"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Sony Online Entertainment just announced that Star Wars Galaxies and the trading card game will be shutting down on December 15, 2011. Here's a list of important dates:

• June 24, 2011: 12, 6 and 3-month subscription packs turned off. TCG store closes.
• September 15, 2011: SWG MMO and Trading Card Game no longer available for sale or subscription. No new or reactivated accounts accepted after this date.
• October 15, 2011: Billing turned off. Free game trials begin.
• December 15, 2011: Star Wars Galaxies service ends.
• December 31, 2011: Free game trials end.

During the last week that Star Wars Galaxies is available, SOE will be inviting the community to participate in a galaxy-ending event. If you're a Star Wars Galaxies subscriber in good standing, you'll be able to play the following games for free from October 15 to December 31: Free Realms, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, EverQuest, EverQuest II and DC Universe Online.

Massively sat down with SOE President John Smedley, and he said "the decision to shut down SWG is first and foremost a business decision mutually agreed upon between SOE and LucasArts. LucasArts has a new game coming out, and the contract would be running out in 2012 anyway, so we feel like it's the right time for the game to end."

Smedley also said the recent hackings and layoffs had nothing to do with it, and no staff members will be losing their jobs because they're being transferred to an "undisclosed new project in Austin."