EA CEO J. Riccitiello: KOTOR MMO Confirmed!

Iakimo · Unread post by **Iakimo** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:14 am

In the scoop that everyone in the gaming press has been trolling for since 2006, Conde Nast's Portfolio.com has induced Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello to spill the beans that they are working on a KOTOR MMO:

"We've got two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry in development," said Riccitiello. The first title, based on the Warhammer property, will launch soon. "And 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."

Does Riccitiello mean the oft rumored Knights of the Old Republic Online? "Yes," he said.

Toucan · Unread post by **Toucan** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:40 am

something about the wording of that doesn't sit right
looks like journalist spin

will gladly eat my words tho!

Iakimo · Unread post by **Iakimo** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:55 am

First report I saw of this was on joystiq.com. The author there wrote the following as an addendum to his original story:

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 â€“ sounds like we can take off our skeptical glasses.

Sounds pretty emphatic to me, which would be appropriate given the amount of rumormongering that has swirled around this topic for the last several years. Personally, I don't think Conde Nast would take too kindly to a tech-news reporter besmirching his finance-news website's reputation by posting hot air.

Still, it would be helpful to see an official Bioware news release. And so far, the moderators on the Bioware Forum are holding to the line, "We don't comment on rumors." Grrr....

Toucan · Unread post by **Toucan** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:11 am

mmmmmm....tasty words.....

Iakimo · Unread post by **Iakimo** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:20 am

lol... indeed!

At any rate, other gaming-news websites are picking up the story now. On IGN.com, they write that they tried to get confirmation from Bioware, but Bioware deferred to LucasArts, who responded, "We don't have anything new to report to you at this time." /sigh... I think the PR flaks are enjoying themselves a wee bit too much.

Iakimo · Unread post by **Iakimo** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:08 am

Watching E3 coverage on G4TV, and they headlined their news show with the statement: "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic confirmed." Details to come, apparently.

Lores · Unread post by **Lores** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:11 am

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6194664.html

Tareel · Unread post by **Tareel** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:06 am

I liked the KOTOR games, but they just weren't Star Wars to me. I need the whole package, from Jedi to Stormtroopers. Having said that, I will do my best to play this game, but I sincerly hope that this will not be the only MMORPG to have the Star Wars name

Iakimo · Unread post by **Iakimo** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:36 pm

Well, the trademark applied for by LucasFilm Ltd. for their MMO is for "Star Wars: The Old Republic," not "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III." So if we want to parse the words, that could be taken to imply a MMO broader than just a Jedi-centric game, and a not-quite-sequel to the KOTOR series.

Alizunder · Unread post by **Alizunder** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:43 pm

Iakimo wrote:Well, the trademark applied for by LucasFilm Ltd. for their MMO is for "Star Wars: The Old Republic," not "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III." So if we want to parse the words, that could be taken to imply a MMO broader than just a Jedi-centric game, and a not-quite-sequel to the KOTOR series.

Another thing to consider is KOTOR isn't just Jedi-centric but also take place the Mando/Sith wars era

Istik · Unread post by **Istik** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:10 pm

After years of Hype, the big announcement that we've all been waiting for is.....

Grim Fandango MMO!

Istik · Unread post by **Istik** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:04 pm

(To translate - EA has announced that BioWare is currently working on the next version of Knights of the Old Republic, and that it will contain a massively multiplayer online component.)

Will that mean its like NWN?

Lexlo · Unread post by **Lexlo** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:40 pm

It is official....

....SWG is over.

Iakimo · Unread post by **Iakimo** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:05 pm

Lexlo wrote:It is official....

....SWG is over.

ROFL... the SWG General Star Wars forum is awash in SW:TOR threads. Fricking hilarious.

Lexlo · Unread post by **Lexlo** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:19 pm

lol, I saw a thread where the OP asked Valara out...lmao

gelfling · Unread post by **gelfling** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:02 am

Lexlo wrote:It is official....

....SWG is over.

I'm not seeing that at this stage. So far it sounds like it will be what we got with the first Neverwinter Nights game and that's not what I am looking for. I definitely want more Star Wars RPG games but what I really want is SWG II set in the same period in the timeline as KOTOR. By Bioware.

Hotblack · Unread post by **Hotblack** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:21 am

Won't be SWG II.

Wont be as open.

More likely going to be exactly what Istik said earlier, Mass Effect/ KOTOR as a MMO.

This will still be VERY good. And if SWG survives the first 6 months it will make it because KOTOR online will NOT be SWG II and all of us who have been praying for a return to the halcyon days pre CU/Pre NGE and been searching for a replacement will be disappointed and will be back.

I've finally concluded that current SWG is the closest to classic SWG I will ever see and it really isnt as bad as all that. The expertise system went a long way to fixing it for me. Apparently the whole come back for a month scheme paid off well as there are quite a few like me.

I still cant believe Im spending the weekend Hologrinding. Its like crack I tell ya.

eirykhi · Unread post by **eirykhi** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:24 am

well hurry upwith my 4/5 sith wp

Flatulance · Unread post by **Flatulance** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:04 am

I agree with hotblack.

And gelf and Istik.

Swg 2 in kotor universe would be awsome, and i think that kotor will be like nwn (which was not bad i prefered baldurs gate) or like the actual kotor game then its gonna be more like a rpg standalone game than a mmorpg.

If they just reskinned swg and updated it. made space bigger, allow capital ships and player run space stations, more solo content, that can actually be done solo'd.

Who knows. I recently been playing lotr mmo.

And realized that the last great rpg I played was morrowind it was a true rpg and fallout 1 and 2. I feel those games have more rpg and do what i want content than swg or lotr.

But to be fair I quite enjoy swg now, i think the graphics are quite good, i just log and faff about on it without accomplishing anything most times I play. If swg could just come out with some kind of large quest at some point that takes weeks/months to complete and just keep upating it and extending it - it would make the game more involving.

The prob is they are restricted so much by the timeline of starwars. I dont know much about it but reckon they cant just start adding stuff that lucas hasnt ok'd etc.

Im in two minds I enjoy faffing about on swg but crave an actual rpg game with a new storyline and aim.

Maybe kotr will offer that maybe not.

But I dont think swg is all that bad, its just boring at times and feels stagnant. Thats why ive stopped sitting for hours and hours playing it. I dont feel im getting anywhere.