- Thanks to Stargrace (via Twitter) for the news that Star Wars Galaxies will come down as of December 15, 2011. Over at Massively, there is a short interview with John Smedley to explain the reasons, go over some particulars, and discuss the game's long run.
- Any day an MMO closes is a sad one for the entire community, even one as divisive as SWG. One of the conceits of MMOs is that these are virtual worlds, whether they are sandboxes or theme parks. Because of that, there is some expectation, no matter how mistaken, that these worlds will exist forever. When a game closes, we are forced to consider the finite nature of any game that we have invested in. It is not comfortable.
- My time in SWG was exceptionally limited. I downloaded the trial one time. I think I even completed the tutorial and made it to Tatooine before I gave up on the game forever. I've never been a Star Wars fan, not even before the prequels, so the game did not especially speak to me. Nonetheless, I hate when any game that people are enjoying closes forever.
- I had friend that I met through World of Warcraft whose preferred game was The Matrix Online. We lost track of one another over time, but my mind immediately went back to him when I heard the news that MxO as shutting down. A lot of games have closed down that I haven't been personally invested in, but the time will come. Will ArenaNet finally bring the Guild Wars to an end? Will the World of Warcraft some day stop spinning?
- Best wishes to everyone who make SWG their virtual home. Take lots of screenshots.
© 2011 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
"When a game closes, we are forced to consider the finite nature of any game that we have invested in. It is not comfortable."
ReplyDeleteThat is a really good point. I think it's exactly why the news disturbed me so much. Is my IP dependent MMO of choice (LoTRO) safe from whatever happened to SWG behind the scenes? It's especially surprising in the case of SWG because by all accounts, while not exactly thriving, it was firmly into the profitable range of sub numbers.
My thoughts exactly. I've played SWG, but never formed a deep connection to it. Still, it's always sad to hear when an MMO shuts down. One day, all our current virtual worlds will meet the same end, but I also tell myself there will always be more :P
ReplyDeleteIt's sad but you knew it was going to happen at some point.
ReplyDelete@ Yeebo - I would have assumed that SWG could care on, but I guess not.
ReplyDelete@ MMOGC - There will always be another home, I suppose, hopefully better.
@ Jayedub - There has been a clock ticking down on the game for years now. In some ways, you have to be surprised that it took so long.