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A Massive BioWare Logo Approaches! Star Wars: Galaxies Shutting Down

A "galaxy-ending in-game event" to signal the MMO's end.

Galaxies, a game only a mother could love.
Galaxies, a game only a mother could love.

With Star Wars: The Old Republic maybe, possibly coming sometime later this year or earlier next year (or not?), it's not much of a surprise that LucasArts would consider winding down its last attempt at a massively multiplayer Star Wars. As of December 15, Star Wars: Galaxies will no longer exist.

"The shutdown of SWG is a very difficult decision, but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is the appropriate time to end the game," said the companies in a statement.

Galaxies won't just flicker into the dark, though, with the promise of a "galaxy-ending in-game event" bringing about the conclusion of the adventure. I should start power leveling immediately.

I'm imagining a giant BioWare logo that, when touched, activates an in-game browser to pre-order The Old Republic. All (some) joking aside, apparently people are still playing Galaxies.

"We are extremely grateful to all of the SWG fans," continued the statement. "We have had the rare opportunity to host one of the most dedicated and passionate online gaming communities and we truly appreciate the support we’ve received from each and every one of you over the course of the past eight years."

Galaxies never managed to achieve its potential, with the game getting several makeovers in an attempt to make the game more palatable to the audience. Unfortunately, it just never clicked.

ghostchanton June 24, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

I thought it was already down.

Animasta is online on June 24, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

not like this

Cheesimuson June 24, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

ooh bye bye galaxies

Bassman2112on June 24, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

@Laketown said:

not like this

My first thought, exactly...

Delphyeon June 24, 2011 at 1:31 p.m.

Its about damn time.

UlquioKanion June 24, 2011 at 1:31 p.m.
cant wait
Morningstaron June 24, 2011 at 1:31 p.m.

GB should do a piece on the galaxy-ending in-game event ^^

amomjcon June 24, 2011 at 1:34 p.m.

As much as I use to love SWG before the destroyed it with their retardation, I am glad to see it finally rest. What it turned into is an insult to what is what before, a niche MMO that catered ultimately to the social and adventurous.

/salute to the old SWG, not the new POS.

RIDEBIRDon June 24, 2011 at 1:34 p.m.

Finally. I played for a year til NGE came, and I actually liked it quite a lot. It was my first MMO, and I had so many good times with it. Hunting, meeting new people and building towns was pretty damn great.

Then WoW came and was like 300000 times better, but I still missed the scale and freedom of SWG. It's sad to see it die like this though, they should've killed it off a few years ago.

tourgenon June 24, 2011 at 1:34 p.m.

SOE runs another one into the ground.

Sootyon June 24, 2011 at 1:34 p.m.
Who wants to bet TOR will suffer the same fate by 2014-15 or go free to play? 
 
At least that's the impression I get from the game so far, looks shitty.
Kombaton June 24, 2011 at 1:36 p.m.

The first iteration of Star Wars Galaxies was the best one, with a set of incredibly deep combat and crafting systems. It went through some needless "updating" though, but it was great the way it was before. It wasn't World of Warcraft, but no game back then was.

Toxin066on June 24, 2011 at 1:37 p.m.

"I have a bad feeling about this" or "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened," should be the new "not like this."

Citizengameron June 24, 2011 at 1:37 p.m.

Can we get a Giant Bomb look at the end, just like with the Matrix Online?

ZeForgottenon June 24, 2011 at 1:38 p.m.

Star Wars Galaxies shut down many many years ago. What's left of it is not something worthy of the Galaxies name

Kenshinon June 24, 2011 at 1:38 p.m.

Oh hey! That's me killing that effin' Rancor! Well, SWG had it's time. "Its time" just happened to be 6 years ago and it's been living the past half decade now as a hollow shell of its former self. BUT WHATEVS - here's to TOR doing what SWG failed to do.

rmanthorpon June 24, 2011 at 1:38 p.m.

Incoming torrent of ToR hating without any facts or previous experiences... -sigh-

Doctor3vi1on June 24, 2011 at 1:39 p.m.
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened....
autobzootyon June 24, 2011 at 1:39 p.m.

SWG has its share of issues, but at least it's set in the part of Star Wars that was actually good. You tell me you've made an MMO based on the prequel trilogy and you've already failed in my eyes.

OrfBCon June 24, 2011 at 1:40 p.m.

I think it would be nice if an MMO would have a happy ending, rather than a galaxy-ending disaster. They all seem to go for that when they shut down. Everyone dies. Game over. Why not something more upbeat?

Dig Deeper into Star Wars: Galaxies - An Empire Divided

A massively multiplayer game set in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars: Galaxies shifted focus several times but never escaped the shadow of World of Warcraft. In December 2011, the game was shut down in preparation for the launch of BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO.

US Release Date: June 26, 2003

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