Developed for LucasArts by Sony Online Entertainment Inc., the game immerses thousands of gamers in the classic Star Wars universe portrayed in the original movie trilogy, allowing them to live the Star Wars saga for themselves. Players can experience a unique combination of combat, exploration, social interaction, specialised missions and daring quests on ten different planets/environments, with the opportunity to interact with such beloved Star Wars characters as Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo.

"The record-breaking success of Galaxies: An Empire Divided in the North American market has exceeded all of our expectations, and prompted LucasArts to bring forward our European release for the game," says Simon Jeffery, president of LucasArts. "We have stable infrastructure, and a hugely immersive and enjoyable virtual Star Wars universe for the European market to embrace."

"We're very pleased that players in Europe will soon be able to experience Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided," adds John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "The game has proven to be a huge hit in North America and we're expecting it to do very well overseas as well."

"Since the North American launch, demand in Europe for Galaxies: An Empire Divided has hit fever pitch," says Sarah Ewing. "We have worked hard to prepare for the rapid deployment of the title in Europe to ensure we capitalise on consumer demand this holiday season."

The Star Wars Galaxies development team continues to work on a variety of new features such as player-owned ground vehicles, player mounts and player cities, along with substantial new content to be introduced in the coming months.