Bioware has officially announced that March 1st will mark the launch date of Star Wars: The Old Republic in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Star Wars: The Old Republic will be available in both Standard and Digital Deluxe editions. The Standard Edition will retail for $79.99 AUD / $89.99 NZD / $389.00 HKD / $64.00 SGD and the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game, an Origin.com exclusive, will retail for $89.99 AUD / $99.99 NZD / $465.00 HKD / $76.90 SGD. 30 days of game time will be included with every version of the game, and after that time players will be able to continue playing the game by paying a monthly subscription, or by purchasing a 60-Day Pre-Paid Game Time Card

Read the full announcement on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.

soon asia will matter again!

Now on to the suckers on the other side of the world :)

I don't think the gold farmers are too interested in it tbh.

Bioware better have drastically increased the amount of exp needed to level up from the NA version otherwise gamers in Hong Kong and Singapore will finish the core game in about a week.   

Welp scratch what I said about sub numbers dropping in 2nd qtr report. They will see a rise in numbers now

Originally posted by Puremallace

Welp scratch what I said about sub numbers dropping in 2nd qtr report. They will see a rise in numbers now

timing.

Nice strategy to buff sub-numbers.

There go my predictions of retention.

We will never find out how this game does when they keep releasing it for separate regions every 3 months and count boxes sold.

The new way to perpetuate an MMO?

A rushed launch in the East to subsidise rapidly declining numbers in the West.

Seems they're relying on box sales to recoup their investment rather than longer term subs. A wise decision probably.

you realize this is Australia, HK, Sing, New Zealand and the Islands. A total demographic of maybe 80 million at most.

2 million sales from NA and EU with a demo of 700 million...1/350 ratio. Even at that ratio, which it wont be, would still net a max of 150-200k sales. Mainland China operates under a whole different set of rules.

Originally posted by jacklo

A rushed launch in the East to subsidise rapidly declining numbers in the West.

Seems they're relying on box sales to recoup their investment rather than longer term subs. A wise decision probably.

It's hardly rushed, they have been planning it since long before launch and have said so all along the way. Besides, it's not a propers asian release but rather more for AUS/NZ and a couple of nearby countries on the other continent.

Originally posted by Kabaal

Originally posted by jacklo

A rushed launch in the East to subsidise rapidly declining numbers in the West.

Seems they're relying on box sales to recoup their investment rather than longer term subs. A wise decision probably.

It's hardly rushed, they have been planning it since long before launch and have said so all along the way. Besides, it's not a propers asian release but rather more for AUS/NZ and a couple of nearby countries on the other continent.

My bad, I read it as Asia knowing full well this won't appeal to the Asian audience as it stands.

most australian players that wanted to play imported the game... i was one of those, i unsubbed 2 days ago before my sub period resubs on the 20th... yes i was in headstart and was playing on launch, might check it out on localized servers for lulz just to see what my latency is, but honestly a week and a half in level 50 (and i work and have a family) nothing todo after that, leveling alts became trivial and overly repetetive so the game didnt offer me much to keep me around...

completed ev nightmare 4/5

kraggas full clear HM after new bosses and first 2 done in nightmare, then guild got bored n stopped playing

should be interesting to see my latency though.. being sub 100ms would be pretty badass for once

Great move :D glad seing SWTOR expanding, love the game keep improving it, can´t wait till march :D

Decline in the west?

Almost 2 mill subs and raising?

Second Major patch in March? Fixing Bugs every week, great content, great levleing, great operations.

Main opponent keep losing subs, and the shit will get real when annual pass is over...

Originally posted by oblakoff

Decline in the west?

Almost 2 mill subs and raising?

Second Major patch in March? Fixing Bugs every week, great content, great levleing, great operations.

Main opponent keep losing subs, and the shit will get real when annual pass is over...

 

I really like the game, but that said...I want some of whatever you are smoking.  Mainly in regards to the "Almost 2 million subs and rising" comment.  Rising?  Really?  I wish my server hadn't lost nearly half its population, and was rising.  I'm going to have to start a new toon on a new server to play with people again.

Originally posted by AdamTM

Nice strategy to buff sub-numbers.

There go my predictions of retention.

We will never find out how this game does when they keep releasing it for separate regions every 3 months and count boxes sold.

The new way to perpetuate an MMO?

Wow, stop smelling the paint fumes.  They are opening the game to more people, it is natural that will mean more numbers.  Tin-foil-hat says:  "This must be some kind of conspiracy".

Originally posted by Kidon

Great move :D glad seing SWTOR expanding, love the game keep improving it, can´t wait till march :D

 

I can't wait till March as well, betas and ME 3 come out so dope!

Originally posted by oblakoff

Decline in the west?

Almost 2 mill subs and raising?

Second Major patch in March? Fixing Bugs every week, great content, great levleing, great operations.

Main opponent keep losing subs, and the shit will get real when annual pass is over...

Correction, they sold 2 million boxes and had 1.7 million subs OR players on their free month. That means the population declined by 300k, triple what their "Main opponent" lost.

The only thing that will get real at the end of a year will be that SWTOR is going to be joining WAR and AoC in the big launch and fast decline club.

Originally posted by Distaste

Originally posted by oblakoff

Decline in the west?

Almost 2 mill subs and raising?

Second Major patch in March? Fixing Bugs every week, great content, great levleing, great operations.

Main opponent keep losing subs, and the shit will get real when annual pass is over...

Correction, they sold 2 million boxes and had 1.7 million subs OR players on their free month. That means the population declined by 300k, triple what their "Main opponent" lost.

 

The only thing that will get real at the end of a year will be that SWTOR is going to be joining WAR and AoC in the big launch and fast decline club.

Sure, men i know it is hard for you, but you gonna need to lean how to live in a MMO world where SWTOR is an HUGE success, LIVE WITH IT.