Star Wars Fans Flee Net Galaxy

Chris Kohler Email 12.13.05 | 2:00 AM

Adding to the controversy, the NGE was implemented literally days after the series' latest expansion pack, Trials of Obi-Wan, hit stores. The pack promised significant upgrades to character classes that, in fact, were scheduled to be terminated.

Sony Online Entertainment "marketed this expansion knowing full well that the NGE was going to be released," says Orr. "Many customers bought this expansion thinking they were getting enhancements to their existing professions, when in reality the release of the NGE two weeks later removed most of those professions."

LucasArts has since offered players a refund on the expansion pack.

Julio Torres, the game's executive producer at LucasArts who originally announced the NGE on the game's official forum, notes that veteran players will get other special enhancements in the new game, like exclusive access to the game's best lightsaber models. These Elder Jedi will also glow with a blue halo, like the ghost of Obi-Wan in The Empire Strikes Back.

Of the disgruntled players, Torres says he finds their lack of faith disturbing.

"We understand that change is hard sometimes," says Torres, "but the new game we have is more Star Wars than ever. Players that actually give it a real try find it immersive and more fun than ever."

Ultimately, LucasArts is banking on the NGE being irresistible to fans of the series who want a more accessible, familiar, Star Wars-like experience. "Playing a Jedi is fun," says Torres, "and games are meant to be fun."

But many players have decided not to stick around and find out. How many players actually abandoned their accounts is unclear. Understandably, neither LucasArts nor Sony Online Entertainment is anxious to volunteer the numbers, and Torres would not comment.

But, says Burke, "there are plenty of people reporting that they've quit. There are forums popping up with ex-Galaxies players forming guilds in new games."

One such forum, called Imperial Crackdown, was founded by Brian Orr as a home for "refugees" (who can no longer post on the official Galaxies message boards) who want to keep their community active and find new games to join.

Many, including Orr and Hocke, have begun to play the popular World of Warcraft. Members of the forum report that their new WOW community alone numbers 300 ex-Galaxies players.

Burke agrees that the NGE may draw in new players, but says the game might not hold their interest. "The people they're aiming for are casual players who enjoy fast-paced combat and who aren't looking for overly complicated games.

"The design aspires to that, but it's sitting on top of the old game. So when they get out of the game's new tutorial mode with Han Solo, they'll be saying: 'Now what? How is this Star Wars? Where's Darth Vader?'"

And Burke doubts that many former players will go back. He points out that most were already frustrated with what they saw as LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment's poor handling throughout the years of the game's many bugs, glitches and inconsistencies, and that the New Game Enhancements "were the maraschino cherry on top of a sundae of failure."

Whether Star Wars Galaxies succeeds or fails, the saga of the New Game Enhancements has been a stark reminder of the realities of the new online gaming medium. Traditional video games don't just disappear. Gamers may feel betrayed if the sequel to their favorite game isn't as good as the original, but they can play the original any time they want.

Not so for those who enjoyed the original Galaxies. It's gone forever.

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