Rumor: BioWare Unveiling Star Wars MMO Soon

October 3, 2008 8:27 AM

Acclaimed RPG developer BioWare will officially reveal its massively multiplayer Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game later this month, claims CVG.

The publication cites a recent column in UK newspaper The Daily Star, which stated the reporter would soon head off to San Francisco in order to "file an exclusive report on [BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic MMO.]"

After months of rumors, studio owner EA confirmed that BioWare Austin was indeed working on a massively-multiplayer effort set in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic universe, which takes place 4000 years before the beloved film series. No platforms have been announced for the game.

The Knights of the Old Republic universe was popularized through two Xbox and PC RPGs--the first developed by BioWare, the second handled by Obsidian.

According to EA CEO John Riccitiello, the Star Wars MMO is one of the "two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry"--the other being EA Mythic's recently launched Warhammer Online (PC)--and is "quite possibly the most anticipated game, full stop, for the industry."

Chris Faylor

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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Jonathan

 reply
October 3, 2008 8:28 AM

Pretty Please.
- Jonathan
  
   reply
  October 3, 2008 8:30 AM
  
  Ok. Not what I wanted to post but The Daily Star? Really? Well I suppose they're the mostly likely to not understand not leaking something like this. So I'm hoping it's true but I'd be surprised.
  - bstrad
    
     reply
    October 3, 2008 8:34 AM
    
    Here's hoping. This is probably the game I'm looking forward to the most at the moment.
    - Jonathan
      
       reply
      October 3, 2008 8:37 AM
      
      The Daily Star is saying 2009... They'd have to be announcing closed betas early next year.
      - bstrad
        
         reply
        October 3, 2008 8:38 AM
        
        2009? That's only what? 3 years development time for an mmo? I knew Bioware was good, but are they that good?
        
        Link.
        
         reply
        October 3, 2008 8:44 AM
        
        Do we know if it's been in development since 2006? This could be have been in the planning states for much longer. Three years for dev time before an external beta is standard.
        
        tidic
        
         reply
        October 3, 2008 9:47 AM
        
        Hypothesis:
        
        1. They were using the HeroEngine from Simultronics which may have negated a year or more's work designing thier own engine.
        
        2. Alot of the conceptual work will have been helped by Kotor 1 and 2 and of course the vast source material that exists in starwars land.
        
        Still optimistic, as MMOs slip more than a drunk on ice I'd say 2010. But I got high hopes that Bioware can come up with a compelling MMO with a little more depth than Blizzard's finest when it does come about.
        
        bstrad
        
         reply
        October 3, 2008 10:06 AM
        
        I just hope that no one at Bioware Austin has played SWG. I wouldn't want for them to be influenced by it in any way. That is unless their intention is to make sure that they don't make the same mistakes.
        
        ReiMomo
        
         reply
        October 3, 2008 5:24 PM
        
        They did license the hero engine: http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/4349/BioWare-Gets-a-Hero-Engine
        
        WAR was done in 3 years, although Mythic has tons of MMO experience, and was mid-stream in development of another MMO when they switched to the Warhammer license.
        
        PS: Mark Jacobs, where is my "Pax Imperator" fan unlock from the BoK? :)