Rumor: KOTOR MMO to be formally announced soon

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 4th 2008 at 7:30PM }

Before beginning this post, we have a number of important announcements to make:

It is currently October.
Sandwiches, when prepared correctly, are delicious.
Salt is salty.
There are five items in this list.
You are currently reading Joystiq.

What's that? You're not sure why we're announcing things you already know? Perhaps you'll be equally flabbergasted by a rumor that LucasArts and Bioware will likely soon reveal the Knights of the Old Republic MMO that EA CEO John Riccitiello already totally confirmed. The rumor originates from a blurb in UK newspaper Daily Star, the author of which claims he's coming stateside to check the title out at LucasArts HQ. If the author is on the level, we certainly expect one of the two developers to "reveal" the title before his article goes to print. Perhaps they can still surprise the eleven people on the planet that don't already know about it.

Tags: bioware, knights-of-the-old-republic, kotor, lucasarts, mmo, rumor, swtor

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

OMGOMG @ Oct 4th 2008 7:45PM

This is such a dumb move. What made KOTOR was its deep and intriguing story, not its quests. I don't hate MMO's (not my cup of tea, yet found myself playing WoW for around two months once), but this makes absolutely no sense. Will there even be a story to follow in this game? I usually applaud developers for trying new things, but this move makes no sense to me.

And with the PC market, the newspaper of the gaming front, they're going to lose many customers on consoles that would have bought KOTOR 3. But, hey, more things to subscribe to!!

Kill me.

Fosssil @ Oct 4th 2008 8:01PM

Couldn't agree more -- I have no interest in a KOTOR MMO.

Nutchos @ Oct 4th 2008 8:04PM

Just b/c it's an MMO doesn't mean it has to lack a story line. FFXI did a great job of mixing mmo elements with traditional RPG storyline (the boss battles were group oriented but the cutscenes were all centered around your character).

I do agree though that I didn't like the way WOW handled a storyline (w/e semblance there was of it through chain questing).

This game has a potential to be huge. The series has already proven to have a deep, engaging story line. As long as they mix in the MMO aspects well, it should make for an interesting game.

NoHitHair @ Oct 4th 2008 8:10PM

I think KotOR has the potential to be a phenomenal MMORPG. Everything is already laid out: the world, the character types, equipment, etc.; with near limitless room for expansion. Unfortunately, the industry is full of spineless whiners who lament about how "unstoppable" WoW is (despite the fact that it's devolving from a game into a glamorized chat room) and money-hungry publishers who demand a game's release before proper QA.

So, sadly, if this title is released, it will likely emulate its dozens of MMO brothers and end up a bug-infested clearance bin namesake. Given how much I loved KotOR, I hope I'm wrong.

theturtle363 @ Oct 4th 2008 11:28PM

while normally i'd agree with you, I think it has a lot of potential considering Bioware's making it. World of Warcraft has really been shaping up the way it tells the story, and apparently it gets much much better with WotLK, like we can talk to Arthas. If it can work with WoW I have no doubt it can work with KOTOR. That said, there's still a lot unknown about the game, and the KOTOR period includes a lot more than just the games. My guess is we'd be playing during the Mandalorian Wars, which is perfect for an MMO because it would not only have an appropriate background for factions, pvp, etc., it still has loads of room for a story. Still, I'm holding out hope that a Third single player KOTOR is not outside the realm of possibility. Bioware still does have that generic "next gen game" listed under their in development projects

gst @ Oct 5th 2008 1:59AM

theturtle363
"I think it has a lot of potential considering Bioware's making it."

Ok, you talk like Bioware can do no wrong - like they have done nothing since day one but hew masterpieces out of pure awesome. I mean Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, the original KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, the greatest game engine ever created (infinity), and uh, um...well shit.

Bioware could literally collectively crap in a shoebox, staple a crayon drawing of a wookie to it, and tell me it can be Massively Multiplayer if I am willing to share the box with others and I would still buy it...for 60$...on release day.

God, I love Bioware.

The limited edition is only 75$ (they sprinkle some glitter on your wookie).

zuburi @ Oct 5th 2008 3:57AM

Is $75 the current going rate for a wookie glitter-sprinkling?

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Oct 5th 2008 8:24AM

There is something of a narrative in good MMOs, but to be truthful, most Starwars stories these days are so very generic, with little of the chracterisation that made the original movies so good. One resource it still has is a fairly rich lore to be plumbed; it's clear that, implemented right, it could be very nice experience. Of course, it probbly won't be.

Red Leader @ Oct 5th 2008 12:18PM

A more optimistic version of myself about a year ago would have disagreed wit you.

"Heh heh heh."

Judging by all the shitastic games that were supposedly going to be triple A titles this year, I'm right there with you man. Kill me.

Darth Steve @ Dec 29th 2008 1:51PM

I totally agree. Why make KOTOR into an MMO? Everyone knows that MMOs get ruined because of the players themselves ( Why I stopped playing WOW ), well except for Galaxies... the developers ruined it themselves with the new "combat system" or whatever. Galaxies would have been better than WOW in many aspects if they would have left it alone and just upgraded graphics a bit and simply added more items and quests as the game progressed...
KOTOR would smash any competition if they made it to be like Oblivion. YES OBLIVION!!! MMO? no...

I still want a new starwars fighting game. One with custom character creation and physics like TFU. But thats just bc I hate fighting games, but still think I would enjoy a Starwars based one... Call me wierd.. lol

holyice7 @ Oct 4th 2008 7:50PM

...I didn't know. >.>

*meeps*

ice~ @ Oct 4th 2008 7:52PM

I too, did not know...may be because i just left my cave today, i needed to get more twigs to cook my koala bear for dinner.

zuburi @ Oct 4th 2008 10:08PM

Are they as delicious as they look?

Averna @ Oct 4th 2008 11:50PM

Token Australian response: Koalas are NOT bears

theturtle363 @ Oct 5th 2008 12:06AM

neither is bear grylls but no one's man enough to tell him

ice~ @ Oct 5th 2008 1:31AM

Lmfao bear grylls haha!!! +1 for that :)

RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate) @ Oct 5th 2008 1:57PM

Drop Bears are, though, and they're easily mistaken for Koalas by the uninitiated.

KeenCommander @ Oct 4th 2008 7:54PM

Confirmed: KOTOR MMO is a bad idea.

...oh wait, that's not news.

WilhelmThe1st @ Oct 4th 2008 8:04PM

Agreed 100%. I wonder if anyone has told EA/Bioware/Lucasarts/whoever is responsible for this that......

KOTOR 3 >>>> X 1,000,000 >>>> KOTOR MMO

Traece @ Oct 4th 2008 8:03PM

I'm not going to lie to appeal to the general public.

I actually did like Starwars Galaxies (for the most part) both the original and the newest versions.

As far as I'm concerned, there's a potential for a KotoR MMO, if it's done RIGHT. However, such a thing is impossible. Sounds like we're all SCREWED.

Nate @ Oct 4th 2008 8:06PM

You know, a Star Wars game set before the Galactic Civil War is a great idea. It isn't stealing your KOTOR franchise. It is just giving it another outlet to let players enjoy it all.

Avarice @ Oct 4th 2008 8:16PM

I want to be a Jawa bounty hunter (with a wisecracking robot sidekick, of course). Make that happen, Bioware, and I'm sold.

midwat @ Oct 4th 2008 8:23PM

I hate MMORPGs, but I don't know if I can resist a new KOTOR, regardless of its form.

Deatharea @ Oct 4th 2008 8:36PM

That can't be true... that's impossible!

The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Oct 5th 2008 2:57AM

Search your feelings, you know it to be true!

Skaz @ Oct 5th 2008 1:56PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Aceley @ Oct 4th 2008 8:59PM

bring back the old swg combat system, then we have a game worth playing

theturtle363 @ Oct 4th 2008 11:31PM

As a veteran player of every iteration of SWG, i can firmly say the first method of combat was even worse than the NGE. Seriously, queuing up all your moves ahead of time? Did Star Wars suddenly become generic JRPGS from 12 years ago?

TheAzureKnight @ Oct 4th 2008 9:31PM

Sorry but after all the hype I hear about the original KOTOR game I will disappointed if it turns out to be a MMO.

Sorry but MMO's are just not cool. And they don't fit in at all in the busy schedule that I'm sure most people have these days.

Limezor @ Oct 4th 2008 9:41PM

If its Kotor 3 with just some other players floating around I won't mind, I just hope it doesn't turn into Star Wars: Galaxies.

totoro @ Oct 4th 2008 10:18PM

That's fine, just as long as Lucasarts has a SEPARATE team hard at work on a non-MMORG KOTOR project. They do, right? RIGHT?

Blank-Mage @ Oct 6th 2008 1:28AM

Brek, let's review. And by review I mean flame, in a constructive-but-still-hatey fashion.

1) So, anything not DIRECTLY pertaining to Ep. 3-6 is completely irrelevant? Well, that's fair.

"The Force=any other magic system in RPGs. Light Saber, well, it acts just like any other melee weapon in a game-you beat stuff with it. Light Side/Dark Side=good/evil alignment. Etc etc etc."

...Your point is? This is how you make a Star Wars MMO. Congrats, you've learned the basics.

2) Actually, saber damage was determined by the length of time the saber was in the other guy, and location. Heavy strikes are slower, and it takes longer for it (the saber) to pass through the enemy in question. So, yeah.

Mass Effect is basically a third KOTOR but no one treats it as such because of the title and synonyms.

Yeah, I remember when HK-47 joined my party in Mass Effect, and I was like "NO WAY." And he was like "Response: Way, Meatbag." Seriously, what were YOU playing?

"Again, Jedi/Sith/Rebels/Imperials, clear faction alliances; and plenty of things that ARE from Star Wars could be thrown in without stretching plot points. But whatever, I haven't played ever Star Wars game out there so I must not have a clue about the series."

And everything about these two statements infuriates me.

Blank-Mage @ Oct 6th 2008 1:29AM

Oh, I'm sorry, Totoro. I misclicked. If it makes you feel better, I like Totoro, too. He just freaks me out a little. Him and that cat-bus.

SuckItTrebek @ Oct 4th 2008 10:29PM

Yay, another "Star Wars" game that has nothing to do with Star Wars! I can't wait to grind levels until I get a light saber that can cut through a starship's hull like a knife through butter. Wait, what? Gameplay balance? Ohyeah. I guess no Star Wars game will ever let us truly wield a light saber. :(

theturtle363 @ Oct 4th 2008 11:33PM

#1: Please elaborate how a KOTOR game has nothing to do with Star Wars
#2: It's pretty obvious you never played any of the jedi knight games
#3: You fail

Clinton RRoD sept.3 @ Oct 4th 2008 11:47PM

you are right about that i would love to do that

Jakka(A tribute to whose who fought and failed during the Epic Flamewar of L.A. Noir and MR.ESC) @ Oct 5th 2008 9:52AM

@ turtle

What he means is that (put the nerd badges away,I know about Cortosis and such but let's simply this for general public)lightsabers can cut through anything but no game takes notice of that because it's either limited by technology or cause of game-balance.

Also I did play JK games,JA to be precise, and while it was incredibly fun killing Stormtroopers in one hit, it still doesn't come close to wielding a true Canon Lightsaber.

josh @ Oct 5th 2008 4:12PM

along time ago, in a galaxy far far away....

yeah what the hell happend along time ago. thats what i want to know. George Lucas should expand the star wars story more and more. It be great to know more of the past. and with an MMO you could be anyone you choose. They should go for it.

SuckItTrebek @ Oct 5th 2008 8:31PM

Well Turtle, I'm afraid that it has nothing to do with Star Wars, that's how.

1)Not part of the movies, therefor-by Lucas' own words, too, mind you-not canon. It's fanfic. Far better fanfic than you'll find on the web, and far better than Lucas' prequels, but basically people making up their own continuity in a way that it has no bearing on any of the movies. The "Star Wars" title is there for sales. The Force=any other magic system in RPGs. Light Saber, well, it acts just like any other melee weapon in a game-you beat stuff with it. Light Side/Dark Side=good/evil alignment. Etc etc etc.

2)Nope, you're right, I didn't play any of them. Star Wars games aren't known for being good, since fanboys buy them up regardless of quality, and gaming is the least important aspect of my life-I can still count on my fingers how many games I've purchased in the last DECADE. But, I did look them up on a few sites, and lookit this from wiki:"The player gains access to three lightsaber styles as they progress. Each style is different in terms of the speed of attacks and damage dealt." DIFFERENT DAMAGE DEALT?! Hmmm. Looks like Light Sabers are still treated as glowing billy clubs that can't slice through anything in one go.

If KOTOR were exactly the same in gameplay, story, design, etc but without the Star Wars license on it, would you really have the same reverence for it? Mass Effect is basically a third KOTOR but no one treats it as such because of the title and synonyms.

KOTOR is a great idea for appeasing Star Wars MMO fans, though-story and genuine "world" simulation can never truly exist in an MMO, so by placing it in a timeframe so far away from anything familiar, players won't feel like they're still trapped in the same timeline spot in the movies after years of playing. Everyone wants a Light Saber and Force powers, so by placing it in a time period where Jedi and Sith are plentiful, canon doesn't have to be stretched. This also allows for clear PvP faction alliance for players without bumping into that nasty continuity thing either-it's so far removed from Star Wars that it IS it's own continuity.

Personally I'm surprised that Lucas isn't pushing for an MMO that takes place between Episodes 3 and 4, to tie in with the live action TV series. Again, Jedi/Sith/Rebels/Imperials, clear faction alliances; and plenty of things that ARE from Star Wars could be thrown in without stretching plot points.

But whatever, I haven't played ever Star Wars game out there so I must not have a clue about the series.

theturtle363 @ Oct 5th 2008 9:26PM

wow, almost everything you said was wrong.

SuckItTrebek @ Oct 5th 2008 10:39PM

Excellent points you have there.

turnis @ Oct 4th 2008 11:33PM

Ive been playing WoW now for 3 years and Im in one of the higher guilds on my server. I started out in SWG then they butured the game and made it a third person shooter. I think if they take the mistakes from that game and learn from it a kotor mmo will be plenty to make me delete wow for good. Based on the interviews Ive read the designers are putting alot of effort into making this very story driven. And with not alot of story to really follow from the kotor time frame theres a lot that can be done

Pig @ Oct 4th 2008 11:40PM

Hey all.

Gotta be honest, I just don't trust information from CVG any longer. That site has a history of posting inaccurate MMO news in order to generate traffic. For example, they were the ones who posted that story, based upon their "inside source", about a Starcraft MMO being announced by Blizzard. Of course, that turned out to be completely false. This time, the source their citing is the Daily Star. (The Daily Star is a gossip rag that contains nude photos.) It seems pretty unlikely, IMO, that Lucasarts or anyone else is going to unveil/announce anything to that kind of paper. It's also clear that CVG knows this very well, but posted this story anyway.

That's my 2 cents on this rumor, anyway. :)

Pig
http://www.WanderingGoblin.com