EA talks tough on The Old Republic vs. WoW
It's not hard to imagine the executives at Electronic Arts in the shoes of Luke Skywalker at the end of Return of the Jedi: deep in uncharted territory, surrounded by foes at the eleventh hour, their eyes fixated on the prize that is a giant lightsaber-driven payoff currently resting comfortably on the arm of Emperor Blizzard's throne.
These days it seems like you can't have a conversation about Star Wars: The Old Republic without also having one about World of Warcraft, and whether that's due to the incessant fan comparisons or the tough talk by BioWare and EA bigwigs regarding Blizzard's behemoth, it is, to quote a certain wrinkly old Sith lord, unavoidable.
The latest entry in the intergalactic e-peen contest comes courtesy of EA Games' Frank Gibeau. In an interview with Industry Gamers, Gibeau wastes little time in proclaiming Star Wars as the world's largest IP "in terms of audience size" and also equates WoW's quest-driven gameplay with a trip to the local supermarket. "You go and do your quests, but it feels more like doing a shopping list at times. [Our game] is more about talking to characters, learning what's going on, investing in it, getting emotionally attached to it," Gibeau says. Whether or not BioWare's story-warriors ultimately manage to launch a couple of proton torpedoes up Blizzard's thermal exhaust port, we're pretty sure the war of words is just getting started.
