Originally posted by DeaconX

http://www.primotechnology.com/2007/10/19/biowares-upcoming-mmo-based-in-kotor-universe/

BioWare’s Upcoming MMO Based in KOTOR Universe

By Alex Petraglia on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 10:00 AM EST  

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.

Editor’s Note- As no media from the game has yet been made available, the screenshot above is from the first KOTOR title.

Very nice find.

Originally posted by JagerMichael

Originally posted by DeaconX

http://www.primotechnology.com/2007/10/19/biowares-upcoming-mmo-based-in-kotor-universe/

BioWare’s Upcoming MMO Based in KOTOR Universe

By Alex Petraglia on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 10:00 AM EST  

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.

Editor’s Note- As no media from the game has yet been made available, the screenshot above is from the first KOTOR title.

Very nice find.

OMFG IF THIS IS TRUE IM GOING TO CUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS THANK YOU GOD!!!

If true, this is great news. As much as I was intrigued by SWG (I still play, since I have the Station Access service), the game wasn't everything I wanted.

What would having a KOTOR mean for SWG?

Hopefully it happens, because I think Star Wars still is perfect fodder for an MMO. IMHO, I've always felt MMOs should have themes, topics, etc. that the gamer knows/understands/relates to. I think that is the strength of games like DDO, LOTOR, WOW, EQ/EQ2, etc ... with WOW's other strength being the ease/simplicity of gameplay.

I can only hope its semi-true; at least the part about the mmog being set in the Star Wars universe, because I was going to cry if they tried making a Jade Empire based mmog. That game kind of sucked.

+Also, I want to be an alien.

++Also, Star Wars is a great universe for a mmog to take place in, and somebody better do it justice while its still alive.

Wow, if that's true that it'll be a KOTOR MMO, I'll be ecstatic.  That'd be exactly what I was hoping for.

This isnt new.  This news was posted months ago.  Everyone pretty much took it and ran with it and Bioware has denied any claim to those statements.

this is just another FUD speculation by a different poster. 

*edit* my bad. this new leak was stated as "today".  Sorry, just cannot believe it.  Reason being, there are sources that are actually within bioware that have no clue what the IP will be based on. 

this sounds like wishfull thinking.  However, im glad to see more so-called "announcements" on this by non Bioware members.  Maybe it will force them to come out and confirm or deny these claims.

but the date on it is october 19th 2007

Originally posted by tkreep

but the date on it is october 19th 2007

it is. my bad.  it just reads exactly like the announcement that was made earlier this year on another site. 

Keep in mind, this is EA now. Yeah EA has a new CEO but the same actions that occurred under Probst are still occuring. Until EA can prove it can run its own MMO's I'm not getting my hopes up.

Now this is already at least the third time the Kotor Online rumour appears in a gaming magazine or on a gaming website.

Other rumours about the Bioware MMORPG have so far only appeared on message boards, which gives them much less weight.

Hence I am also pretty sure that we will see a Kotor Online of some sorts. Makes perfect sense to keep such a game secret, since both SWG and Bioware are so famous that no long marketing campaign is needed to win the community over.

Probably will be something very story/quest driven, much like Lotro, but with players being able to choose both the good and evil sites.

Whether the game will good remains to be seen. If it is a great game, people will say it's because of Bioware. If it will be a poor game, then people will say it's because of EA. Fan communities are an odd thing.

Located in a longtime hub of game development, BioWare Austin already has a veteran management team in place. James Ohlen, BioWare's current creative director and former lead designer of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights, will become lead designer at the one-game shop. Richard Vogel, former SOE vice president of product development and a senior producer at Origin when Ultima Online launched, has also been offered a high-ranking position. Also on board is another MMORPG vet, Gordon Walton, a former VP at both SOE and Electronic Arts. The studio is also filling positions for programmers, designers, artists, animators, writers, and world-builders.

thats suppose to be some of the developers in the mmo team. Maybe it is a KOTOR mmo since theres a guy from kotor team and another dude from SOE who had experience in the SWG mmo. I am not sure but its something.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6145813.html

Trust me, This is a KOTOR MMO,

sources close to Bioware confirms it, IF the EA Buyout did NOT significantly change things (and this is so little possiblity imo) This game is a KOTOR MMO.

we should hear the IP before Xmas.

It surely makes every sense for it to be KOTOR

...

I myself would prefer Forgotten Realms, but i guess KOTOR is the second best

KOTOR online would make me wet my pants....

KOTOR or not does anyone know if this next-gen mmo from bioware will be cross-platform like for PS3 and 360.  I would realy rather play it on my PS3 or 360 because I found it realy comfortable when i played final fantasy 11 on my 360. Plus I dont have to worry about PC requirments.

Originally posted by solaris777

Trust me, This is a KOTOR MMO,

sources close to Bioware confirms it, IF the EA Buyout did NOT significantly change things (and this is so little possiblity imo) This game is a KOTOR MMO.

we should hear the IP before Xmas.

Even though I hope its out in 2009 but I doubt it.  I never seen a mmo release on the first proposed date. 

Originally posted by tkreep

Originally posted by solaris777

Trust me, This is a KOTOR MMO,

sources close to Bioware confirms it, IF the EA Buyout did NOT significantly change things (and this is so little possiblity imo) This game is a KOTOR MMO.

we should hear the IP before Xmas.

Even though I hope its out in 2009 but I doubt it.  I never seen a mmo release on the first proposed date. 

but np, for Kotor i can wait until 2030

Originally posted by tkreep

KOTOR or not does anyone know if this next-gen mmo from bioware will be cross-platform like for PS3 and 360.  I would realy rather play it on my PS3 or 360 because I found it realy comfortable when i played final fantasy 11 on my 360. Plus I dont have to worry about PC requirments.

I have to ask.

Why is everyone hung up on KotOR? What makes anyone think that the aspects of the game that made it a great/fun/duck single player game would translate well, if at all, to an MMO format?

Or is it some naive belief that, despite a decade of evidence to the contrary, Bioware will suddenly be the devs that magically do everything right?