champions-of-the-force posts

For some summer vacation is already over but for many are still waiting for Labor Day weekend to get in one last bit of vacation time. The folks at the Direct2Drive PC game download site have got the Labor Day weekend covered with not one but two special event sales. One is an "end of summer sale" where they will have prices cut on two games for just 24 hours. Today those games are Hearts of Iron III for just $5.95 and Civilization IV Complete for just $19.95.

In addition Direct2Drive celebrates its sixth anniversary this month by having new sales every week in September where all the games involved are priced at just $6. The games involved this week are Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight Bundle, Achtung Panzer, Champions Online, Defense Grid: The Awakening, Tropico 3, Tropico Reloaded, Football Manager 2010, and Penumbra Collection. A new set of $6 games will be revealed next Wednesday.

Last month we first reported on plans by Sony Online to launch an online collectible trading card game based on their long running MMO Star Wars Galaxies. This week the game has officially launched. This is not quite a stand alone game like the Everquest based Legends of Norrath; you must be an active subscriber to the Star Wars Galaxies MMO or a former player in good standing (i.e. you don't owe Sony Online money) to play the trading card game.

The official title for the game is Star Wars Galaxies: Champions of the Force and there are over 250 cards to collect and current and former subscribers will get access to five Booster Packs for free every month. There's a 14 day free trial to the game that you can download at the title's official web site.
[Via Massively]

Sony Online has already launched an online trading card game based on their MMO Everquest. Now the publisher, along with Lucasarts, has announced plans to do the same with another of their MMO titles, Star Wars Galaxies. The Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game, due for release late this summer, will be made available only for people who have paid subscriptions to the MMO title which is celebrating its fith anniversary this year.

The first release, titled Champions of the Force, will contain 250 digital trading cards on both the light and dark sides of the Force with support for single player, online one-on-one multiplayer, tournaments and more. Some special cards can be redemned for virtual items inside the Star Wars Galaxies MMO.

This trading card game is only part of Sony Online and LucasArts' plans to celebrate the fifth birthday of the game. There will be special in-game events such as concerts from the Max Rebo band (the band that played in Jabba the Hutt's palace in Return of the Jedi) and other events. Also some special in-game items will be released for subscribers to the game include a virtual Empire Strikes Back movie poster for use inside player's in-game residences.