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Reader Discussion: Is December 20 A Good Release Date For SWTOR?
Today's announcement of the release date for Star Wars: The Old Republic surprised many gamers who thought that the game was doomed to get pushed back into 2012. As it turns out, BioWare is managing to squeak the MMO into the 2011 holiday season -- but is that a good thing?
I suppose not even a developer as successful as BioWare can turn its nose up at the potential sales boost a holiday release can provide a game, but releasing an MMO five days before Christmas seems like a potential misstep. Not only is the end of 2011 packed with triple-A games (I'm sure I'll still be playing Skyrim come December 20, and I'm guessing plenty of other RPG fans will be too), but it seems like an inopportune time to ask players to start investing time in an MMO. Will gamers be too busy traveling and spending time with their families to start the game? Or is BioWare banking on players happily devoting the extra time they get off of work and school to getting a solid start on their characters?
I don't personally play a lot of MMOs, but I'm usually scrambling to buy gifts for my friends and family during the week before Christmas, so delving into a new, time-intensive video game is usually the last thing on my mind. Then again, having the game on hand for the week after Christmas might be just what gamers are looking forward to.
So what do you think? Is December 20 the perfect time for the release of The Old Republic? Or should BioWare have waited for a wide-open spot in the new year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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