SWTOR Beta/September Beta
BioWare had started to make what looked like it's move to mate. A series of weekend tests planned for the month of September to conduct a number of performances tests to see if the game was ready for release. With the tests completed EA/BioWare had possible intentions of announcing a release date. However we all know the end result... What started with one weekend also ended with one weekend. But there was the promise of a new build for internal testing.
SWTOR: The Old Republic: Revan
November 15th. Revan who appears to be turning into a central character (based on pure speculation) has his own book coming out. The book will take place after the end of KOTOR 1. It's possible the story in this book will help drive the story for SWTOR. A release after this book would make sense if there is a connection.
SWTOR: The End of SWG
December 15th. While many considered this to be a good indicator it seems to have lost weight over the last few months. Would LucasArts want 2 Star Wars MMO's running at the same time? Or would it be better to start SWTOR as SWG ends? But then again is EA/BioWare concerned at all about the last 15,000 or so gamers that currently play SWG? It's hard to say what role this game plays in the final outcome of BioWare vs Blizzard. Our take... nothing.
Blizzard: Diablo 3 Beta
It's started. In what appears to be a move to counter BioWare's SWTOR beta the Diablo 3 beta is underway. In initially started as Friends & Family - typical for companies releasing a game. But Blizzard have taken a different approach. They announced the beta, the target month, and even threw in a talent calc. Not only did they announce the beta they seemed to have delivered with people popping up all over the place installing and playing the game. Building hype ....
Blizzard: World of Warcraft: 4.3
Deathwing can finally be killed. Transmogrification included. Darkmoon revamped. And that's just what we know... BioWare are good at keeping secrets right up to BlizzCon and beyond. But are contents of this patch enough to keep WoW'ers from making the switch.
Blizzard: BlizzCon/Titan
Set for October 21st at the Anaheim Convention Center. Blizzard are in a position to either set the tone for the remainder of the year or counter any prior moves made by BioWare. In a sense they can bring down the thunder. BioWare could well have a Diablo 3 launch date, Titan news, and a possible WoW expansion, all on the table. And with 11.1 million players still in WoW they could hype SWTOR out of this galaxy.
SWTOR: Pre-Orders....
Last but by far not least.... 443,836 pre-orders. BioWare continues to build up steam and they don't even have a release date. What this tells us is that people are willing to put money down on a game that has just a window for release. That's a great deal of FAITH being placed into BioWare... And its a small message to Blizzard that a new challenger may be coming...
SWTOR: Release Date
The one thing the fans have been craving. While many can accept Holiday 2011, others feel they need that exact date and time. Sure people want to take vacation. Stock up on snacks and code red. It could be the icing on the cake that sets off this ball of wax.
Conclusion.
With so many events happening between now and the release of either SWTOR or a Blizzard nugget this could be a great end of year for gamers. BioWare and Blizzard will do what they can to win over your money. Which means quality games....
