LUCASARTS ANNOUNCES STAR WARSÒ GALAXIESÔ: AN EMPIRE DIVIDEDÔ AS FIRST PRODUCT NAME FOR ONLINE GAME SERIES
Game's Highly Anticipated Beta Test Program Slated to Begin July 15
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- May 20, 2002 -- LucasArts Entertainment
Company LLC today announced Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided as the name of the eagerly awaited first installment in the Star Wars Galaxies brand of massively multiplayer online game products. Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, developed in conjunction with Sony Online Entertainment, is expected to release December 2002.
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided will immerse players in a persistent online recreation of the Star Wars universe, as portrayed in the classic Star Wars film trilogy. Players will be able to participate in the civil war, the legendary battle between the courageous Rebel Alliance and the oppressive Galactic Empire.
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided has been in development for more than two years and has already built a community of over 125,000 fans through the official web site www.starwarsgalaxies.com. The beta test program, which will allow many of the site's community members to experience the game for the first time, is scheduled to begin July 15, 2002.
"An Empire Divided so perfectly captures the essence of what the first product is all about," says Haden Blackman, producer of Star Wars Galaxies for LucasArts. "Whether a player chooses to become a Rebel or Imperial soldier, or remain neutral, the dramatic conflict that serves as the backdrop for the game will have an impact on their character."
"For many fans, the battle between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance is the very definition of Star Wars," adds Rich Vogel, executive producer for Sony Online Entertainment. "We wanted to recreate that epic era in the Star Wars timeline and provide players with a true sense of what it would be like to experience the civil war first-hand."
Players enter the online universe as one of eight well-known Star Wars species to explore more than 10 fully realized planets. Once in the universe players will be given a wide range of character choices ranging from soldier to bounty hunter, smuggler or merchant, among others. They also will be able to build droids, form cities or band together to battle common enemies.
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided will be followed by an as-yet-unnamed space expansion in late 2003. The expansion will allow players to own and fly various Star Wars starships to expand the galactic conflict into space.
The Star Wars Galaxies game series is being developed by Sony Online Entertainment, and will be distributed and sold at retail by LucasArts and available for play exclusively online at The Station, www.station.com.
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