It burns :(

I have yet to see them. Anyways I just got WoW recently and I am already fully addicted.

Definetly infomercial-ish and definetly bad, pathetic-bad. I didn't know about the massive retooling of the game until after seeing the commercial. It hurts the SW mythology on a whole to let anyone and everyone be a Jedi. If you like SW, you probably won't like 5000 some Jedis walking around. Doesn't help with the "selling-out" of Chewie either.

I doubt you'll find a Star Wars fan who hasn't heard of Galaxies and who hasn't heard horror stories from former players. This one guy lost his fiance trying to become a Jedi, and look what Sony does. I never played it. I never will, 'cause chances are, in 6 months it'll be a different game, NOT the one I purchased, and NOT the one I wanted.

What failed with controling the numbers of Jedies in SWG was the lack of innovating a better form of class control in their game. This is typical of any MMOG. Dont know if the revision of attaining jedihood had anything to do with these informercials, but it does seem to welcome everyone to be whatever they want to be in the game.

What all this means is = waterdown jedies.

The attempt was a good try, but weak and too nerve wrecking for the majority of players who surely would not like to buy a game, and pay a monthly fee on top of it, where they are not going to be the special one who becomes the jedi. Who can blame them for not putting up with a lottery process that grants the possibility or not for them to enjoy their fantasy, depending on obscure outcomes in a world where they me not be anymore special than in Real Life.

I respect SWG attempt of class control with the Jedi slot possibility, but it was just not creative enough and not plausible for anyone in their right mind. I am actually sad it didn't work for them, for had they been successful, they could have been emulated by other MMOG on class control.

WoW is one example who needs class control, where the classes that ought to be the most powerful end up being the weakest, because of class balance and their surveys that dictates them on who they need to better cater to, instead of having a system that makes the eligibility of being a class for legitimate and possible for all.

Hmm, Blizz should open up a position for class controlling, instead of class balancing. I wish they came up with a contest for a position with them to just do this, and posted it for everyone to enter with their proposition as a constestant to win a "class controller position" with them.

Honestly, I want to make money first. But sometimes I hate so much these class balances designs, and the out of control numbers of certain classes that ought to be the fewest and previleged, that someday I am just going to go crazy posting everywhere how to control classes where SWG failed to with the Jedi.

Hmm, Blizz should open up a position for class controlling, instead of class balancing. I wish they came up with a contest for a position with them to just do this, and posted it for everyone to enter with their proposition as a constestant to win a "class controller position" with them.

Honestly, I want to make money first. But sometimes I hate so much these class balances designs, and the out of control numbers of certain classes that ought to be the fewest and previleged, that someday I am just going to go crazy posting everywhere how to control classes where SWG failed to with the Jedi.

I think the "average Star Wars Enthusiasts/Casual Gamer" is flocking to Star Wars Battlefront II.

I. It's more about what Star Wars is about (action)
II. It's on the consoles and not the PC
III. It has more of a “jump in and play” mechanic for casual types
IV. It does a better job of delivering on "do whatever you want in the Star Wars universe."

Cause let's face it, when we think of spending time in Star Wars, we want to jump on a speeder bike and shoot stuff, not go to a cantina and listen to the great music.

OK i have been playing swg sense it came out in 2003 and i think it is better then it has ever been, i love the new combat system and the new profession system seems like it will be alot easier to balance vs the old one which was impossible they tried to for about 2 years running in a circle. I have played about every mmo you can as well from WOW to lineage 2 and i still always come aback to my swg. The big problem i had with WOW is that the profession i really like the paladin is crap at the end game, so the end game of that game is just crap its all about loot and to get the good stuff you have to join some hardcore guild and there is know way i will do that, so im done with that game till the expansion comes out, my point is that swg is very good but is getting alot of crap from trolling vets, but its so much better then it has ever been just give it a shot thanks. ps by the way if you just join and want some help im on 3 servers gorath Okaoge, radiant Reefasoo, and bloodfin Oscoe thanks and may the force be with you.

They sure didn't work for me, I stopped playing SWG after a few months after it was released because it felt nothing like Star Wars, and even with the hand-holding tutorial of the new version (which i found to be quite a bit buggy), it still didn't feel like Star Wars. In fact I found it even MORE boring then before, because you had so few character choices.

SWG = one big stinky "Meh." Hope no one wastes their money because of the sub-par commercials.

I was a 8 month vet from retail, I tried the free trial recently and found it shocking that so many basic bugs were still in the game.

Nearly all the weapons in my inventory didn't work, I used all my skill points on pistoleer/commando. So I tried out a few characters using the respec, hmm class missions broke/bugged.

Oh well, I like wandering around and just getting immersed in the star wars atmosphere, visiting player made cities etc. All the cities were deserted, vendors empty apart from people selling vet rewards for millions of creds.

So basically the game is back to beta, the major changes to the game were rushed, don't seem to be intergrated into the game at all, lots of basic bugs, the much maligned new classes are bugged - skills don't work, missions bugged/broke.

They should kill this game or move it back to beta status and stop charging a monthly fee from the people who are too blind to see what a mess it is at the moment.

Obviously some people like the new classes and I might give it another go in another 6 months or so, if/when the game is finished...again.

"OK i have been playing swg sense it came out in 2003 and i think it is better then it has ever been, i love the new combat system and the new profession system seems like it will be alot easier to balance vs the old one which was impossible they tried to for about 2 years running in a circle. I have played about every mmo you can as well from WOW to lineage 2 and i still always come aback to my swg. The big problem i had with WOW is that the profession i really like the paladin is crap at the end game, so the end game of that game is just crap its all about loot and to get the good stuff you have to join some hardcore guild and there is know way i will do that, so im done with that game till the expansion comes out, my point is that swg is very good but is getting alot of crap from trolling vets, but its so much better then it has ever been just give it a shot thanks. ps by the way if you just join and want some help im on 3 servers gorath Okaoge, radiant Reefasoo, and bloodfin Oscoe thanks and may the force be with you."

You're the only one... Everything people worked for for 2 years was/is gone! The completely changed the game and ofcource almost everyone who liked it before hated it after!

Not only that, but the way SOE treated the players is just sad.

It could have been so much better if had turned it the other way around. Make it more complex, give them players much more options, etc. Hell, even if they erased player Jedi completely it would be better than waht it is now!

I think Star Wars is finished. Sad too, I kinda liked the game.

Funny enough, originally when they added Jedi it was too easy to become one.

I played from the first week for 6 months or so. I remember that no one could get Jedi for a while, and then they released it to too many people, because a friend and I both had holocrons in our inventory saying "To progress in your journey you must get Marksman II" or things simliar to that. Then after the wide-spread release they closed it off and made it impossible, now they are releasing it again.

I really did love this game, and if the building space wasn't so incredibely over-populated then I would have kept playing. The closest my homes were to town was at least a 15min run from either Mos Tayac (sp?) and the smallest city on Naboo.

Anyway, yes this pisses me off that they changed so much. Original formula was great for me, with the exception of building space.

I played SWG shortly after it came out. The profession/crafting/buying/selling (economy, I guess) systems were really original. I often wished I could transplant that system of making things into other MMOs. I enjoyed maintaining and powering my wind generators (eventually power plants of a more advanced nature) so I could sell energy or put that energy into factories that made things for me.

The whole class system, while very attractive at first, proved to be enigmatic. There were these "holocrons" that would reveal what profession you had to be if you wanted to follow a path to Jedi. People who would NEVER normally have picked certain professions (cook, whore, er, dancer) were full-on diving into them because their holocron told them to. Holocrons were selling for millions (some people had no interest in being a Jedi, but they would receive holocrons as gifts from the devs or as a drops). The whole thing was weird. I'd see guys decked out in full armor shaking their asses at cantinas...

The combat system was pretty neat. I had fun. The Rancors on (a purply planet that started with a D) were truly scary for me.

I had some fun in that game, but there was this underlying feeling of bugginess and a feeling that it was flawed and incomplete and that people weren't altogether happy with it.

I left it after playing for six or nine months, I think. Now I hear about this revamp that has people leaving in droves, and while I used to be curious about checking it out again, I think that this very informative article and the links it pointed out have convinced me that I'd be better off not wasting my time. I have a feeling the only people who like this game NOW are the same people I tried to avoid when I was playing it.

Thanks, Steve. Good article.

I had a good time in the SWG beta for 2 months, but never bought the retail version because it was obvious at the end of testing that the game was not ready for release.

I think the commercials look terribly embarassing. No better than a "BUY NOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! We'll even throw in a free Star Wars Spatula ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!

You can get this 59.99 value for 19.99.99.99.99!!!!!!! CALL NOW!"

Star Wars is better than that.

And I KNOW Sony's got more money than that to spend. :P

"Star Wars is better than that."

*cough* Jar Jar Binks *cough*

hey i play the game and i think how they changed it was good. For me the changes helped me since i dont always have time to play it. i think the changes made the game easier

SWG was ok.

Then SWG started getting better.

Then WoW came along, and SOE realized it wasn't "It's only real competition."

So they freaked out, screwed some of their most loyal fans and destroyed what was the single best sandbox game available for "casual gamers". Replacing it with a poorly done beta that charges a moderate monthly fee.

Shame on you SOE for abusing such a (potentially) massive market with seedy, despicable corporate tactics.

Anyone remember the old Everquest Online Adventure commercials? "Time to fight the dragon!" It's on here somewhere http://www.fileplanet.com/filelist.aspx?s=92690&v=0 I don't have the patience to sit through the waits just to be punished but they are comically bad. Way worse than the SWG commercials. After they ran all I heard in EQ was TIME TO FIGHT THE DRAGON for weeks.

The commercials definitely made me consider picking the game up (they sound desperate, and when it comes to gaming companies, desperate = cheaper game.) But after hearing all the complaints online, there was no way I was going to get the game.

All the commercial needed was a nine year old screaming "AWESOME!"

I thought it was interesting that people leaving SWG are referred to as Star War Galaxy Refugees, which reminded me of Steve's editorial on how WoW is becoming a nation.

Then, I thought it would be interesting if Blizzard would allow "transferable" items so that these refugee's time in SWG would not be a total waste. So a +1 lightsaber (i'm clueless on weapon statistics of both SWG and WoW) would become a purple sword or something. This would have to be done on a case by case basis, so if this was ever implemented it would be like "immigration" or something.

Just some random thoughts :P

I guess you haven't seen the latest Star Wars galaxies comercial? It was right after the latest 'doom' patch, and had the cheesy announcer guy trying to hype up the game as much as possible. Needless to say, it looked horrible, and it made sure to show every important Star Wars figure to get those fans excited.

Played SWG for 2 years myself the crafting sucked me in,
and after that i can safely say i shall never pay SOE another penny in my gaming lifetime.
Not only was the whole service bad, but what the did to the game and ALL of it's veteran players was the worst gaming experience ive ever had .
i know the agreement at the start of these MMO's allows them to change or modify the game , but god knows how the complete overhall of this game was legal after all the years of work and money its comunity invested into it .
they certainly left a great impression on me to say the least. and not just for the game but a company in general.

P.S
i went to the WOW side for a while and was very happy with the service but grew tired of the game , its saying something that even considering the sucsess of wow , some of us were willing to play/pay SWG in its original state for so long

I played SWG on the Ketimoor server when it opened a week after launch. I quit after 4 months because there was nothing to do.
I haven't tried the new game (may never) but I heard that it has more quests and that is good. Personally the biggest mistake SoE ever made in the game was this:
JEDIS- Players should have never been able to become them. If you want to be a jedi, play KOTOR or academy.

Star Wars Galaxies has become an inside joke amongst gaming enthusiasts. What Lucas Arts and Sony Online Entertainment have done with that once great title is aphaling!

I feel pretty bad for most of the people who put their faces on that "info-mercial".

EVE Online is the TRUE gaming experiance. I would recomend it to anyone who's seeking an intense gaming experiance on a long term basis. While it's not your average "MMO" nor does it have "characters" that jump around with lightsabers EVE is by far MORE "Star Warzy (tm)" then Star Wars Galaxies could ever dream of.

I love this quote from the Washington Post article.

"We knew we were going to sacrifice some players . . . [but] as a 'Star Wars' license, we should do a lot better than we have been doing."

What amazes me is he doesn't realize what the X factor is. Sony Online makes terrible, terrible games. Star Wars games are bug-ridden, incomplete messes with very few exceptions to begin with but they've still overall managed to ride along on the license because people are certifiable morons. Screwing that up takes a hell of a lot of talent, but Sony's got JUST that kind of talent.

The thing is the changes, if they were done by someone who was even passingly competent, would've made the game much better. They had a lot to work with, they had a living breathing Star Wars universe except that the 'adventure' aspect was hard to access and the combat was lame. So they decided to rip the everliving f*ck out of the game. As a player who has no connection with the social fabric that previously existed, I think I can objectively say they ruined the game. I didn't even like what they had before, but they ruined it still.

I played EQOA through four beta cycles, the original run and about four or five months of the Frontiers expansion. I would seriously love to get those hundreds of completely wasted hours back. SOE is about the worst company I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with, and reading this article brought back all the bile and displeasure I experienced while playing that game, with a vengeance. There is something inherently broken about these MMORPGs that take thousands of hours of mind numbing repetition to achieve some nebulous level 65 goal that in the end is as meaningless and stupid as the same thing at level 10 just on a different scale. I can understand how people get suckered in and hooked, because I was there, but believe me I'll never let it happen again unless something truly unique and special comes out there. Elder Scrolls Oblivion is calling my name....

I purchased SWG soon after release and played on Lowca for a good year and 1/2. I had a Wookiee rifleman/swordsman with TKA...That was until I realized that Wookiees were totally worthless. They were supposed to be big, physically powerful beings, instead, composite armors rendered them useless.

Finally SoE decided to implement Wookiee armor...After the first set was released, I decided to quit the game...There's nothing worse than seeing all your time and effort made a mockery...By that I mean the wicker basket armor.

It's all really sad when you think about it. SWG had A LOT of potential, but considering it was developed by the brain deficient chimps at SoE....Well, it had one foot in the grave upon conception.

I'm really glad I quit...err, well, sold my account for a very nice price. Screw SoE, they'll never see another cent from me.

i think the pre-cu was fantastic... and if the people wanted to be jedi so bad they could get 1 off ebay.. there was millions of them. not anymore tho heh

Iv played since launch as well...i still play...alot of things irritated me about the changes but nothing to really post about...i love star wars...i still love the game and there are tons of people coming back after going to WOW and deciding the end game blows atm...also im seeing litterally hundreds of new people coming to the server im on...finally seeing 100 people in mos eiley cantina again last night...people may not like it and may wish it to fail but there is alot of people out there that rolls with changes and dont complain...i took my elder jedi and respect him to bounty hunter and had a blast...and i still am having fun since June 28, 2003

What mad the game so fun is that you could be so many different types of professions and be more then one, change whenever you wanted. but the new way blows. one profession and thats it, well you get a respec tool but that doesn't help anything you change your profession a couple of times......i loved the old star wars, and if they bring back the old star wars i garuntee that millions of people will get back to playing it. who cares if your not a jedi, sure its fun but thats what made the game be the professions to get to be a jedi....
Sony in general as screwd lots of games over like Battlefield2 they release a patch to weeks later they have to fix that patch and then again 2 weeks later fix that one..... sony should just stop trying to make the games we love better.

i play the "new/improved" SWG its not bad but stuff just more and more repeitive and repetive

I was playing sgw back whan you had multiple professions and if you wanted to be a jedi you had to work for it which was great this new way of pick a job and stick with it just made the game crap BRING BACK THE OLD WAYS

I have been playing SWG off and on since 2003. By far i can tell you that the original game was the best system. The only people who didnt like it were the people who wanted instant gratification.
SWG was a totally different take on Star Wars, instead of jumping into the cockpit as Han Solo, or swinging a lightsaber as Luke. You were the backdrop of the star wars movies, you actually LIVED in the star wars galaxy, you were not the heroes on the movies, you were the heroes that you never knew.

That was what appealed to me. I was a crafter and a scout. I could be working away in my shop knowing that i may have crafted the blaster that Han Solo used. That was what made it fun, as a star wars fan i loved being able to live in the star wars galaxy, living out MY story.

But to many people didnt like that, they all wanted to be Jedi. And it killed the old dream.

So instead now we have a crappy system that is dogged by bugs, and the game mechanics are all screwy. And we are stuck with cookie cutter professions, and are no longer able to mix it up. Its sad really. Its like going from a 5 star restaraunt, to a greasy cheap buger joint..

but ohwell