By now we’ve all heard the joint press release from BioWare and LucasArts saying they’re collaborating on an “interactive entertainment product.” Which we all presume will be another Star Wars MMORPG, most likely set in the Knights of the Old Republic era since that’s been BioWare’s area of expertise.
This second bit of info may be bogus since it’s allegedly a copy from an email but here goes anyway:
Important news re: Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures
From: LucasArtsStore.com
Sent: Thu 10/25/07 10:22 AM
Dear Customer,We regret to announce that Lucasarts will no longer be producing Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures as a physical retail package on CD or DVD. We will therefore cancel your pending order for this item. As direct downloading of this game eliminates the need for shipping costs and shipping lead times, we hope this is a satisfactory alternative for you. We again apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.
Sincerely,
LucasArtsStore (StarWarsShop)
Customer Service
Ouch! This might be reading into things, but could LucasArts possibly be in the initial stages of severing their ties to Star Wars Galaxies altogether? SWG is still a Star Wars product and just because KOTOR Online (KOTORO?) (come to think of it, I’m sick of tacking “Online” to end end of MMO titles already) will be the “new shiny” doesn’t mean SWG will just suddenly die and go offline. Hell, the Matrix Online proves that Station Access alone can keep comatose titles on life support. On the other hand, it’s a rare day to see SWG boxes on store shelves these days because it just isn’t selling so this could just be a prudent marketing decision; after all, the digital download is still offered. I see this as a much more probable explanation. I just don’t see LucasArts giving up control of SWG unless they outright order SOE to put it out to pasture. Boy, oh boy, would the SWG Emu ever get some major attention if that happened! 
One thing I have noticed on forums (MMORPG.com mostly, I don’t dare venture into the SOE forums) is that the SWG vets (aside from being entirely too adamant in their SOE hatred and just need to let it go already) miss the Pre-CU/NGE days not because it was Star Wars but because it had depth; it had complexity; it was the closest thing to a workable “sandbox” game we’ve seen. Let’s face it, once you got past the graphics and the John Williams soundtrack, SWG wasn’t very Star Warsy at all. Nearly four and a half years after launch, it still has aspects that were never finished that even the NGE didn’t touch, and there’s quite a bit of clunkiness to the whole experience. Let’s say BioWare manages to nail the Star Wars “feel.” Does that imply KOTORO (ok, that’s twice and I’m annoyed at the Zorro-sounding acronym already) will bring back those customers that SOE lost? I doubt it. BioWare will probably take a page from Justin Timberlake’s book and “bring the RPG back” to the MMORPG genre since that is, above all else, what they do best. But they’re partnered with EA, and regardless of all the “kinder, gentler EA” stuff their public relations department spits out, EA is all about the bottom line and that means going for the mass market. That, in turn, means a lot of hand-holding and linear game-play, just like we’re accustomed to already. The whole “sandbox” thing is very much unproven territory. The hardcore might like it, but catering to them alone is dangerous grounds with this IP’s last hurrah in the MMO space. No, I see quest icons over NPC’s heads, level numbers over our character’s heads, crafting and profession instructors, being directed to new areas, etc. Everything we’re used to seeing now with one exception: a great story line to the quests and over-arching stories in the background to participate in. LOTRO taken to the next level or beyond, in that regards.
On a side note, Lucas has done well timing extracurricular products such as video games to coincide with the release of his own projects. Has it ever occurred to anyone that perhaps BioWare is making their 2009 release of a Star Wars MMO set in the “Expanded Universe” time line (set in the years between Episodes III and IV) that would coincide with Lucas’ 2009 debut of his Star Wars live-action television series? Just curious…
Tags: KOTOR, MMORPG, SWG
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