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Friday (Twilight Zone) Update: Alderaan Highlight ...

The rainy weather today in Florida is quite depressing (even though we desperately need it), but I am not sure if it is nearly as depressing as the Friday Update we received today from BioWare. Today’s Friday Update is the Battle for Alderaan Highlight Video in which a group of players confront a Republic war hero-turned-power hungry King who has seized the throne in a misguided bid to protect his people from an impending Sith invasion.  Majority of the footage is the exact same that we saw several weeks ago during E3 with the addition of Dallas Dickinson, Director of Production commentating the video.

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Friday Update: Fan Friday, Developers Blog & ...

This weeks Friday Update brings us Fan Friday featuring the usual fan art, new concept art of Corellia, new forum icons, polls and a Fan Site Spotlight for AskaJedi.com.  Also included in this update is is “What did you enjoy most from our E3 coverage?” which includes awards that Star Wars: The Old Republic received at E3 and a general “recap-of-a-recap” of how E3 went.  Finally, we hear from Ian Ryan, one of the writers at BioWare for Star Wars: The Old Republic in a Developers Blog about what the writing team is doing for this final stage of the game’s development.

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Friday Update: E3 Recap

This week’s Friday Update is a recap of everything shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).  Throughout the week BioWare announced the new Cinematic trailer “Return” from Blur Studios which shows how it all began with the reemergence of the Sith Empire featuring Darth Malgus and Satele Shan.  BioWare also unveiled their version of raids called “Operations” featuring the Eternity Vault which has confirmed difficulty modes and sizes including 2 groups (8-man) at its smallest size.  BioWare has not confirmed the size of the larger sizes, but various screenshots have estimated sizes between (4 groups) 16- and (5 groups) 20-man operations.  At E3 attendees were able to get their hands on the actual game – not a demo of the game.  Attendees could play any of the origin worlds for each of the eight classes, the Taral V Flashpoint, Alderaan Group Content (Ulgo Boss Fight) or explore Tatooine which included the recently announced vehicles (mounts).

There is also TONS of great information from other fan sites and media outlets that have been compiled by a community member on the official www.swtor.com forums: Officially Unofficial E3 2011 Thread

“Return” Intro Cinematic

 

For over a thousand years, the Sith were thought to be extinct after a grave defeat in an ancient war. But a select few survived, fleeing to unknown regions to escape Republic forces. In the centuries since, the Sith have prepared; rebuilding their Empire for the day they would make their return to reclaim what was once theirs and take their revenge on the Republic.

That day has arrived.

Operation: Eternity Vault
Groups of Heroes unite to undertake an epic adventure on Belsavis. View More

Tatooine Developer Walkthrough
Watch gameplay on Tatooine, one of the most iconic worlds in STAR WARS: The Old Republic. View More

The Old Republic Gaming Peripherals
Razer announces a line of premier gaming peripherals designed especially for STAR WARS: The Old Republic! View More

(Video Source: Darthhater.com)

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Friday Update: E3 Details and The Lost Suns Comic

This week’s Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday Update is E3 Details and on The Lost Suns with an interview by Senior Writer and Managing Editor Alexander Freed. As BioWare Austin’s Community Manager Stephen Reid hinted at this morning, there are three updates today about SWTOR. This is all in preparation for the Electronic Entertainment Expo that starts June 6 and expectations are massive on the news coming out of the event.

As part of this week’s Friday update, MMORPG.com interviewed Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller about the Advanced Classes we will see in Star Wars: The Old Republic. He covers abilities from almost every class including the Jedi Knight’s Force Leap, the different stances of the Sith Warrior, the Bounty Hunter’s helpful Kolto Missile, and the Smuggler’s explosive Shrapnel Bomb.

E3 Sneak Peaks

New Cinematic Trailer

You may recall the dramatic cinematic trailers we’ve released at previous E3 shows. First, “Deceived” showed the dark triumph the Sith Empire achieved by sacking Coruscant and destroying the Jedi Temple. Then “Hope” took us back a few years in Old Republic history to the courageous stand made by Republic heroes in the Battle of Alderaan. These are critical points in the history of The Old Republic, but there’s another moment that we’ve yet to share.

Raid Reveal(?) – 8-Man(?)

The planet of Belsavis holds a terrible secret; a secret unknown to both the Empire and Republic for thousands of years. Now, groups of elite heroes must fight to prevent this ancient threat from escaping and causing massive destruction. Prepare yourself for your first encounter with the Eternity Vault.

Raid Reveal(?)

You’ve seen Alderaan’s beautiful vistas; you’ve seen the action-packed Warzone. Now you’ll see a showdown with an army of zealous soldiers, protecting a military general who has seized control of the throne. Removing this usurper is not going to be easy, but someone has to do it…

New Flashpoint(?)

Sandpeople are easily startled, but they’ll come back soon, and in greater numbers… and that might just be the beginning. E3 attendees will get to battle Sandpeople and experience something that’s never been seen before on Tatooine…

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Tin Foil: Release Date Speculation

Revised: June 23, 2011

The million dollar (or 80 million dollar) question looming over Star Wars: The Old Republic is – What is the Release Date?

BioWare announced last year that Spring 2011 was their “target time frame” for the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. I firmly believe this was not the first “target time frame”, but it definitely was the first announced by BioWare. During the first quarter of this year BioWare changed their target time frame to 2011 and then during the most recent Electronic Arts 4Q Earnings (Source: Darthhater.com) call they (and BioWare) announced that the new target was Q2 FY12 or Q3 FY12 with a slight chance that it could slip into CY 2012. That is the official information as it stands now. Star Wars: The Old Republic will release sometime between July 1 and December 31, 2011.

Now it is time to put on your Tin Foil Hat!

BioWare recently updated their Events page on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website with the conventions they will be attending this year which include major shows such as Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), San Diego Comic Con, GamesCon and Penny Arcade Expo (PAX).  There are several other smaller conventions they will be attending as well that can be seen on the Events page.  Using the powers of the Tin Foil Hat I anticipate an official release date of September 27, 2011. Find out how I come to this conclusion…