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By Garrett Fuller, Industry Relations

So it’s official. Sort of.

EA’s CEO John Riccitiello admitted in an interview yesterday that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will be coming out in MMO form. Obviously this is one of the biggest game announcements since World of Warcraft, so we want to try an answer a few questions, bring up some new theories, and talk what “The Old Republic” may mean to the MMO marketplace. Let’s face it, the official announcement from Bioware Austin will have much more punch than a random statement made at the end of E3. Slip up or not, the entire gaming industry is now abuzz with KOTOR Online.

Star Wars Galaxies was the first Star Wars-based MMOG.

First of all, let’s take a look at Star War Galaxies, the first attempt at a Star Wars game in the online space. SOE published the game back in 2003 and has hit many hurdles with design, an angry player base, and changes to the game that many people did not agree with. One of the biggest things left out of Star Wars Galaxies was the Jedi, plain and simple. SOE dangled a carrot to players on the end of a very long stick. There was a secret way to become a Jedi; no one knew it and few could figure it out. As times changed and other games came to the fore-front, Star Wars Galaxies changed it’s dynamic to match games that gave players more options. Jedi eventually were made a playable class from the beginning. However the damage was done and SOE’s version of Star Wars has never recovered.

Now we enter 2009, six years after an MMO in the Star Wars universe was attempted. Enter the second coming. Just the name “Bioware” sends game play goose bumps up every gamer’s spine. Bioware has a solid reputation in the game business for putting out some of the best titles in gaming – from the 1990s with Baldur’s Gate, all the way up to Mass Effect just recently. When players I talk to look for quality in gaming they pretty much mention Blizzard and Bioware in the same sentence. So now the two big B’s of gaming will launch into an all out MMO war. Just the fact that Bioware is behind the KOTOR MMO brings huge credit among players and developers alike. Let’s not forget to mention some of the people on the team like Gordon Walton, Rich Vogel, and James Ohlen. These guys have seen it all in gaming and now have a chance to set the stage right with a mythology that has shaped the last thirty years of pop-culture.

The question is: Can Star Wars be done well enough to satisfy loads of crazed fans who have been loyal for over thirty years? Bioware’s first challenge is living up to the hype of Star Wars. They do have one thing on their side; with Knight of the Old Republic there are plenty of Jedi to help them out. Unlike Star Wars Galaxies, it may be safe to say that Jedi will be a focal point in the Bioware MMO. Even more exciting is that the Sith were around in large numbers as well. So you have the classic philosophical, light-saber wielding, sci-fi version of the samurai vs. their nasty cousins all battling it out with the Force in full play.

Quite honestly, from a straight up MMO game play standpoint, pitting Jedi vs. Sith is the perfect faction war. Players can level up their respective Force wielders and eventually slug it out all over the galaxy. Ships, light-saber duels, commanding NPCs in huge battles, there are plenty of options for players to enjoy incredible MMO game play. Jedi or Sith, pick the color of your light saber, go out and fight, it is a simple recipe for awesomeness!

The KOTOR MMOG will definitely have Jedi.

Not only that, but let’s look at what Bioware is best at, building in depth stories in their games. Look at the tough character choices you had to make in Mass Effect, or even finding and building your party way back when in Baldur’s Gate, these games have depth. I expect the KOTOR MMO to have no less. Clearly one of the stars of the game will be the in depth world that Bioware creates and the quest writers who take you through it.

So here are the questions that most of us probably have: Will it be cross console? My guess, likely, Bioware launches their games across the boards, there is a strong chance we will see a game that spans consoles and PCs. How will the game tackle the Star Wars lore as well as lore specific to Knights of the Old Republic? Even though they will have Lucas breathing heavily over their shoulders, my guess is Bioware has proven they can get it right in the past and they’ll do so again. The game can go in some great new directions. Finally, will this game challenge WoW for top of the MMO universe? Absolutely.

Right now we will still have to wait for the official announcements from Bioware Austin in the coming months. However, I was assured by them that their announcements will be huge and pack some serious punch. When they unveiled Dragon Age this week at E3, the game had a playable demo, great screens, and a clear path of being very strong in its development cycle. I expect we will see a very strong showing when this game is finally officially announced by EA and Bioware. So sit back and enjoy the hype, rants, fandom, and craziness that always go with Star Wars. Even if it was a small slip for EA’s CEO  John Riccitiello, it was a giant leap in gaming awesomeness for all of us. Best of luck in development Bioware, we cannot wait to see what you have.