Star Wars Galaxies to Shut Down – Will the Resistance Succeed?

LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment announced that their multi-player online game Star Wars Galaxies will shut down on December 15, with the end of the game mocking the end of the of the Star Wars galaxy.

“The decision to shut down Star Wars Galaxies is first and foremost a business decision mutually agreed upon between Sony Online Entertainment and LucasArts,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, in an interview with Massively. “LucasArts has a new game coming out, and the contract would be running out in 2012 anyway, so we feel like it’s the right time for the game to end.”

The company informed the game’s fan base through emails, message boards, and updates on the game’s website. Sony Online Entertainment is adamant that the end of the game has nothing to do with the recent hackings or layoffs.

Avid players are not taking the news well however, and have begun a petition to keep the game and the galaxy alive. There are currently over 2,000 signatures on the petition, and comments begging for Star Wars Galaxies to continue its resistance.

Despite fan attempts, it seems unlikely that the companies are going to give in. “At this point, unfortunately, this is just the way it is happening,” Smedley said. “We still have a partnership with LucasArts around Clone Wars Adventures. And there’s another Star Wars MMO entering the market, and I think it’s going to be terrific. It’s going to fill a large hole, and we’re certainly happy to see Star Wars players be taken care of and get into a game that’s going to be great.”

For the shut down of the game, Sony Online Entertainment is preparing promotions and events for the users, to ease the transition. The discontinuation of the game is also going to mock the end of the Star Wars galaxy, to make the shut down feel more appropriate for the fans.

The companies released a statement saying, “During the last week that SWG is available … we’re going to end with a bang and we want the final chapter of the galaxy to be written in part by the dedicated and passionate SWG community. Details will be announced at a later date.”

This article was originally published on AllMediaNY.com