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Star Wars: Galaxies signing off Dec. 15

LucasArts, Sony Online Entertainment pulling plug on long-running Star Wars-themed MMORPG by the end of the year; trading card games also being taken offline.

When LucasArts formally announced Star Wars: The Old Republic in October 2008, it said its already-extant massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Star Wars: Galaxies, would continue. However, with the former game confirmed for launch later this year, the elder MMORPG's number is finally up.

As of December 15, Wookiee speeder-bike accidents are expected to drop off rapidly.

According to a statement on the official website for Star Wars: Galaxies, the game's last day of operation will be December 15, 2011. The shutdown will include both the main game and its ancillary card-trading titles, according to Galaxies' operator, Sony Online Entertainment.

"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," the companies said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful to all of the SWG fans. 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."

Star Wars: Galaxies launched in July 2003 to warm reviews. However, the game came under criticism from players in 2005 following some unpopular "New Game Enhancements," forcing SOE to backtrack from the changes. In September 2009, the game reflected a drop in its subscriber base by reducing its number of servers by nearly half.

For more on Star Wars: Galaxies, read GameSpot's review of the game.

220 Comments

  • CarlitosWay

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 8:34 pm PT

    @Diebye

    Care to pm me a link to sign up again to the new server? When i joined, i had the beta server and didnt get to do much. Thanks in advanced.

  • dg3215

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 8:06 pm PT

    The guy that gave this review was one of my favorite reviewers for this site.
    I love how a lot of people have always bashed this game, and that it was always better before an update. Having played this game since launch it was ok until the nge update. But, it has been dying since then and it was never as great as people seem to remember.

    I also find it funny that so many people have shown up on TORs forums since the announcement of cancellation bashing tor. I am sorry but tor is much better than this game could ever hope to have been. If you deny that your just not living in the real world. Had this game launched now even in its original form people would run from this game faster than AoC, WAR and DCU combined.

  • woody4077

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 6:30 pm PT

    /jumps on bandwagon

    i too played SWG and had all the content, but like many others i jumped ship after the CU. the game was great and so were the players, it has something i wish blizz would add to WOW; player housing.

    if theres one suggestion i'd make to SOE its this do the following make SWG free to play and activate all accounts even ones of former players;
    it would definately get me to play it before they shut it down.

  • Diebye

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 6:16 pm PT

    @CarlitosWay

    SwgEmu has been up for a while but they just released an official server, so no more having to play on a beta server waiting for your characters to get wiped. And as for the game... its pretty damn good, all the fun parts of launch without the crippling bugs. I'd say the only downside is the fact that because there is only one server any and all the noobie areas that have quick respawns are perma camped by script bots so you getting the basic skills takes a while.

  • bignick217

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 4:06 pm PT

    If they really want to show the gamers how much they care... If they're not longer going to support the game, then release the server software to the public domain so the gamers themselves can keep the game alive. Then people who still want to play, can play, rather than having a several hundred pound paperweight they can no longer play.

  • oofey

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 3:41 pm PT

    my 1st mmo, rip swg (pre-cu/pre-nge)
    great game, great community

    "get on bard the falcon kid, this place is gonna blow" HAUAHUAHAHUA

  • ulvemann

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 1:01 pm PT

    Forever gratefull that i got to be with you when you shined so bright! RIP SWG

  • Yod-a

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 12:40 pm PT

    I've played this game off and on for almost 7 years. It's truly one of the most unique MMO's out there. With a completely player driven economy and player created cities, no other MMO let you immerse yourself in a world quite so well. R.I.P SWG and R.I.P Slace, Elder Jedi - Shadowfire

  • skitchrick

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 11:59 am PT

    I quit after the NGE. I really miss the (old) game.

  • CarlitosWay

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 11:20 am PT

    @cchris1109

    While the thought and process of SWGEmu has been up for 5 years, the actual game was only opened recently. Its still incomplete, from what i hear. There are a lot of missing pieces, but it brings back the biggest part of the SWG experience back. Im considering bringing it back up.

  • c_rakk

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 10:56 am PT

    Execute order... 66.

  • xXDrPainXx

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 10:16 am PT

    It was a fun ride and a sad day since this will be the last true sandbox MMO out there.

  • Neogenic

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 10:16 am PT

    I can still remember the first period in which the vehicles were first released. The lag would set you back dozens of metres on your journey every 10 seconds or so. It was very annoying then, but seems kind of funny now.

    Just missing a shuttle ride (pre JTL) was also annoying back then, but then again it did give you an opportunity to meet new players and get yourself buffed.

  • absinthewfaust

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 9:46 am PT

    I'll miss beta and pre CU. Very fond memories and forged friendships that will last the rest of my life.

  • nosferatu94

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 8:37 am PT

    goodbye swg, i will miss my short stay in ur awesome universe. and i will miss the time i married a hot-ass player character... she was fun.

  • Solace427

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 8:30 am PT

    I never played SWG but rest in piece and my condolences to all those who were dedicated to this MMO.

    I would only thing that this is being done so that the focus is on TOR and they aren't for managing a hoard of servers for two MMOs. Either way it seems like a classic case of "Out with the old, in with the new."

  • J4m3sR4n0r72

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 8:05 am PT

    @enderw

    The Old Republic has a story and Star Wars Galaxies did not. That's your difference.

  • boomshot-fodder

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 4:57 am PT

    Do you think there will be a grand finale, like when The Matrix Online was closed?

  • bonander

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 4:36 am PT

    Goodbye, SWG. You were my first MMO and I will never forget you. I might have still been playing today if it wasn't for the NGE and CU. To this day, I still miss my Teras Kasi Master/Bounty Hunter/Smuggler character. SWG had such a fun character developement scheme before it got raped by the NGE/CU.

  • novak2k6

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 2:07 am PT

    RIP Galaxies.. the first 6 months was pure awesome. The great times of city pvp battles and the op rancor and at-st's. The memorable flame thrower, or chilling in the cantina. MMO uniqueness of trade/factory industry and hunting players as bounty hunter. A lot of good ideas ripped apart after 6 months when the changes dropped...the devs didn't seem to know how to release Jedi into the game. Quit halfway through the rediculous holocron grind only to find out NGE backhanded us all at the end when I returned to try it. I'll still keep my CE though.. maybe the artbook and unopened goodies will be worth something in 50 years.

  • cchris1109

    Posted Jun 27, 2011 12:17 am PT

    do not know what the fuss is all about, i play pre cu swg from swgemu.com

    check it out guys, been around for like 5 years.

  • Dynamo11

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 11:10 pm PT

    Galaxies remains my favourite MMO of all time. Not even TOR could come close

  • Iffy350

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 10:03 pm PT

    Thank non-god! It should have been taken offline a year ago.

  • CarlitosWay

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 9:38 pm PT

    Definitely didnt believe my eyes when i read the title. I knew this was going to happen, however this only confirms something even more important. More than likely, TOR will not be released until the spring of next year. Lucas Arts will give SWG players time to save up and forget about SWG so they can run to TOR.

    As it has been said many times, RIP SWG. You have taken many countless hours of my life, and i am eternally grateful for it. I will never trust a SOE game after what they did with the NGE. To be honest, i wasnt phased by the Combat Upgrades. What killed me was the NGE.

  • JeffreyCor

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 9:17 pm PT

    It was dead when NGE went live. Turned the best MMO ever into junk. It just took this long for Sony to figure it out.

  • Suisfonia

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 8:57 pm PT

    @Frosty192

    We wish, but that'll never happen Frosty not to mention that the Pre-NGE players would rather have the Pre-CU (or Pre-NGE) SWG to play.

    Plus Smedly already stated somewhere that he will 'not' release the source code for anyone to use... of course, him saying that they didn't have a backup when they rammed the NGE through was complete BS...

  • Frosty192

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 7:05 pm PT

    This is why after a game shutdown they should give the players an option to host dedicated servers so the people that want to keep playing can.

  • Suisfonia

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 7:03 pm PT

    RIP SWG. Maybe if Smedly hadn't been so greedy and rammed down the New Grade School Enhancement along with the combat upgrades, it would still be around and flurishing. Not listening to your customers and then still ramming through the major patch even when the server you tested it on spoke of how stupid it was.

  • philonious_matt

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 6:00 pm PT

    RIP SWG... The release-version of SWG was THE best MMORPG ever made. (Well, it was my first MMOG, so I may be biased! ;D) MMOG developers need to take note of the potential of having a sandbox style MMOG environment, a powerful crafting economy, and an intricately complex hybridized class system... all these things made SWG teeter on the cusp of perfection.

  • Poodger

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 5:35 pm PT

    @ Pyerun

    So let me get this straight. You give Lord of the Rings online a 9.0 (according to your profile), but call MMO players silly? You sound a bit hypocritical to me. And you also seem to have a fancy for Bioware games according to your game list ratings. It would seem odd that you hate TOR so much when it is both an MMO (which you rated highly) and has a ton of elements from games you like (Dragon Age, Mass Effect).

    Even sillier is that you liked Brutal Legend, and yet said MMO games get boring after 1 month. Brutal Legends got boring after 8 hours, and it was beatable in about 15 hours. At least MMO games can last hundreds upon hundreds of hours. You just seem to have silly opinions that are not based on fact at all.

  • Poodger

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 5:25 pm PT

    @ ACMC85

    There are never really that many expansions for these things. Look at WoW. It only has 3 expansion out right now, and each expansion doesn't even cost 50-60 bucks. Not only that, but the expansions add hundreds of hours of content - essentially an entire brand new game. Compare this to a 60 dollar blockbuster hit on a console that can be beaten in 7 hours. THAT is the true rip-off.

    So expansions are never money sinkers, contrary to what you said. And since a $15 a month subscription only costs 50 cents a day to play, that isn't a money sinker either, since anyone with an income can easily pay that.

  • Superzone

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 4:27 pm PT

    I want Battlefront III

  • demoneyes4

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 4:04 pm PT

    I absolutely loved this game...when it first came out. I worked hard at getting my master fencer, master marksman and master medic. Then I got a visit from the "mysterious old man" and was grinding xp for what seemed like an eternity to get my jedi. It was an incredible system because you actually had to earn your jedi. Was it tedious, yeah, was it hard? Hell yeah. Was it worth it? F%ckin A right it was. Unlocking my Jedi is still one of my favorite gaming achievements and experiences. RIP SWG,pre-NGE you will always be missed.

  • Pyerun posted Jun 26, 2011 3:42 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Pyerun

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 3:42 pm PT (hide)

    This game was never any good, even before NGE, it was a piece of junk. TOR is going to be just as bad. It is just like WAR, you'll like it for a month, then quit in a rage, while waiting a year to play. MMO players are silly.

  • airshocker

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 3:30 pm PT

    Goodbye, SWG. Perhaps if you had listened to the player-base more, SOE, this wouldn't have happened.

  • enderw

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 3:29 pm PT

    How is the repetitiveness of this game gonna be any different than TOR?

  • Bamul

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 3:16 pm PT

    @JaxxRaxor

    Of course. After all, they are a huge corporation who want only our money. However, I didn't say that it had to make sense and neither did I say it was a good idea for them. I think it would be a good idea for us - gamers. But I never said it would happen.

  • Shantmaster_K

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 2:09 pm PT

    i think this is a good idea. once the old republic comes out no one would play this

  • JaxxRaxor

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 2:06 pm PT

    @Bamul Doesn't make sense to do so if they are planning on shutting the game down. Might as well take money from the few people who are still playing the game.

  • jrjcobra

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 2:01 pm PT

    Wow I hope lucas arts goes outta buisness what once was an awesome company is now a pile of rubbish.

  • Bamul

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 1:57 pm PT

    To be honest, I think they should make it free-to-play for the last few months. This would bring back all the old fans so that they could recall good/bad memories they've had with the game, and get even more people excited about The Old Republic. Who agrees with me on this?

  • ACMC85

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 1:55 pm PT

    @Poodger

    Is it worth $`15 a month though on top of buying all the expansions. I haven't found the right MMO for me and DCU really tops out fast.

  • BigDawgSteve420

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 1:50 pm PT

    Well that sucks but its long overdue really. Played this game and had a blast with it when it first came out, but then they went and completely shat on it with the New Game Enhancement. I didn't even bother with the expansions after that. Hopefully The Old Republic redeems the Star Wars MMO franchise.

  • Poodger

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 1:24 pm PT

    At $15 month, the cost of playing per day is 50 cents. Anyone who has a job and an income, even at minimum wage, only needs to work less than 5 minutes a day to pay for that day's worth of gaming in an MMO. That is not very much at all.

    Plain and simple: If you have a job, you should be able to more than afford $15 a month.

  • holtrocks

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 12:34 pm PT

    The Old Republic will be a much better game and one i might consider paying the 15 bucks a month for just takes away your whole life lol.

  • JaxxRaxor

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 11:56 am PT

    I'm surprised that they aren't going Microtransation/Free to Play like how many MMOs are going, but I guess they have been losing a lot of money and LucasArts is hopeful that The Old Republic will take back many of the people who left Galaxies.

  • L1D3N

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 11:48 am PT

    I'm sure they haven't made money on STG in like forever. Bad business to keep a MMO around that's just a leach on your company. I guess they don't mind losing money for years...
    What great business sense to finally pull the plug after so many years of a fantastic money making Juggernaut of an MMO just like WoW! /sarcasm

  • 24k_Solid_Gold

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 11:18 am PT

    Rest In Peace Star Wars: Galaxies, although I never played you, I'm sure you were a home for thousands of players around the world.

  • Norwegicus

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 10:59 am PT

    Hah. They pulled the plug on that game when they completely ruined it.
    This was just like putting down a badly wounded dog.
    Mercy killing.

  • GreenMan

    Posted Jun 26, 2011 10:28 am PT

    @jablob22

    Not necessarily. Remember that running the game has high operational costs including servers, support staff and a development team to keep the game updated. If the number of active subscribers is not enough to make it turn a decent profit, particularly given that the upcoming SWTOR release will probably see a lot of people jumping ship, then it would make financial sense to redirect those resources elsewhere.

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