Star Wars: Attack Squadrons, Now Accepting Test Pilots for Closed Beta

If you were salivating at the reveal of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons, clean up the dribble, take a deep breath, head on over to their website, and sign up for a chance to be a part of their closed beta.

Fair warning though, they have been experiencing an overwhelming amount of sign-up issues – according to several posts on their Facebook and Twitter pages.  If you are one of the lucky few to get in without a hiccup, then brace yourself, the closed beta is slated to begin in 2014.

Star Wars: Attack Squadrons was announced on December 16th, prompting immediate buzz from fans of the Star Wars: X-Wing series – a franchise that was insanely popular in the 90s.  From the looks of the announcement, Attack Squadron will be a “free-to-play,” multiplayer dogfighting extravaganza – complete with iconic ships like the X-Wing, Tie Fighter, and many other familiar Lucas-esque ships.

The three game modes mentioned will include the basics: team-deathmatch, free for all deathmatch, and a base defense style mode (I sense a control point scenario in this mode’s future).

Along with the gameplay modes, Disney Interactive revealed that players will be able to customize and tune their ships to their liking – which would be the ideal spot to include those inescapable and inevitable micro transaction options.

Details are limited now, but for some reason, this whole venture sounds a bit odd to me.  With Bioware’s recent release of Galactic Starfighter – an expansion for their popular Star Wars MMO – it makes me wonder what Disney Interactive and Lucas Arts are trying to accomplish with another space combat game – one very similiar to their Bioware counterpart.  

Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as excited as the next fanboy, however my cynical side is worried that this is just an expensive ploy to get people hyped for Star Wars again – which for one. is totally unnecessary (come on, its flippin’ Star Wars we’re talking about), and two, will pay off upon the release of Episode 7.  

I admit, I rather would’ve enjoyed to have Star Wars: 1313 see the light of day, but I can’t help be somewhat enticed by this recent announcement, and the hints of a new Battlefront game coming soon.