October 19, 2007 - A source close to BioWare confirmed to us today that the studio’s upcoming untitled massively-multiplayer online RPG will be centered around the Star Wars universe, specifically that of Knights of the Old Republic, which the developer released in 2003. The game garnered critical acclaim and spawned a less-popular sequel, released by Obsidian two years later.

The game is being developed by the company’s Austin studio, formed in 2006 and headed by BioWare Creative Director James Ohlen, whose past credits include the first KOTOR, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur Gate’s I and II.

This is not the first Star Wars-related MMORPG: Star Wars Galaxies debuted in the summer of 2003, followed by several expansions. It was generally well-received by fans and critics, but subscriber numbers plunged and never recovered after a controversial gameplay update in 2005. It’s estimated that the game now has fewer than 100,000 subscribers and less than 20,000 active players.

It’s currently unknown whether or not EA, which acquired BioWare last week, will act as publisher for this title, or if the studio had a previous arrangement with another publisher.

Expect the game sometime in 2009.

Source: PrimoTechnology

I'll be the first to admit that this could be just a rehashing of that rumour first "published" in 2006. It's highly improbable, but here's hoping. :D As long as EA doesn't stick its tendrils in, this will be epic.

The ending of KotOR II then the MMO actually fits perfectly into the grand scheme. At the ending, there was dialog concerning a massive war that was about to unfold at the edge of the galaxy, which sounds pretty much like an MMO.

I'm not excited at all by this news. I enjoyed the KotOR games for their storylines and interesting characters. Things that MMOs suck at.

I played KOTOR for story and now i'll have to pay a monthly fee to do so WTF? :(

Star Wars is an ultimate franchise, and with their reputation with KOTOR's storytelling, and other stuff, making their own Star Wars mmorpg would virtually guarantee success.

Quoted for emphasis

The setting is ideal for an MMO (Star Wars is, in general - pity about Galaxies), but the KoToR is renown for its fantastic story, which an MMO will rob from it - unless they can find a way to pull it off.

I shudder to think of the people who put so many variants on spelling "Skie\/\/4lker"...

YES!! Another Star Wars game!



Seriously, BioWare. Seriously.

BioWare At Work On A New KOTOR Awesome. I hope they take a lot of what Obsidian brought the series while maintaining their own level of polish and balance. I love how KotOR 2 added more lightsaber customization options, more feats and powers, fighting styles, and had a much more immediate and palpable atmosphere.

I just need it to have the polish, twist, and finish of the first game.

i for one hope the MMO Kotor rumours die in the ass, we don't need aother MMO, what we need is more Kotor with more side missions, and d/l content through Xbox Live

KOTOR MMO confirmed by Electronic Arts

Massively links to a Portfolio.com article written after an E3 interview with EA chief executive John Riccitiello.

Although this is extremely exciting, isn't the market for these MMOs overly saturated right now? It makes me wonder how all these MMOs are going make any kind of substantial profit with their huge startup investments if the subscriber base is so split up?

Meh, I'm confident that BioWare could do this really well. As long as they give the Star Wars universe its deserved ambience, then it's fine with me. I recently downloaded the trial for Star Wars: Galaxies, and it has to be one of the most characterless games I've ever played.

Give me an authentically seedy Tatooine and a bustling Coruscant and I'll subscribe, for sure.

Still, here's hoping that they consider a Mass Effect MMO after they release Mass Effect 3...providing they do this KotOR MMO well, that is.

Just make a similar complex crafting system like Starwars Galaxies pre-cu and I'm all in.