[...] originally reported on the story back in [...]

[...] special community centric podcast. We are looking for comments and questions regarding the latest news about the release date. Also, if you have any Star Wars: The Old Republic or website related [...]

[...] Segments Hint of Star Wars: The Old Republic Release Date? [...]

spring 2011 then some delays as always with these games .....naw this sucker aint coming out until 2012......

I'm getting more and more optimistic about this release date the more I think about it. We have a year to go and already 9 planets revealed. Could that mean we'll have upwards of at least 20 planets? Going at a steady rate of one planet a month or so, that adds up pretty quick.

Or how about the Beta testing? We've been able to sign up for 3 months now, and we have over a year to go on release. Does that mean we may end up getting the Beta started this summer or fall and have a chance to spend a good 6 months of beta testing to ensure TOR is PERFECT when it comes out? I would love that, since too many MMOs these days use Beta more as a marketing phase than a testing phase, resulting in a bug-ridden launch. TOR could change that.

The possibilities amaze me.

Very happy with the 2011 Release, cant wait to see what it will end up looking like.

Can you imagine the groans in both the BioWare and Lucas Arts marketing departments? A suit on a conference call. Wow.

Hopefully the hype doesnt fade for this game, If BW can keep us interested for another year by dangling them carrots. I don't want the most anticipated game slipping off my radar coz i get bored waiting around.

Will this affect Darth Hater's work? I would not know why, but DH's activity seemed to be pretty strong in the last few months, so i think they planned on an earlier release. Do you plan to keep up doing weekly podcasts and what not for more than an entire year from now on?

Not sure what to feel atm. First of all i'm finally happy that they announced a scheduled period for the release, but i am a bit dissapointed of it beeing another year.
However, Sean did say that they will have alot of surprises for us, and as the year will go by, fans will get even more and more hyped untill the moment of truth :P.
I guess we should also be looking forward to the several events in which they will participate. The last periods before the release is ussually the best, promoting the game more and more.
Untill then i'm looking forward to ME2, DAO: Awakening and several others.
2010 should prove interesting :P

Firstly this is a major disappointment, not so much cause of the date but cause bioware seemed unwilling to let the community know just how far off they expected the launch to be. Forums in 2008 and Beta sign up in 2009 for a game out in 2011? That seems to over hype the product and lead to disappointment.
And this will likely be the case, already a lot of people are saying oh well at least come 2011 the game will be bug free, polished, have lots of content and include space. Yet there is nothing to say that any of these things will be true. And after waiting another year will expectations be too high for the game to achieve?
I also wonder why it took a catch in an FY report to bring to light the release date when there were rumours it would be tied into the novel launch, many sites said October. This suggests a willingness to mislead the community to keep them building hype. And MMO's often require a level of loyalty in both consumer and developer that this doesn't appear to potray. Similar to the NGE days of SWG's where the ToOW expansion promised things that would soon become decorations and release the expansion days before announcing the NGE. And we all know how that turned out.

Well here is what I think. Bioware so far has developed a great relationship with its community and I believe the last thing they want is to disappoint fans after building so much hype in recent weeks. I think they are trying to do safe damage control for a blunder ea's CEO didn't expect would cause controversy especially since the game has developed more hype as time has gone on. Shareholders don't look closely at video games as much as they do profitability

The target launch date is a date they set aside for themselves as a safeguard for the MAXIMUM time they should spend developing the game. In lay mens terms this is the date they set worse case scenario if they stumble upon difficulty or unforseen events and I believe this blunder was an unforseen event. I think they told EA's CEO the latest we are looking for launch is spring 2011. They could release sooner or it could be later but spring 2011 is the goal they have set for themselves it seems.

When we all saw the game footage, I remember most people saying wow it looks like its playable, I didn't expect it to be this far along. Well now we have most of the planets released all the classes revealed. We've seen footage of actors voicing the projects which also means the story lines for each class would have had to be written prior to the questlines otherwise it would be a total misallocation of funding.

We've seen beta testers testing pvp, we've seen the game actually being played so we know the groundwork is already there. I believe the game is currently in a closed beta and they have only taken local people around austin who can play on their local servers so as to prevent unintended security issues.

What we don't know is what species and vehicles are playable but that could be released within a couple months. At this point I would then ask yourself what else is there for them to talk about or update for the next 60 weeks, I can't really see 60 more updates that any of us would find anymore interesting than what we know now. That would be like serving a full course dinner before you served dessert and that's just plain bad marketing. In addition to concerns about time frame I think bioware has more people developing the game than any mmo period and I believe they know EA's ability to keep shareholders and recover loss profits hangs in the balance.

This all brings me back to my final issue. If the game wasn't anywhere near completed why even mention it in a Q3 financial report when its still over a year away frm being released. People say that it doesn't matter if people leave the forums they'll comeback, but I can assure you from a business standpoint bioware wouldn't have released all this awesome information (especially the last four classes) so soon to develop hype and spreading the word only to lose momentum for a game that's not going to be released for another year + a few months. I think they are planning for the worse but the goal is right on target.

And one final thought, everything we've heard and seen so far has given us a range for release this year around spring or summer, book releases, and the graphic novel by darkhorse, bioware couldn't be that far off the mark when the book is suppose to help increase marketing and profits it would be bad thing if their book partners were expecting to turn a profit on these books and stuff. I also remember one of the game designers saying they didn't want to be back at pax next year showing the game again, and I know pax is coming in a few months isn't it?

Anyhow share your comments!!

Its official now: http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1848/26432242.jpg

To be honest I think I can wait, I still need to earn some more money for a better computer, the one I own is almost dead. However I'm a little disappointed, I quit several MMOs just waiting for the games release, and now it’s even longer. Well I suppose I should start up some kind of game then.

But to be honest I saw this coming. Major and most great video games are released later in the fall months, and then late winter/early spring. So this is a perfect time for BW to hit the markets hard (haha I said hard). So that I can start the game up and it'll almost be summer, freeing me a lot of time to play the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DksSPZTZES0

So fitting, for so many!

Bah, Spring'2011 disappoints me. I was all ready to quit all my other games in anticipation of TOR. Hell, I quit WoW back in July in anticipation. Now I have over a year to wait? WAHHHHHHHH!

If we go with averages on everything ( including starting from mid April ), you can figure Open Beta would start about 1 week before: April 8. Open Beta would last about 4 weeks ( they already said that is the ideal length for open ), so it would start March 11. Usually there is about 2 weeks between open and closed beta, so the end of closed would be: Feb 25 ( still in 2011 btw. ) Closed Beta is usually 6 months long, so the beginning of Closed could be around: Aug. 20, 2010...ouchie, we have a ways to go still. Though, this is so rough, I would probably give it a + or - of atleast 2 months.

Sean confirmed Spring 2011 :(

Oh, I surely hope that it comes out this spring. This wait is killing me. It's been a fantastic ride so far, I can only hope this game delivers.

Ohh boy what a shame. Was hoping for 2010, but doesn't sound too good with that prediction. At least they have a chance to really make it good before launch.

I would have guessed they where closer to a launch, after alle the stuff we have seen. Looks like a almost ready game.

Oh come on people. You forget about the game now but you will return to it when it's going to be released if you're a gamer. Let them take their time, all MMOs have been released unfinished, it's nice if Bioware could change the trend.

The same guy said that the BW/LA mmo was Star Wars months before they announced it was star wars. You can probably take this as accurate news, besides all the ' information ' we been getting on the game points towards such a release date as well

Here's hoping this is miscommunication or some such. Theres nothing cheerful about a 2011 release date, for me. Sure I want polish and all that... but 2 or 3 years is too long to sit around on a forum in my opinion. Would've been better to announce the game later or withold the website for a year... lets hope I'm overreacting.

That date is a little dissapointing in my book. From the sounds of things i was expecting Q4 this year. A man can dream tho. A man can dream. Looks like im stuck in wow for another year QQ

"spring 2011" fiscal: ~March/April 2010
"spring 2011" calendar: ~March/April 2011

2010 Fiscal Year: April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010
2011 Fiscal Year: April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011
2012 Fiscal Year: April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012

"But given the volatility of this particular sector, and the fact that we haven’t yet provided a specific launch date, at least for now, we’re excluding the revenue from our FY’11 plan for guidance."

Technically Spring starts mid/late-March so they may be excluding the revenue because the game's release could be pushed back to sometime after March 31, 2011 which would mean they're now in fiscal year 2012. He seems to hint at the fact that release dates get pushed back in the MMO world by "the volatility of this particular sector, and the fact that we haven't yet provided a specific launch date." So they're planning for any revenue from SWTOR to most likely be during the fiscal year 2012, even though it's possible the game gets released during fiscal year 2011 (March 2011).

*Edit* Sorry, I forgot to add that if you take it to mean the game will be released in the spring of 2010 it seems odd that he would not consider the revenue for the Fiscal Year 2011. Spring of 2010 is the beginning of fiscal year 2011 so it would mean the game would have to be pushed back (literally) an entire year for them to not see revenue from SWTOR in fiscal year 2011.

Ok, 2011 is a good possibility then :) Good to know! And with the rate of info we're getting at the moment, this absolutely is a great guess for a release date.

Furthermore, I always rather have a good and polished game than some rushed product *coughcoughstocoughcough*

So when exactly is the FY for 2011 start and end?

I think EA's CEO went to BioWare and said, "When can we expect this?" BioWare said, "Some time in FY 2011." He said, "great."

From, there...He guessed. As a person who is FINRA registered series 7, 63, and 65 and works with accounting; I can tell you, there is no reason to defer revenue expected to be earned in FY 2011 to FY 2012 unless you actually expect to make revenue in FY 2011 but, aren't 100% sure. Clearly he expects TOR to be released in FY 2011, he just doesn't know when and it may get pushed back. So, as a businessman, he's not counting all his chickens before they hatched.

Let me explain. If he took BioWare at there word when they said, "Sometime in FY 2011." And, he includes their revenue predictions for TOR in EA's FY 2011's fiscal forecast, he is setting the company up for failure on wall street. Because, the Street is going to expect them to live up to those expectations. if TOR isn't launched in FY 2011, EA will fall well short of the Street's projections and they'll get hammered on the NASDAQ. And as a former and possible future stockholder of ERTS, I can tell you from personal experience. Stockholders get real funny about our stocks tanking in the market. So do Board of Directors. Its much better to under promise and over deliver than it is the other way around.

So what does he do? When asked about it, he gives a vague answer that sounds all nice and rosey but, really says nothing. Thus, as a CEO in corporate America, he has practiced CYA.

Thanks DarthHater! I have to get in the habit of checking this site more often, you guys always have the best and most timely info!

I'm not that worried about the maybe/semi-release date being that far off, MMORPGs take a long time to develop and a longer beta-test means more time to polish. How long was WoW's beta afterall?

If anyone is disappointing because they seriously thought the game was going to be released this summer, please take your head out of the sand. This announcement doesn't really change much in my mind. Testing hasn't started, beta is nowhere in sight, there is a ton of information yet to be revealed, and the game has clearly been on path for something that launches next winter at the very earliest.

Welllll. I am a little disappointed. I thought (as most did) that it would be released sometime around now, give a few months. Also, why would they put applications out for closed beta more than a year before it would possibly be out.
AS some have said, the game has brought alot of attention, but things are going downhill rapidly. I know of a few people that have lost interest already.

If Cataclysm, (whether it is going to be good or not) is released around the same time as TOR, then it is likely to draw supporters from the TOR community, and hopefully BW knows this.

Bah i don't even know what i'm rambling on about any more. The Point is is, is that if it is released next year, it isn't going to be as much of a success and for BW, that means they aren't going to make as much money. :|

Fiscal '11 sounds about right considering this is a guy who probably keeps a stash of cash in a burlap bag with dollar signs on it sitting around just because he can..... money men think in money terms. I dont think he would make a point to mention an IP that will not be showing up on paper until calander '12.
Fiscal Spring '11 release = april-may-june 2010 release
Calandar '11 release after march = Fiscal 2012 release

I'll wait till I hear something official from BioWare. Every time I've seen Riccitiello speak(E3 coverage mainly,) he's always come off as the used car salesman type. I just don't trust anything out of his mouth until it actually comes to fruition. I don't even hate EA like most people do. It's just him, he just irks me for some reason. He reminds me of the Arcade owner that Wayne interviews in Wayne's World 2. You know the one I'm talking about, the one where On the back of his question cards Wayne wrote, "This guy is a sphincter!" He reminds me of that.

P.S. Interesting side note. I'm glad I sold my shares of ERTS last month, they must''ve got hit hard today.

I personally think this is and can be good news.. If anything and EA is going by their FY report.. then that would place TOR on the shelf by the summer.. which up till now has been tied with everything else we currently know. In theory, since this is all just speculation anyway, and BW hasn't come out and said NO.. we should say YIPPIEE.. sooner then later! But on the flip side they can totally twist that comment to mean either this year or next.... "ooops what we really meant was...."

At this point any news is hype for the company.. good or bad. It has people talking. Personally I am still sticking with my Summer / Fall release until otherwise told. Hold fast my friends.... hold fast....

You need to warn readers that this information is depressing, Darth Hater ... :P

I was already wondering why they announced the game so early (late 2008) ... but this makes it seem even more crazy. Couldn't they have waited so that we didn't need to be so tortured?

I’ll wait no matter what year they release in; 2010, 2011, 2012 no probs (although in 2012 I’ll be buying a limousine and small aeroplane rather than paying for an MMO).

However, my two confusing thoughts are the fact that game testing applications (some sort of closed beta I guess) have been taken end of 2009 which seems very early if the game is not due until a northern Spring 2011 – well over a year to put it out there.

Add this together with a book release for July 27, 2010 – a normal trend seen in the past is the games launch tied in around the book release date. So, I was kinda expecting an August 2010 release for some reason with testing early in March/April 2010.

I’d say a BioWare statement would be in order of some description – official forum is a buzz of activity! Interesting news...

All you tools complaining about this is exactly why they do not tell us when they do not have a concrete date. They have not nor do they ever want to promise us something that they cannot deliver.

This has been their stance since day 1. All of you are upset because YOU thought it should come out at a certain time.

3 Guesses as to when Blizzard is going to release Cataclysm.

The two dates given don't match, when taken into context with each other. Spring 2011 is all well and good, but to then speak of reference to FY2011 guidance brings it to 2010, not 2011.

Spring 2011 begins March 21st, 2011, which is 10 days until FY2012 for EA.

So unless it's released between March 21st and March 31st, 2011, they would have to be speaking about guidance for FY2012 in relation to the Spring 2011 release.

It's confusing, but if they mention guidance for FY2011 and about not including it, that means Spring of 2010 (April-July)

It's just speculation, but it's fact that both dates listed in the quote don't fit together.

Well you don't refer to fiscal timeframes in terms of "spring". So this looks like the target date... which will probably slip yet further. Sigh.

This is no shocker and a good decision for BioWare management to overlook what is the best tentative schedule to make sure everything is developed, more additions to the game, more whatever, and then the beta testing for a couple months. I am hoping that this extra time, whatever the release date maybe, will ensure that the updates will be solid and fluid to where the game is super playable. I believe there is a lot to uncover and the bloggers and fans out there are excited to see this unfold like a giant puzzle waiting to be glued together to be what it shall be.

On the bright side, I'm graduating this year and this will make a positive note that I'll be able to work full time and make huge investments before the game comes out. For now, I'm enjoying Sado's leet skills and tetris to abide some time. Maybe, just maybe, I'll start some clan at my college to enjoy some competition at my local internet cafe stores to poon some people once more. :)

3 DH Team

-Macer

The one good that may come of this (from our perspective) is to pressure Bioware to give us their speculated release date to address this fiasco.

*watches Bioware for their reaction

..... I might forget about this game by that time.*disappointed*

EA is currently in Fiscal Year 2010 which is March 2009 to March 2010. FY 2011 is March 2010 to March 2011.

That actually sounds really good to me. It may look super polished and playable now, but for the amount of content they are planning, they need a hell of a lot more time than what they've already had. I mean, they have 8 planets full of content(environments, quests, pvp areas, cities, transportation, etc.) to design, plus however many more unannounced, plus maybe space, plus any other surprises about the game we don't know yet. That is A LOT of stuff to have done by this year. If they want to put out a complete polished game. 2011 is fine by me if it means they put out a complete, polished game that I can play for years and years.

Don't tell my wife. Tax returns is buying me a new computer for this game in a couple of months.

Guess I will just have to upgrade again next year. /hi5

Agreed, but then again I believe a large majority of the ToR community believe it will be released around the 2010 Holiday's. A spring 2011 release would be just a few month's past, the believed, release date. (My .02)

I was hoping it would be a little bit sooner than that.

fffffffffffuuuuuu