KOTOR
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Top 10 things we all want in a KotOR MMO
The Knights of the Old Republic MMO concept has been laid out there, despite no "official" announcement, and excitement is brewing everywhere. What would this MMO bring to the table? How would they successfully create another Star Wars-based online world and make it at least competitive in today's crowded MMO market? Enter IGN's "Top 10 Things We Want in a KOTOR MMO" list. This list was compiled by the folks on IGN's PC Team to let us know what they think would make the game exciting and successful. Some of the features they've cited include space combat comparable to TIE Fighter, player-run territories (planets?) and no over-saturation of Jedis. Check out the complete list at their site for more, and let us know what you'd add to that list.
The Digital Continuum: Six planets KOTORO shouldn't be without
There are many worlds to explore in the Star Wars universe. Some are nothing but deserts, while others are covered completely by a single city. So how do you decide which planets to include in something like the upcoming KOTOR MMO? Well, you could just flippantly choose the ones that appeal to you the most, or spend way too much of your time researching planets to figure out which ones would suit both MMO gameplay and lore the best. I went with the latter choice for this week's Digital Continuum. Feel free to click the image above and read through the results.%Gallery-31316%
The Daily Grind: would you want a moral compass?
A survey that asked for player feedback on several hypothetical City of Heroes features included the possibility of a 'rogue' system, in which your character's actions in the game would dictate whether they swing to the hero side, the villain side, or a grey area inbetween. At present, heroes and villains are stamped as such from character creation onward, and the story arcs treat you as one or the other, with no moral ambiguity.In the KOTOR games, of which an MMO version is now on the cards, characters can veer towards the light or dark side by means of their actions. You choose a side in the course of play, not by making an irrevocable choice at character creation.Would you like to see a 'moral compass' system in any of the MMOs you play? Does the idea of corrupting a 'good' character or redeeming an 'evil' one appeal? Does it enrich a game to have meaningful moral choices that shape your character's affiliation? Or does such a system inevitably lock you in to the game's idea of good and evil, rather than allowing you to determine your own alignment?
LucasArts hiring testers for extra-super-secret MMO
At this point, we think it's pretty safe to call BioWare's KOTOR MMO the absolute worst-kept secret in gaming. After all, the game was all but announced during E3. (That's when EA boss John Riccitiello confirmed it was in the works, you see.) Now comes word that LucasArts is hiring testers with MMO experience. Hmmm.Specifically, the job posting states that candidates will "test MMO games for bugs" and "strive to help make a competitive MMO." Really, now? It's something listed under the job requirements that has stirred up some intrigue, though. In order to get the testing gig, applicants must have "strong familiarity and experience with gaming consoles and Windows based PCs." So, the KOTOR MMO is multi-platform? Oh, you crazy secret-keepers.[TheForce.net via Massively]
LucasArts looking for PC and console MMO testers
If you somehow still weren't convinced -- or in denial -- about the reality of a KOTOR MMO, here's some further proof of the matter. It's very compelling evidence but what's most interesting about the job requirements is this bit, "Strong familiarity and experience with gaming consoles, and Windows based PC's." Should we be expecting to hear the eventual announcement of an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 KOTOR MMO? Seems like.The good side of this news is you could meet the criteria LucasArts has set for a tester and be one of the first people to play the game. The bad news is that a new single-player KOTOR seems unlikely to be in anyone's current future. So if you're not initially sold on a massively multiplayer KOTOR, hopefully BioWare will actually own up to their claim of trying something different and change your mind in the long-run.
The Daily Grind: The MMO you're most looking forward to
There are so many upcoming MMOs to anticipate, we honestly can't say which one we're looking forward to most. Champions Online looks like good fun (with a good sense of humor!), DC Universe Online has us wowed with its array of super powers (that thing where you can freeze someone in a block of ice and throw them around? We're led to understand it never gets old.), Wrath of the Lich King is sure to turn our attention back to Blizzard (we may or may not have the beta client open as we type -- we'd never admit it if we did), Warhammer Online is just around the corner, Star Trek Online calls to the inner geek in all of us, and Knights of the Old Republic Online (or whatever it might be called) is a siren's song to any geeks not falling head over heels for STO. We're in such a state of giddiness over upcoming games, we can't quite determine which one we're most excited about -- and that's where you come in. Which of the many new titles out there are you most looking forward to?
Star Wars Retrospective: Episode VII visits the Empire's shadows, the old republic
GameTrailers starts with the galaxy far, far away's near past, and then goes deep into the history books in its latest Star Wars Retrospective episode. This time around the excellent series starts by taking a look at Shadows of the Empire, an action game which fills in a piece of the story between the movies Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The rest of the episode delves deep into the past and covers the Knights of the Old Republic RPG games, which take place millennia before Luke and Leia were even a dirty thought in Darth Vader's mind. And if anybody complains that we should have put a spoiler alert there, we hope the cave you've been living in for the last 25 years has central heat and air. Check out the 24-minute retrospective episode after the break.[Thanks Andy]
The Digital Continuum: Five KOTOR MMO Jedi counter-measures
With the less-than-grandiose announcement that Electronic Arts, BioWare and Lucas Arts are working together on a KOTOR MMO, I've found myself pondering the game that until now was nothing but a rumor. Granted, I already thought about the game quite a lot even before it was the now more official affair.There are no two ways about it. Star Wars as an MMO presents developers with a tough issue: how to deal with the Jedi class. I still think that one of the many mistakes with Star Wars Galaxies was setting it during the original trilogy, where Jedi were almost non-existent. I got the draw of the setting, but for an MMO it really didn't cater to the fervent desire to roll a Obi-wanna be character. Yet I also feel like it's a mistake making Jedi readily available without presenting players with other options that are equally appealing. Neo-futuristic-magical-samurai with energy swords aren't a hard sale for most players choosing which class they want to play. Thankfully, BioWare seems to have chosen itself a wonderfully powerful loop-hole: Knights of the Old Republic.
KOTOR MMO confirmed by Electronic Arts
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/KOTOR_MMO_confirmed_by_Electronic_Arts'; We've had plenty of speculation -- lots and lots of it -- but now we've got confirmation from Electronic Arts chief executive John Riccitiello that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is indeed getting a massively multiplayer online iteration. Portfolio.com has the story. The article quotes Riccitiello as saying, "... the one that people are dying for us to talk to them about -- in partnership with Lucas, coming out of BioWare, which is, I think, quite possibly the most anticipated game, full stop, for the industry at the point when we get closer to telling you about it." When directly asked if this was confirmation of Knights of the Old Republic Online, the executive said simply, "yes".You can commence the freaking out now.
EA: LucasArts and BioWare building KOTOR MMO
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/LucasArts_and_BioWare_building_KOTOR_MMO'; Portfolio.com just published a short excerpt of its interview with EA boss John Riccitiello who tells the site that it's "got two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry in development" including "the one that people are dying for us to talk to them about -- in partnership with Lucas, coming out of BioWare." One doesn't need to connect too many dots to arrive at the conclusion that BioWare is returning to the Star Wars universe with a Knights of the Old Republic MMO.Of course, this product has been rumored for ... well, for a long time. Separately confirming a BioWare / LucasArts collaboration and a BioWare MMO project lead to certain obvious conclusions and countless other rumors and leaks seemed to do everything but confirm (and some denied) the project's existence. Though it would appear Riccitiello wasn't quite ready to put a name on that project – it's Portfolio.com connecting those dots – by referencing that this is the game that "people are dying for us to talk to them about" he clearly seems to be pointing to KOTOR.[Update: We've just spoken with N. Evan Van Zelfden, the writer of the report, who told us that when asked specifically if this game was "KOTOR Online", Riccitiello responded unequivocally, "Yes." So, there you have it – sounds like we can take off our skeptical glasses.]
E308: BioWare says there is no KOTOR MMO (wink)
We just saw BioWare show off their new Dragon Age: Origins here at E3, and while that singleplayer game looks great (imagine a Mass Effect game set in the world of Baldur's Gate), we did spring the requisite massively multiplayer question on them for you. At the very end of the Q&A session with developer Dan Tudge after the demo, the PR rep told us there was just "time for one more question," and we threw it out there: "So, how's the Knights of the Old Republic MMO coming?"There was silence in the room for a moment. Tudge quietly said, "I... have no idea what you're talking about," and then everyone laughed as the PR rep nervously said, "Good answer." Tudge added, "You're asking me that in front of my boss?" And so we revised the question: Dragon Age has a very MMO-style design -- there's a minimap in the upper right, party portraits in the upper left, and a bar with icons for skills across the bottom. Does BioWare really want to make an MMO? "The interface looked like Baldur's Gate to me," said Tudge cooly. "The real question is, how much of the MMOs did Baldur's Gate influence?"Touché. But we left the press conference with a smile, a special secret that we'll share with you now. As much as Tudge was thrown off by the question, as much as the PR flack was aghast that we asked it, we did leave with this satisfactory piece of information: they didn't, in point of fact, deny. Did you enjoy this? Check out all of our E3 coverage as the week rolls forward!
New Lucasfilm trademarks sound suspiciously KotOR MMO-like
Lucasfilm has registered a number of new trademarks, including Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Old Republic, Star Wars Legends, and Star Wars Sagas. This news is interesting as is, but it gets really juicy when you read the type of patent and its description: "Entertainment services provided on-line by means of global and local area networks, namely, providing interactive computer game software, interactive video game software and interactive computer games and interactive video games, all on-line by means of global and local area networks ... "That sounds awfully MMO-like, doesn't it? It's not even remotely conclusive though. It could be another kind of multiplayer, or it could even be some kind of web-based community service connected to a single-player game; the patent description suggests that it's also for news and "fan club services."That said, it could be the fabled, BioWare Austin-developed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMO. We suppose it all depends on just how badly you want to believe![Via Kotaku]
BioWare eyeing iPhone development
Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, the developer of such epics as Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic confirmed that it is looking into games of a much smaller (physical) scale. Specifically, BioWare co-CEO Greg Zeschuk states that he finds Apple's iPhone "intriguing" as a games platform. Mind you, he's not saying development is underway, but he is a fan."Something that's as big a cultural and technical success as the iPhone is something you've really got to take a close look at," explains Zeschuk, adding that, "We've got a lot of folks looking at it." Zechuk's statements come just a few days after the project lead on BioWare's Nintendo DS RPG, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, revealed that the company is also investigating Wii and PSP dvelopment. Now BioWare just needs to look into developing for those LCD games you see at mall kiosks and it'll have all bases covered.
BioWare MMO release window revealed, KotOR rumors persist
Total Video Games has a new scoop about BioWare's mysterious MMO project. The site reports that Electronic Arts' CEO told investors that his company is funding an MMO in Austin. Of course, that's a no brainer. Since BioWare is owned by EA now, we assumed that much. But he want on to say that the MMO is slated for a release in "the fiscal 2010/2011." That means it's coming between April 2010 and March 2011. It'll be a long wait; how sad! That's not all, though.There's also the rumor that will not -- cannot die. An alleged disgruntled ex-LucasArts employee (the "ex" bit because of the recent layoffs) e-mailed gaming blog Kotaku saying that one of the projects "in the pipeline" at LucasArts is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3. That alone is no surprise, since LucasArts and BioWare announced a new collaboration months ago, but ... he also said that KotOR 3 is an MMO. Oh noes! Not that rumor again! Well, anyway, we're sure our very intelligent readers know to take with a kilogram of salt the paraphrased words of an alleged disgruntled former employee. Right?
Rumor: Further evidence of Star Wars: KOTOR MMO discovered
1UP recently added some fuel cells to the fire of the relatively aged rumor that the result of Bioware and LucasArts' recent collaboration is an MMORPG which takes place in the long-winded universe of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. While one could make a case for and against this claim, a script for the game, which apparently landed in the laps of 1UP's digital ink slingers, could prove conclusive evidence for the online epic -- if it's completely legit, that is.The script details the online game as a "role-playing game set in the historical past of the Star Wars universe," where "Jedi and Sith battle across the galaxy." While those two phrases could apply to many chapters of the Star Wars mythos, the tipster who submitted the script was convinced it carried Bioware's trademark verbosity. We're confused -- how will we be expected to spend hours mindlessly grinding and spawn camping with all of that dialog getting in our way? Hopefully they'll fix that in beta.[Via Massively]
1UP thinks the Force is with the BioWare MMO (again)
We cannot foresee the details of BioWare's MMO; shrouded in mystery they are. The biggest rumor has always been that it's based on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic IP. And what a ride that rumor has been. Just since the beginning of this year it's already been falsely confirmed once and denied twice.It's the most popular nonexistent game in the known universe, but is it really nonexistent after all? Oh no, here we go again! As our own Mike Schramm commented after the most recent denial: "If you strike this rumor down, it will only come back more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Prophetic words, those.A tipster sent 1UP an excerpt from an MMO script, allegedly from within BioWare. The script doesn't sound very MMO-like, but according to 1UP's Steve Watts, it resembles dialogue in previous BioWare works, and it's "set in the historical past of the Star Wars universe." Sounds like KotOR to us! 1UP poked LucasArts for a comment, and basically got the "no comment" comment.
Rumor: KOTOR III Concept Art?
Long the source of many rumors and much speculation, the possibility of KOTOR III being a real project just became a bit clearer. With the rumor mill spinning anew, we bring you latest loose talk, that is, possible KOTOR III concept art. Discovered in a hidden folder on the concept artist's website, the art showcases everything from main characters to droids and ships. Now when we saw that news for the first time, we got excited, thinking this had to be real, that no one can fake good concept art. Well, this stuff is the real deal, but perhaps not in the way we would have wanted. See, it's dated from almost four years ago, in early/mid 2004. Now a quick wiki check reveals that KOTOR II was released in 2005, and that much of that game was left on the cutting room floor to ensure a holiday release. So in all likelihood these concepts are from that game, just never used. Still, it's nice concept art, and we'd love to be proved wrong, as we've said before: Bioware + Mass Effect tech + KOTOR IP = Massive Win.%Gallery-17065%
The Digital Continuum: Star Wars mystery developer
In the last couple of weeks, a lot has changed in the future outlook for upcoming massively games over the next few years. Marvel Universe Online is officially canceled, but in its place rises Champions Online like a shining beacon for fans of the superhero MMO -- although there is always the chance that Marvel could continue to pursue MUO with another developer.However, the change I'm most curious about involves the Star Wars IP, which according to rumors is definitely being developed, but not by Sony Online Entertainment or Bioware. If true, that changes a lot of things. It partly changes Bioware's upcoming massively game into something else entirely. However, the biggest change is that a Star Wars MMO is coming, but from somebody we haven't thought of yet. After the many woes of Star Wars Galaxies and the later success World of Warcraft has seen financially -- Lucas Arts wouldn't want this done in any way other than impeccably well.So then, who have they chosen?
BioWare strikes down latest KotOR rumor
Yesterday we ran a story about an EA report that appeared to quietly announce that BioWare is working on a new Knights of the Old Republic game. That was pertinent to MMOs because BioWare is making an MMO at its Austin studio, and people have been speculating that it might be based on the KotOR IP.Well, BioWare got in touch with the Joystiq network to let us know that everyone's been jumping the gun; it turns out that the EA report was referring only in a general fashion to the KotOR IP (to demonstrate "the pedigree of the studio"). EA did not intend to imply that any specific new title is in development. So there goes the basis for the latest KotOR rumor.
New KOTOR rumor just that
The rumor mill was spinning at a manic pace yesterday thanks to a little analyst report from one of the biggest companies in the business, EA. The KOTOR listing after BioWare's name in the slide from John Riccitello's presentation told many of us that our prayers had been answered, and that the series had returned from whence it had come. Yet fate said that this was not to be. For you see, being less romantic about the subject than us, an EA PR representative told the press that the slide did not in fact refer to games in development, but rather "it addresses future and past titles" and that it's more of a company's pedigree than it's work order. As horrible as this news is there is actually a silver lining, that MMO they're still developing could still be Star Wars themed, and so (as niche as that corner of the universe is) there's still hope for a KOTOR MMO.As a side note, this effectively kills the speculation over the continuation of the White Council project, as well as the rumored Black sequel and any other craziness that may have come out of the analyst meeting. Though there is always the possibility that it's all true and that the EA PR department exploded yesterday and went into damage control mode, with this being the result. PR departments have done crazier things.
