During Gamescom, EA announced an interesting limiting plan for Star Wars: The Old Republic, purportedly seeking to make the launch of the long-anticipated MMO as stable and smooth as possible. Whether or not it's successful, and at exactly what point the digital distribution limiting will kick in, remain to be seen.

The ranks upon ranks of troopers in this picture may turn out to be artistic license after all, as it turns out Star Wars: The Old Republic will have a deliberately limited number of copies on sale at its launch. The publisher says it hopes this will ensure a smooth launch and a better experience for all involved. Is this a considerate act towards prospective players by EA, or is it a way to drive preorders for a game that has yet to even announce a release date higher still? Strange as it may seem, we might all look back on this as the start of a new best practice for MMOs.

fkerschl via gamergaia.com »