Today is the end of an area for Star Wars Galaxies fans. The twilight hours of the MMORPG are falling and later today the winners and losers of the Galactic Civil War will meet their final fate in the games climactic ending. Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) promised to send players off with a bang and today the losers of the war will become part of that bang.
Its been a long run for Star Wars Galaxies and looking back an interesting one as well. The game officially launched in 2003 and was praised for its crafting system and open world building, which admittedly later made things a little cluttered in some areas. But as time wore down the games subscribers, SOE made a controversial move to renew the game experience with the NGE update, which didnt get the reception that they were hoping for. Several years later we stand just days away from the launch of a new Star Wars MMORPG with Star Wars: The Old Republic and the impending demise of Star Wars Galaxies.
Star Wars Galaxies fans that would like to bid farewell to the game should do so today as the final hours are ticking away. The final in-game events are now underway in Nub Shanda, Corellia Coronet, and Naboo Theed for those looking to spend a little time in the game before the lights go out in Star Wars Galaxies for the last time.
Update: SOE has posted a "thank you" message to the Star Wars Galaxies community.
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Star Wars Galaxies Final Events
A Thank You to the Star Wars Galaxies Community
Looking back on Star Wars Galaxies and all these years I am so thankful for being able to be a part of the Star Wars Galaxies community both as the Producer and as a fan. It would not have been the incredible experience that it was without you, the players and fans, the dedicated team of people who worked on it over the years and the fantastic Star Wars® galaxy itself, which offered us a very unique and compelling place to explore, fight, play, make friends, and build our homes.
This is a book of memories, so let me start with a few of my own.
When I was a little boy, my father brought me to the movies to see a new science fiction film that he heard was pretty good. What I remembered most was the feeling of awe I had back then, and still feel to this day. Once I had experienced Star Wars, my life would never be the same again. In May of 2004, I walked into the office at Sony Online Entertainment to start a new job working on a game based on the very same story that had amazed me in my youth. Cool! I was very excited. All I wanted to do then was learn how this thing worked, and I spent the next seven years doing just that. I can say that not a day passed in the development of Star Wars Galaxies where I didn't learn something new. Each day presented different challenges and solving them was always a rewarding accomplishment. It is everyone's hope to find a job that you look forward to each and every day. Being a developer on Star Wars Galaxies was just that kind of job for me.
Star Wars means something different to each of us. That's why we played Star Wars Galaxies. On June 26th, 2003, SOE and LucasArts released Star Wars Galaxies and, for the first time, you could play online with your friends in the Star Wars universe. I was amazed at how much there was to do in the game - player housing, crafting, entertaining, combat, and more. One of the most exciting times for all of us on the team was the launch of the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, which let players fly and battle it out in space in a true 3D simulation. Now we could all truly live out our Star Wars fantasies. It was like being a kid again.
Giving players a chance to live out that Star Wars fantasy has been the best part of the job. Some of my favorite memories include fighting Imperial forces on Hoth in the Battle of Echo Base, seeing those first player-created quests in the Chronicle Master System, fighting the undead in the Death Troopers update and, probably best of all, taking part in invasions and actually getting to make a difference for my faction in the Galactic Civil War.
From my first day to the last, Star Wars Galaxies was, and will always be, a meaningful and memorable part of my life, an experience I'll treasure and share with anyone who wants to hear a good story. It has been an honor to take this journey with you, the community and all of the team members who have made Star Wars Galaxies such an awesome game.
On behalf of the Star Wars Galaxies team, thank you. We have truly enjoyed getting to know you - our dedicated players - over the years. From in-game events to Fan Faires, we appreciate your continued loyalty and support. It would not have been possible without you.
May the Force be with you. Always.
- Tony "Teesquared" Tyson
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