Shawn Dahlberg has put up a couple of posts over on the official forums. The first is a combination news article and interview over at IGN.com. They have an official announcement, about the long awaited companion characters that we all new were coming. They also had the pleasure of getting some questions answered by Lead Designer James Ohlen about the upcoming companion characters. Every Star Wars hero needs a companion. Han had Chewie, Luke had R2-D2 -- even Jabba had the cackling monkey lizard Salacious B. Crumb. These characters compliment a player's strengths or weaknesses, and provide company for the epic journey you will inevitably undertake. Whether they're combative, friendly, flirtatious, or even just good for a laugh, companions always contribute to your adventure.

IGN: Can you give us a few specific examples of how companions might impact a particular player's experience?

James Ohlen: Companion characters have a significant impact on the player's experience. They are integral to the player's storyline. They interject during conversation to give the player their view on things. They give commentary as the player explores the world. They are an important part of combat, providing extra DPS, healing, tanking abilities or even crowd control. Thats an answer many of us have all been hoping to hear.

Head over and check out the entire article / interview yourself here.

Also posted on the official forums is an link to Gamespot, who have posted a great Preview entitled: Star Wars: The Old Republic Exclusive Preview - The Sith Warrior In-Depth. This is an amazing article about the Sith Warrior class. And they have posted an amazing video. Everyone needs to head over and check it out here.

They are also getting ready for their Best of E-3 awards. Nominations will be opening June 8'th. Be sure to head over to Gamespot and vote for your favorite in all categories. You can get to their entire E-3 set up page here.

The Old Republic's Robert Chestney teams with artist Alex Sanchez and Dark Horse for "Threat of Peace," the first arc of the six-issue "Star Wars: The Old Republic" series setting the stage for the upcoming MMORPG. Quote from ComicBookResources.com: The Force is strong in this one. Taking place over 3,500 years before the events of the sextet of famous films, "Star Wars: the Old Republic" will give players the choice of joining the Jedi or the Sith in a massively multiplayer online experience. But before you begin practicing the ways of the force in BioWare and LucasArts upcoming game (set for release in 2011), whet your appetite this July with the release of a brand new "Old Republic" limited series from Dark Horse Comics that sets up the events taking place a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Sean Dahlburg has made a post over at the official forums with a link to this article. It pertains to the upcoming release of The Threat of Peace Webcomic, turned comicbook.

Quote from ComicBookResources.com: Characters from the comic also see some carry over into the video game. Chestney mainly worked on the Jedi side of the MMO, so many of those characters from the comic appear or are referenced once the game begins. "The characters in 'Threat of Peace' are the heroes of their time, so a decade later, when the game begins, you'll more than likely see them in the role of mentors and leaders who the players will interact with," he explained. "People who've read the comic will get something extra from these characters when they actually play the game, and I hope that extra depth pays off in terms of delivering that emotional experience."

This is an excellent article. Head over to the official forum post here. And check out the article on ComicBookResources.com yourself here.

The Starwars: The Old Republic official site has posted a new playable Planet: Hoth. Announcing Hoth as the next explorable planet in STAR WARS: The Old Republic! A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Thirty years ago to the day, Star Wars™: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back™ opened in movie theaters, forever changing the cinematic landscape. Bursting with action-packed battles, fast paced dialogue, and characters faced with complex choices, the echoes of this landmark film are still felt today. From toys, to fashion, to punk rock, its influence is everywhere. The Empire Strikes Back has not only changed how we relate to our favorite movies, but has made a lasting contribution to our very culture.

To commemorate this monumental continuation of the Star Wars™ story, we are proud to reveal the ice world of Hoth – the latest explorable planet in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.

Access the HoloNet to learn more about the pivotal battles in the history of Hoth – and to understand why both the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire are interested in the planet. Check out the video on the Holonet to see Hoth’s brutal blizzards and unique wildlife. Don’t forget to visit the Media Section for never-before-seen screenshots, wallpaper, and concept art showing this barren, desolate landscape.

Check out this Screenshot from the Dev. Team:

We have updated our Concept Art, Screenshot, and Wallpaper Galleries with the new images. We have also added Hoth to our planets section. You can read the entire article here. And make sure you check out the new Holonet entry for Hoth here.

The official website has released another  Fan Friday. These Fan Friday events have turned into quite a nice change from the normal information releases. This weeks Fan Friday is another large update.  Quote from the official site: Take a look at the Developer Corner content we’re featuring today, and see our recap on the European Showcase. Welcome to Fan Friday! Today we’re giving you a look at some inspiring creations from the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ community and sharing an inside look at some work-in-progress content from the Development Team. In addition, we’ll be following up on the Electronic Arts European Press Showcase held in London last week, as well as releasing the latest series of official polls and avatars.

Community Creations:
Fan Art: Community member Colm crafted together some beautiful illustrations in Photoshop. Get a look at these striking pieces in the French thread Sith Humaine, or the English thread Sith Lady.
April’s Unofficial Fan Art Contest: Congratulations to Ion-Silental for winning April’s Unofficial Fan Art Contest! See the contest entries along with the poll results in the Unofficial Fan Art Contest Poll to determine April's winner thread in the forums. Big thanks to community member AuronStarglider for organizing the event!

Developer Corner: We worked with The Old Republic developers to get you a first-hand look at game content that is currently in development.
Video: Take a look at this sample conversation demonstrating depth of field (DOF), or the effect of creating a sense of distance between the nearest and farthest objects. Notice how the focus of the scene is centered on the conversation taking place, and how other objects behind and around the characters decrease in sharpness. Check out the video on the official site.

Events: European Press Showcase: During the 2010 Electronic Arts European Press Showcase last week in London, a variety of press and fan sites from across Europe were invited to participate in a hands-on presentation of the Bounty Hunter on the world of Hutta.

Check out this screenshot from the event:

We have updated our Concept Art, Screenshot, and Wallpaper Galleries with the new images. Head over and check out the entire article here.

Check out the third issue of the Star Wars: The Old Republic online comic, Blood of the Empire. BioWare and LucasArts have once again teamed up with Dark Horse to create this original comic series published entirely online. Blood of the Empire features a new perspective and strong character-driven story written by BioWare’s Senior Writer Alexander Freed and published by Dark Horse. Act 1: Shades of the Sith: Issue 3: The third issue of Blood of the Empire™ chronicles two formidable confrontations--one between Teneb Kel and his former master, Lord Calypho, and another between Teneb Kel and the Dark Council! And what plans do the Emperor and his mysterious apprentice have in store for Teneb? The mission to determine the future of the galaxy begins here.

Check out this clip of the comic: Act 1: Shades of the Sith: Issue 3:

We have added this issue to our galleries, you can read it here, or read the official release here.

I got in really late tonight. I am working on these updates, but falling a little behind. I will finish updating the site tomorrow with this new section. But here are the main points for now. Today we are revealing a new area of the website called Game Systems. This area talks about various features from a gamer’s perspective. Our first section in this new area discusses the Advanced Class System. The Advanced Class System grants you access to unique skills and abilities, and is designed to allow you the flexibility to customize your characters to fit your play style. For example, all Smugglers are lucky, opportunistic swindlers. But, do you want to be the kind of Smuggler that sneaks into the middle of a firefight and quickly blasts away at an opponent from point-blank range? Or do you want to be the kind that keeps to the outskirts of the battle, strategically picking your targets from a distance?

Check out this image:

These are just some of the meaningful choices that the Advanced Class System offers you to personalize – and advance – your character in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™!

We will get this section up as soon as possible. You can check out the entire article on the official site here.