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[sonycowboy]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=new&aid=4049

Rob Fahey 14:40 25/08/2004

Fully localised version of SOE's MMORPG heads to the Far East

Publisher Electronic Arts' Japanese division has entered into an agreement with LucasArts which will see it launching the firm's massively multiplayer PC title Star Wars Galaxies in Japan this December.

LucasArts is set to fully localise the game for the Japanese market, while EA Japan will be handling all the operations of the title in that territory, including hosting and customer support.

The game, which was operated in North America by EverQuest publishers Sony Online Entertainment, will be shipped in Japan along with the Jump To Lightspeed expansion pack, in a move similar to Square Enix' decision to bundle existing expansion packs for free with Final Fantasy XI when it launched overseas.

The Jump To Lightspeed expansion adds space exploration to the game and will allow players to own their own ships; it is expected to arrive in North America this October.

 

[Docpan]

BIG mistake.

 

[DJ Demon J]

BIG mistake.

How so?

 

[djtiesto]

Star Wars is (unfortunately) actually very popular in Japan... I've seen quite a few manga of it at my local comic shop...

 

[ManDudeChild]

How so?

Gonna go out on a limb and assume you've yet to play SWG.

 

[The Bookerman]

How so?

It's a freakin bore fest.

I was in the Beta, and god the skill system was a mess.


took me 2 weeks to figure out on how to turn my character into a bounty hunter.

 

[nubbe]

I think SWG can do quite well in Japan

 

[DJ Demon J]

Gonna go out on a limb and assume you've yet to play SWG.

I have played SWG, for 6 months (even grinded the horrible 1st Jedi system before the revamp). While it had some problems, overall I thought it was an amazing step forward compared to most other MMORPGs I've played. The sheer amount of activities available to a player were incredible. Only WoW has met that level of interactivity from the MMORPGs I've played since (FFXI, Lineage II, CoH). Not perfect by any means, but not as horrible as you imply. The recent improvements I've read about (combat revamp, etc)and the JTL expansion should help make it even better.

 

[Claus]

Everyone of them will be a Jedi within a week of getting the game.

 

[Gattsu25]

same servers as the english folk?

if so, not a good idea...japanophiles' dreams will be crushed when they discover how elitist most japanese players are