Okay folks, some of you are somewhat new around here, I mean all of you with less than two year old accounts. The starwars.com website has had some major changes over the years, in a way, this blog will take you back in time. You will see how this site evolved over the years and how it became what it is today.
Before the dark times, before the blogs....
We will start our journey in time in good ol' 1996, yes kids, 10 years ago Star Wars already existed online while some of you may have still be pooping yer diapers!
Then we will go year after year through the changes, at some point you will start recognizing the site you now love. So, sit back and enjoy the ride, please keep your hands inside the DeLorean at all times, don't look for the emergency exits cuz there ain't any. Puking bags on your right and left. But if you dare barf, we will have words at the end of the ride. Seriously.
Pages may take a while to load depending on your connection. Unfortunately, not all pictures load but that's beyond my control.

Ready?

0...10...20...30...40...50...60...70...80...83...85...86...87................88MPH!!!

BAM!!!

The first star wars website ever (1996)

Cool eh? like looking at T-Rex bones...Not much design here, cool picture, some parts are hard to read and we got not one but TWO Chewbacca's! But it was just the beginning....

starwars.com 1997

Pretty much the same. It changed in late December, but I count that as the 98' site. Remember, back then things moved much slower than nowadays.

starwars.com 1998

Easier to read, cleaner. Two columns so some design was involved in this one, at least hints of it. I don't know if "Anatomy of a Dewback" was the first video ever posted, but I sure remember watching it. Maybe if an admin sees this can clear that up for us. It took like 3 hours or more to download. Oh, good times!

Go ahead, click on the links. This is an interactive tour.  At least the Dewback one is still functional.

starwars.com 1999

This is the first one I saw.  This design was made in late 1998 and remained throughout 1999. May not look as "cool" or shiny as the new one, but I really love this one, I think mainly for nostalgic reasons. I went into that site to read about Darth Maul and the new Star Wars episode in 16 years.
Star Wars was back!

In mid/late December, accounts started, so the oldest accounts you'll ever see say 12/99. Except for the ex-tech guy The Java Master that has 05/77 as his "Member since" date but yeah...that doesn't count.

starwars.com 2000

The new millennium and with it a new website design. See how much it has evolved in four years? Looks nice, Tatooine themed for obvious reasons. A celebration of Phantom Menace. Episodes II and III still unnamed...much to look forward to for Star Wars fans.

starwars.com 2001

Many things happened in 2001. Spoilers about Episode II, nonsense like an N'Sync cameo and many other things. Of course a new design featuring the new Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader...a hint into the future perhaps?

But not only that, In October 2001
Message boards are introduced!

A place for fans to gather, discuss Star Wars and have fun! My first-ever experience with message boards. I started posting in November of that year and it's been great ever since!

This is how the boards used to look like back then.

Easy and clean, there was no way to know who was a mod, or an admin but after a while you figured it out either by reading Forum Feedback or by getting smacked when doing something inappropriate.  I'm used to the new ones, but for some reason I still miss that design.

starwars.com 2002

CLONES! Clones to the right, clones to the left...clones everywhere! Trailers, music video, web docs....and we got seven versions to go Oooooo....Ahhhhh..... You already saw Jango.

Here are the others:

A Star Wars movie for the first time in IMAX.

starwars.com 2003

New design! Complete overhaul of the site and message boards. Up to this day, the same design remains. What will the last movie ever will be about?! No, it's not about what, it's about HOW. Will we get a chance to see Vader? Will we see him fight? Hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights? Only two years to find out!

starwars.com 2004

Same design, more Episode III info. We learned that Episde III would be called Revenge of the Sith and that George was keeping "Revenge" in the title this time!

But not only that, oh no! Announced in April, a reality in June, 2004 marked a new era on how a movie was presented to its fans...

Hyperspace!

Inside info, in-set webcam, pictures, videos, interviews, set diaries among many other things. Awesome! Star Wars geeks in heaven!

In September, for the first time ever, the Original Trilogy was available in DVD. More changes, Greedo still shoots fir....wait. He never shot Han in 1977. So....In the 2004 edition, Greedo still shoots.

In November we witnessed the first moving images of the last Star Wars movie.

starwars.com 2005

Many of you already visited sw.com by now. Nothing new design-wise. But it has grown on me. The big news in 2005 was obviously Revenge of the Sith. A great conclusion of the most successful saga of all time. Darth Vader was finally born!

But there was more going on online for Hyperspace members. May saw a great addition to the community....

Blogs!

And the Star Wars saga was complete on DVD in November.

starwars.com 2006

The blogging community has expanded fast! Not many news out there but still many things to look forward to in the coming years.

A new site design wouldn't hurt since it's been three years with the same one already, but what do I know, right?

In September the unaltered Original Trilogy will be available for the first and probably last time on DVD, you know you want it. Even if you like the 2004 edition better, come on, you wanted the unaltered, as seen in theaters in 1977, 80 and 83 and that is EXACTLY what you will get. Not restored, color enhanced, Rancor matte lines still there, etc. Unaltered means....yeah! UNALTERED! You asked for it there you have it, so quit yer whining and go buy it! it's a must have and you know it!

What will the future bring? Only the flanneled one knows....

I hope you enjoyed the ride!

Exit only on the right please, check you are not leaving any personal belongings behind because if you do I'll keep them all.

But before you go, take a look at the very first website ever created in history. It was 1979 and good ol' George already had his SW website up and running. Too bad no one could see it back then, but here it is

StarWars.com 1979!