[UltimateBMW]

Thats right, yesturday at 2:00PM PST Bioware announced their rumored upcoming MMO in conjunction with LucasArts. Enjoy!

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Star-War...news-2806.html

Today LucasArtslucasarts and BioWare revealed one of the industry’s worst kept secrets ever... Star Wars: The Old Republic

Korriban Landing PlatformSome would probably say, "it’s about time" while others may smirk and whisper a well-deserved "no kidding." But no matter what, the cat is out of the bag with the official announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic, a joint MMOGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massively_multiplayer_online_game venture between LucasArts and famed developer BioWarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioWare . Set in the Knights of the Old Republic timeframe, the upcoming massively multiplayer onlinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_game PC game promises "immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters." Can someone say w00t?

But why choose the KOTORhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotor setting? "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the most critically acclaimed Star Wars game in LucasArts history and a preeminent example of our company’s interactive storytelling heritage,” said Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts. “For a long time, we’ve wanted to return to the franchise in a grand way, and we felt that the best setting for it was an online world that would allow millions of people to participate in the experience together. We knew that the developer capable of working with us to deliver an engrossing story with a fully-realized online world was BioWare.”

Taking place thousands of years before Anakin Skywalkerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anakin_Skywalker becomes the villainous Darth Vader and 300 years after the latest KOTOR game, players will experience the Star Wars universe when the war raging between the Sithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sith Empire and the Old Republic divides the entire galaxy. Although players can chose to play Sith or Jedi, LucasArts says that other meaningful, classic classes will be available as well. Players will even befriend NPCs along their journey, and will either fight alongside the player or turn against them, depending on the player’s actions. Because the Old Republic is a massively multiplayer game, players will be able to team up with other gamers to "battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat."

Tython Mining Droid“Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars - combat, exploration and character progression,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and General Manager/CEO of BioWare and General Manager/Vice President of Electronic Arts Inc., “In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’re fusing BioWare’s heritage of critically-acclaimed storytelling with the amazing pedigree of Lucasfilmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucasfilm and LucasArts, and adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a triple-A massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in a very exciting, dynamic period in the Star Wars universe.”

Currently LucasArts and BioWare have not announced a release date for the MMOG, however LucasArts’ other MMOG Star Wars Galaxieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy remains afloat. Launched in 2003, over one million units of Star Wars Galaxies have been sold, and currently three expansion packs are available as well. In 2005 LucasArts and SOE implemented the New Game Enhancements, thus causing a negative backlash from its subscribers. Many reports have claimed that subscription rates are down, and online headcounts have dipped below 11,000 at one time.

It will be interesting to see how Star Wars: The Old Republic will affect Star Wars Galaxies: will current subscribers check out the new game and return, or will subscription rates drop to the point where SOE decides to shut down the servers. Hopefully both MMOGs can coexist however highly unlikely given BioWare’s previous history with the Star Wars universe.

Tython TrooperLucasArts claims that more details will be revealed at a later date. In the meantime, PC.IGN has a hands-on preview with The Old Republic, stemming from their visit to BioWare’s Austin office.

-

-

[Crimson92]

i am pissed to the core...i was looking foreward to a new kotor...and got a pos mmo


knock knock, hey lucasarts ever hear of final fantasy 11

[LilFingers]

Not shocking I think it was the worst kept secret that it was going to be an MMO, though I agree i'd rather see a new KOTR game. I wonder how jedi heavy its going to be.

[UltimateBMW]

Originally Posted by Crimson92

i am pissed to the core...i was looking foreward to a new kotor...and got a pos mmo


knock knock, hey lucasarts ever hear of final fantasy 11

There are a few reasons why they chose to go the MMO route. First and foremost... piracy. Its damn near impossible to pirate and play a MMO on a live server. (and who would want to play one on a private server? boring) Secondly, if they chose to make it a normal KOTOR game, this iteration being KOTOR3, they would have to make plans all the way up to releasing a KOTOR6. It was stated that TOR is going to have more content in it alone than every other game they have ever made put together would have. That is damn impressive if true. So, instead of doing 3 more additional KOTOR games, they are doing 1 MMO that will be constantly updated and improved on over time. Basically, you'll still get your storyline but you can play through it with other poeple now. And the story is where they are focusing here. Which takes me to point three, there are two things to mention about the story aspect of the game. Most MMOs in todays market are very poor story-content wise. What they are trying to do with TOR is create a story heavy MMO where you arent arbitrarily killing 15 wolves, you are killed 10 stormtroopers that ravagers your neighbor. Something that has significance to your toon or player. They will also provide quests that you can manipulate. Instead of killing 10 stormtroopers, maybe you can find another way of gettin the quest completed... manipulate someone else to do it, or manipulate the quest giver that you did do the task when you actually did not (mind trick?). The other STORY related benefit of doing an MMO is that they want the choices you make (light or dark) to matter. They don't want you to be able to save the game and replay it over to see both sides' endings. And the choices you make in the quests while you level in the game are apparently going to make a significant difference in your character, probably the abilities he has, and how it is played.

This all amounts to great potential for a phenominal game. Don't let the acronym MMO taint it just because of the common stereotype they have been associated with until now.

[BMWinNorthdakota]

....can't fucking wait.