'Star Wars: The Old Republic' MMO Revealed

Posted by John Manalang - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:15 PM

The wait is finally over! The first details of EA and BioWare's long-kept secret MMO project, Star Wars: The Old Republic were revealed moments ago at a press conference is still underway in San Francisco.

SWTOR is based on the Knights of the Old Republic universe from BioWare's Xbox and PC creations. The Old Republic is a "story-driven MMO," and Bioware jokes that The Old Republic is KOTOR 3,4,5 and beyond.

The Old Republic is BioWare's first take into the MMORPG world. BioWare said that each player in the upcoming MMO will have their own unique story, where again, consequences will be faced whether the player chooses to walk the path of light or delve into the dark side.

BioWare's Greg Zeschuk said during the press event that companion characters in The Old Republic would play a significant role. Much like the support characters in the past KOTOR titles, whether the players decides to become a Sith Lord or a Jedi Knight, companion characters will change according to the player's decisions.

Players can embark on their new Star Wars journey through the Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic, each supporting multiple sub-classes with unique storylines. Game art director Jeff Dobson said that his team focused on making each character in the game iconic to promote each class further to players. So, creating our very own Han Solo and Boba Fett could be very possible indeed.

According to Zeschuk, his team is currently "working hard" to bring us the title and for now, Star Wars: The Old Republic will be available for the PC.

So, it's been confirmed folks. BioWare's next Star Wars project is indeed a MMO title. Are you happy with the decision, or would you rather have seen a Knights of the Old Republic 3 RPG game? Let us know, but as for us, we're already contemplating on how our lives will revolve around this title when it launches.

The game's official website is now live.

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Tags: PC Gaming, Videogames

Comment(s)

Posted by n00bSector5 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:30 PM

I swear I posted a comment on this last week sometime...

Still, mucho cool.

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Posted by sparky - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:32 PM

I'm sooooo Happy ^^

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Posted by Digital_Darwin - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:46 PM

Well, I guess this means my life is officially over, I've been telling my friends and family for years if they ever make a KOTOR MMO you'll never see me again, guess it's time to eat my words.

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Posted by cmdluke - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:48 PM

life blog feed here:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsSt ory?cId=3170784

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Posted by Digital_Darwin - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:54 PM

Well, I guess this means my life is officially over, I've been telling my friends and family for years if they ever make a KOTOR MMO you'll never see me again, guess it's time to eat my words.

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Posted by cryfordawn - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:54 PM

The only thing that worries me about this MMO is EA. If you have ever played an EA MMO like UO all they do is screw it up and take your money. I would LOVE to play another Star Wars MMO, but if EA is doing it I am sticking with WOW.

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Posted by bipolar93 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:29 PM

Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why!?!? Of any franchise to do this to why KOTOR!? MMO's are the most useless genre of videogame ever created, and to take my absolute favorite series is such a travesty i can't even finish this sentence properly. I am officially very upset with EA and Bioware. The worst part is that it sounds like they don't plan on making any more RPGs. Thank you EA. You have ruined my month at least.

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Posted by burntice - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:30 PM

If this is like pre-nge swg, it might make a dent (keyword: DENT) in WoW's playerbase.

Also, I want to see HK-47 as a quest giver. The meatbags must be...dealt with.

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Posted by Gus3 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:34 PM

I'm happy about pretty much everything that was announced today. Not too happy that it's set 300 years after the first two games though. That means that we won't be running into a living Revan or Exile in this game. Here's hoping that they announce KOTOR 3 sometime next year.

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Posted by geekenstein - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:34 PM

"SWTOR is based on the Knights of the Old Republic universe from BioWare's Xbox and PC creations. The Old Republic is a "story-driven MMO," and Bioware jokes that The Old Republic is KOTOR 3,4,5 and beyond."

If what I assume by the above quote is that this MMO will "replace" Kotor 3,4,5 then this is a EPIC FAIL and beyond!!!!!!!

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Posted by Gus3 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:36 PM

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Posted by lyons217 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:44 PM

hmmm...interesting concept. i think i'm gonna wait and see before i make my official idea about this game. keep ur eyes posted on any new posts about this.

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Posted by BrooklynOwns - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:48 PM

If KOTOR 3 never get created because of this than this is horrible news. I don't mind developers creating MMOs since they're is a huge fanbase for them but if this interferes with future titles than that just plain sucks.

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Posted by ZetaCrossfire - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:05 PM

so.. you abandon all the people who dislike mmos.... god damnit

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Posted by Nibbins - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:23 PM

Do Not Want

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Posted by coolperson - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:32 PM

Ugggghhh...
Can I just get a REAL KOTOR 3 already? I've been waiting for like 3 years, and an MMO isn't exactly the type of sequel I had in mind.

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Posted by random_luigi07 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:40 PM

EPIC FAIL

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Posted by Goldenarmz - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:45 PM

i would have much rather got a regular KOTOR 3 on Next Gen, but i guess this will do. Just hope it last. And come to console!i dont wnat to buy a computer jus to play the next series of Kotor this kinda sucks.

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Posted by puffdaddyben - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:48 PM

wwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa nooooooooo kotor 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

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Posted by Bleugh07 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:51 PM

u know what'd be cool?
two expansions, the firat set during the clone wars, and next in the civil war and onwards

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Posted by Bleugh07 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:52 PM

how come they cant get mmos on consoles? it really pisses me off

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Posted by G4rulesforever - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:57 PM

I really hope this comes to consoles or I'm going to be pissed!!!
Or at least they better release a true KOTOR sequel for the consoles for those of us who want to finish what was started in KOTOR 2.

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Posted by Blackkro - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:02 PM

They better make it as good as SW Galaxies when it first came out...before the dark times...before the takeover...

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Posted by DarkShadow99 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:08 PM

SWEEEEEET!!!!

Idk why ppl think this should have not been turned into a MMORPG. It has been thought of since the KOTOR games that were released on the Xbox.

Plus Bioware is a great developer for RPG's.

Wonder if they would do a Mass Effect MMORPG.

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Posted by imdave - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:21 PM

There was a Star Wars MMO by the name of Galaxies, it stunk how is this going to be better. I completed KOTOR 1&2 multiple times but a MMO I won't touch.

Hopefully once the game is launched develpoment will begin on KOTOR 3 but if this MMO fails so hard that the franchise is abandoned, I will be gutted.

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Posted by sdc10 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:23 PM

live blog stated the game will be playaple on most pcs which def peaked my interest and they still teased that the game may see console release.

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Posted by imdave - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:24 PM

DarkShadow says "Wonder if they would do a Mass Effect MMORPG."

They'd better not, if they fook with Mass Effect as well I will be very angry.

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Posted by Saiyan_Yugi - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:41 PM

This news disappoints me. You say BioWare jokes that it's KOTOR 3,4,5 and beyond, but you can never be too sure. Honestly, I was hoping, like other people have stated on this site, for another straight-forward RPG.

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Posted by KobraKid - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5:44 PM

Blog after Blog...Forum after forum....year after year

and all i get is an Mmo
with WEAK graphics
EVERY MMO has bad graphics and this is no differnt

why didnt they make the REAL KNIGHTS OF THE REPUBLIC
and then a random KOTOR MMO

whatever though

AND THIS BETTER COME OUT FOR 360!!!!!

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Posted by EldritchWarlord - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:03 PM

Did any of the hater's actually read about this?

This game is really ambitious, it's adding story to the MMO. Like actual story that you will care about and find interesting.

They say they plan on having more content in TOR than every previous BioWare game combined. That's nearly 1000 hours of play-time!

Enough with the "MMOS CANT B GUD!!!!!!!!!11" nonsense.

The only valid point I've seen is that it should come to the 360, which I completely agree with. It should also be paid for by a Gold subsription or have the option to pay with MS points instead of credit/debit card.

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Posted by tanker58p - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:11 PM

make single player campaign uhh cant stand mmo's

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Posted by donwilli - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:14 PM

I can say with no regrets that if they don't put out an Old Republic game for xbox that they suffer from a thing I like to call "Mad Gayness"

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Posted by blackmamba77 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:38 PM

no!!!!kotor should be on this xbox360 pc games suck.and kotor would be SWEET on xbox live!

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Posted by The_Citizen - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:47 PM

What a terrible thing to do to an awesome game franchise. It was not a problem when they castrated WoW and Diablo by making them MMOs but now Kotor?! They have gone too far. And what about consoles? There is no mention of 360 or PS3. Stick this game in the pooper. The graphics look pathetic (this has been in the works for how long?? two years?? WHAT!?), it's an MMO and they will probably ruin any remains of a storyline. The gaming world is a much sadder place now.

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Posted by CrimsonAvenger - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 7:07 PM

I think that if this game doesn't come out on PS3 (or X360) then it would be a huge mistake, that's where MMOs are now. I love this franchise to death, it's one of the few reasons I haven't destroyed my OG X-Box, but if EA stiffs consoles I'm afraid I'll have to pass and just spend all my time with DCUniverse Online.

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Posted by FryHard - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 7:12 PM

If this does not get put on the console then I WILL BE VERY ANGRY AT YOU BIOWARE. I loved the first kotor and liked the second one, but to not give us console gamers who have been with the francise since its beginning our due would be sure madness, and not the funny sheogorath madness.

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Posted by ThataUFO - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 7:13 PM

Why does everything have to go MMO now? There has never been an established game made into an MMO that didn't suck. FFXI played it for about two months, it sucked. WoW, sucks. IT just won't work. They had better make one that's a RPG and OFF LINE.

God I'm bitter about this.

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Posted by RobbyMac217 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 7:32 PM

Now I am not to thrilled about it being an mmo either, but lets give this game a chance first instead of judging right of the bat. If you looked at all the information on ign or gamespot, you will see that this game may turn out to be their best. They have been working on it since 2005. It is "story-driven." I don't think any MMOs are story-driven. And this is suppose to be huge. It is said to be bigger than all of bioware's games combined.

And for those who believe it is coming out on the PS3, if KOTOR 1 and 2, didn't come out on PS2, why bring the MMO on it?

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Posted by BrooklynOwns - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 8:05 PM

I hope you realize that if this comes to consoles there will be a monthly fee associated with it. And no, Gold subscriptions won't cover this. So 360 owners will be paying a monthly fee and a annual Gold subscription.

As I said, this isn't bad news unless KOTOR 3 will never be made. Then this news would be nothing but epic failure.

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Posted by PukeFaceFatty - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 8:30 PM

I dont need to worry about playing it because im not payin for it once and then a small price for the next 2 years. Dumbest idea ever for the series.

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Posted by xeno975 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 9:51 PM

geez ppl whats wrong with it comng out on ps3 i think it should come out on al consoles cuz not everyone has a 360 or pc.
god ppl need to get their head out their ass sometimes.

but on the real im kinda stoked for this game... i mean its just like kotor but better... and why i said its better is bcuz when i beat kotor 1 and 2 the story was over and i was like damn i wanted it be longer.
but with this the story can be expanded so much.. so look at the bright side of it.

but ya right now i gotta figure which side to join republic or sith =/

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Posted by Shockwave562 - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:53 PM

i guess who's to say that an mmo can't evolve to be more than just a community game. the art direction really pisses me off but i guess with an mmo they are bound to lower graphics. so i guess the solution is to make it cartoony? if they really do make the story happen (which is what i always expect from bioware) then i'll give this a shot. but this was not the announcement i've been waiting for. and it seems that it won't be coming

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Posted by geekenstein - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:54 PM

Reasons why this sucks so much:

The best parts of KOTOR 1&2 were the immersive stories. MMO's are quests that are broken up and you lose the story like nature of the game. Another thing, you develop a cool character, you customize it and you feel great, until you see 99999999 other characters running around exactly like yours. MMO's are great, but they are not RPG's and this "Old Republic" should not be a replacement for the KOTOR 3!!!!!!! WORD!

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Posted by mikeanjd - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 11:17 PM

Well I was really looking forward to Knights 3 but now I guess I have nothing to wait for since I'm not going to be playing an MMO, no matter what it is.

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Posted by purewitz - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:14 AM

This is the game news of the year. Can't wait for it come out.

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Posted by sinner_mass - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 2:23 AM

story driven MMO? Yup thats making the top 10 list of my favorite oxymorons. MMO's are nothing more than grindfests with quests that usually involve killing something, finding something, or bringing something back after you've found and killed it. Then again lightsabers do share the same trait as bacon in that adding them to almost any situation will make it better(keyword: almost) so I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

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Posted by Asrugan - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 3:56 AM

We'd better hear of a console version, just the change to MMO alone makes me very wary, if it's PC only, then forget it.

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Posted by hirosabi - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 6:23 AM

I can't believe they made this franchise into a MMO. i cant say much because i will still play this, but i would also like to see the KOTOR game hit the shelfs for the 360 as well as this MMO. That would kick ass.

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Posted by piglet102970 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 6:24 AM

Dang, why does everyone here hate MMOs? MMOs can actually be very cool and successful; just look at Nexon's Maplestory or Combat Arms. They have some of the highest game populations of any mmo (if you combined the two, it'd actually be over WoW's population). And they can continue to add content to them even after the games finished. A KOTOR MMO sounds like a great idea. I jsut hope I either don't have to buy it, or that it's not a huge download, otherwise I'm gonna have to switch from my laptop.

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Posted by Postal1111 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 6:26 AM

This'll be great until they do another "Combat Upgrade" and ruin the game like SWG was ruined.

Maybe sumgglers can actually smuggle something now???

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Posted by shudovick - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:27 AM

well i dont hate mmos i just donde have the enought time i think its better in rpg! olso how much the going to charge for the use of the server o.O anyway lwt what happen take care see ya aorund!

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Posted by Fx_Avatar - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:27 AM

@ThataUFO
MMO's are a completely different game style then other games on the market. If you do not like them, don't play them. That is like hating on FPS's since you like RPG's..
Also. You ask why does everything have to try to go to MMO's. It is all about the money. Look at blizzard. Back in January, They hit 10M active subscribers (those on time cards or active accounts). At $15 each, that is $150 Million dollars a month, and that is ON TOP OF the sale of the game (what EA would get if they make a single player game). Even if they hit a quarter of this for a single month, and then everyone drops it, that is still $37 Million dollars made.
That is why you see so many MMO's. Also, very few MMO's target the consoles since it cuts into the profits of the MMO. Microsoft will want a cut of the monthly cash flow for allowing them to use the connection ports of Live, even more if MS runs the servers.

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Posted by Fx_Avatar - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:29 AM

@Bleugh07
"how come they cant get mmos on consoles? it really pisses me off"

They can, and have done it already. Final Fantasy has one that is still going, and I have a few friends that play it.

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Posted by BrooklynOwns - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:51 AM

There are MMOs on consoles. Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star Universe and Sony plans on releasing 4 MMOs for PC and PS3.

The problem with this is MMO are subscription based gaming. Not everyone wants to pay a monthly fee t oplay a game. Especially when the first two were RPG titles.

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Posted by cogadh - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:12 PM

Star Wars: The Old Republic = EPIC FAIL

LucasArts, you need to get your heads out of George Lucas' a$$ and make a real KotOR 3. If you want to make a TOR MMO, that's fine, but you should have done it *after* you finished the KotOR single player story, instead of ignoring the fact that you never finished that story and then jumping 300 years ahead with the MMO. Way to ignore and disappoint your fans.

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Posted by vfdtrekkie13 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 2:55 PM

I loved the old KOTOR, and I'm not really a big fan of MMO's, but I really don't think there is any way to mess up something as awsome as the KOTOR series. I'll reserve judgement until I play it. Even if it isn't a direct sequal to KOTOR II, it could still be a fun game.

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Posted by gravy666 - Monday, October 27, 2008 1:57 PM

The graphics style is horrible. I don't know why they changed it.

Well, that's one game off of my wishlist.

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Posted by JRedde - Saturday, December 6, 2008 10:06 PM

I love Bioware and all off the games that they make. I hope this game is out so.

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