for launch, could BioWare be onto something special here? Why did BioWare choose this date anyway? We know the launch date was of super importance when it comes to SWTOR but we almost never see blockbuster titles out so close to Christmas, or even in December at all. So what was EA thinking with this decision? The guys over at Mad Tang have a theory on this topic. A snippet: “It doesn’t matter when the game is released there will be a line out the door to pick up every copy. People are going to do whatever they have to to get a copy of this game. Nerds will fight other nerds during the last minute Christmas rush in epic battles to get…
TGL Interview: The Doctors from BioWare Talk The Old Republic
The Gaming Liberty did an interview with the Doctors from BioWare about Star Wars: The Old Republic and if there was still anyone left who doesn’t know what SWTOR is, the news is surely getting around more than ever before. They sat down with the founders of BioWare in the newly established BioWare centre in Galway to talk everything from the economy to what fans can expect from Star Wars: The Old Republic. Since they shared the interview on their website, people from all over the world can read it and experience it for themselves. TGL talked to the BioWare doctors, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk about things like what brought them to Ireland for their new facility, job creation and the economy, aspirations for the Galway facility, SWTOR and how it relates to the Star Wars movies, books and more. They talk Dark Horse comics a bit and the…
SWTOR Not a Threat to WAR
BioWare Mythic says WAR is not in any danger from SWTOR but will not be going free to play. With SWTOR bringing in some amazing numbers just before its arrival, it threatens to knock many other games out of the way as it approaches. But we also have to remember that this is not the first time EA has worked on an MMORPG. Warhammer: Age of Reckoning is still there and BioWare Mythic VP Eugene Evans confirms it is not going anywhere anytime soon. He said “All of these games appeal to different people for different reasons. I’m very proud to be able to say that I’m running the studio that’s run Ultima Online for as long as it has – 14 years. Dark Age of Camelot just celebrated 10 years. We hope we can run these games for as long as there is player interest.” So it’s a definite…
BioWare Hinted the Possibility of a Mass Effect MMO
How great would it be to have a Mass Effect MMO? There are certainly a lot of fans out there rooting for this very thing right as we speak. While BioWare is busy cranking out SWTOR to have it ready to ship by the promised date in December, we hear rumors that there could be more online titles in the future. It would be a win-win for BioWare and gamers alike if SWTOR was a huge success that led to more MMO titles in the future… possibly even a Mass Effect MMO. BioWare heads Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk seem open to the potential idea and even hint around that it might be considered in the future. “You never know,” Zeschuk replied to the Mass Effect MMO query by Industry Gamers. . “”I think once The Old Republic is done, we’ll take a fresh look at the market….
BioWare Talks Future of RPGs and Narrative Maturation
What does the future hold for Bioware? They have made a name for themselves in the world of RPGs with titles like Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Star Wars. What might the future hold for them and the genre? The game environments are changing dramatically and companies that want to keep up will need to be able to move with the progression. Can BioWare continue their trend of successful RPGs? In speaking to Sarcastic Gamer during the Eurogamer 2011 Expo, BioWare boss Ray Muzyka said they intend to “broaden the genre.” These days, there are different approaches to take and more options available. “The vision for us is a broadening of the genre. We see a lot of other genres incorporating features of RPGs and in turn RPGs are incorporating features of other genres. There are more action elements, there’s different ways to tell a story, there’s different ways to…
Bioware sent out their Official apology email
The great Bioware email snafu of last week had some SWTORnerds raging that they were tricked and teased- being made to believe they gotinto a game testing/beta when it was really just a goof-up in the email office. So what can BioWare do to make the wrong right? Well, say “sorry”of course. Which they have done, in the form of an official email. The apology email read: “OnSeptember 29th, you received two emails regarding the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Game Testing Program.These emails were sent to you by mistake. This was due to an internal error andnot the result of hacking or malware. Please be assured that no personalinformation was compromised. We are sorry for any confusion this may havecaused. Please note that receipt of these e-mails does not affect your chancesto be invited to test the game at a later date. Between now and launch, we will be conducting…
BioWare Founders say “We make the decisions, not EA”
Many fans are critical of BioWare when it comes to certain inadequacies that blame on Electronic Arts. But the founders have a stern message for those doubters- they are still calling the shots on the games they make. “I always chuckle because we are EA, we’re BioWare — we’re both, and we still have huge autonomy in terms of what we do,” co-founder Greg Zeschuk recently told Eurogamer. BioWare founders say they make the decisions, not parent company, EA. They appear passionate about the fact that they still have a direct hand in the games that they are creating. There are some things that have changed, however. “Way, way back, years ago, we didn’t even consider those [commercial elements], we just made stuff,” Zeschuk explains. Point well taken. Back then, the commercial elements also did not matter so much. Video games were not such big business. The market was smaller…
BioWare Opens New Customer Service Center in Ireland
EA announced yesterday that they will be opening a new customer service center, this one in Ireland. EA Senior Vice President Ray Muzyka spoke at the inaugural event in Galway, Ireland said, “MMO launches are complex, and we are determined to set a new standard for a high quality, stable, smooth launch for our fans. Our new BioWare facility and team in Galway is critical to ensuring we deliver on that goal. We’ve got a solid base of people here already in Galway . . . we’re looking for more. From Ireland . . . from the rest of Europe to support our German and French customers . . . from all over the world. We want you to join us here at BioWare Ireland.” This will be a first for BioWare and it can mean big news for the company as well as for European gamers. This will be BioWare’s…
PAX Prime 2011: SWTOR panel
I know we are late with this story, but it has been hard finding decent footage of the SWTOR Panel from Sunday. Luckily Dustin from Guild Vendetta got a recording from the panel were it actually possible to understand what is been said. As we all know lot’s of new interesting stuff was revealed, like the Beta weekend and open battlefields. Thanks to Dustin for sending this over. Check it out below: