Publisher: LucasArts

Developer: LucasArts

Release Date: October 31, 2003

Genre: Role-Playing

ESRB: (T) Teen

Available for: XB PS2 GC

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. and SAN DIEGO – April 11, 2003 – LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment Inc. today announced Dantooine as the tenth planetary environment for Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, the highly anticipated first installment of the upcoming massively multiplayer online game series. In addition, the fan community for the game continues to grow unabated and has now reached 475,000 registered members, nearly a 20 percent increase since December 2002.

Dantooine is a legendary planet from Star Wars lore and was once the home base of the Rebel Alliance and a Jedi training center. Players who visit Dantooine can expect to encounter dangerous primitive natives known as Dantari, a sizable Imperial occupation force, and a small band of smugglers led by a vicious crime lord. As with all planets in Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, Dantooine will offer a vast amount of terrain to explore, stunning vistas, and wide range of wild life.

"With the inclusion of Dantooine, we feel we're offering a diverse Star Wars experience," says Haden Blackman, producer at LucasArts for Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. "Fans of the films will remember Princess Leia's Dantooine reference from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, though more important is our ability to leverage the world's rich history and striking landscape. As one of several 'adventure planets,' players will travel to Dantooine for the opportunity to engage in epic battles, uncover new storylines, and discover new sites."

The Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided development team surpassed another major milestone April 2 by launching Beta 3. Throughout this phase of the beta program the team will continually increase the number of testers until a targeted number of 50,000 players is reached. A new release date for Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided will be announced within the coming weeks.

About LucasArts
LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems and PC. Based in San Rafael, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multi-faceted entertainment company.

Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production, and Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties. Additionally, Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties and businesses. Lucasfilm's motion-picture productions include five of the 20 biggest box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars and 53 Academy Award nominations. Lucasfilm's television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Rafael, Calif.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchise, EverQuest®, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX and St. Louis, MO, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as PlanetSide™, Star Wars Galaxies™ and the highly anticipated EverQuest® II.

Posted: April 11, 2003