Normally the week before Christmas is pretty quiet as far as major releases go. A couple generic titles might make an appearance, but with gifts already purchased a major game would do better releasing in the new year. Star Wars: The Old Republic is breaking this trend in a big way. This isn’t just a big game, but it is EA’s biggest and most expensive game ever.
Launching an MMO is both risky and expensive, and all hands are on deck to make The Old Republic work. Developer Bioware has been working hard trying to weave a Star Wars story worth reading and not just a text block telling you why you need to kill 10 Jawas. EA and Bioware don’t only have a huge financial investment, but they are willing to cancel Christmas for their customer support team to get this game out this year.
Will it be Free to Play by June? Despite recent subscription drops, World of Warcraft is still the king of MMOs. If there is one MMO that could survive along side World of Warcraft, this will be the game. Bioware is legendary among RPG fans for their ability to tell a story and the Star Wars IP has the existing brand power to draw an initial audience. Will this be the game to finally compete with WoW or will it be a devastating blow to EA?
Taking place a long time before a long time ago, in a galaxy just as far away, The Old Republic will recount the war between the Jedi and the Sith long before the Clone Wars. Story is so important that every character in the game will have fully voiced dialog, something most MMO’s would deem unrealistic. Using the Mass Effect style conversation system, players will truly interact with NPCs and open/close paths based on choices they make. Not only will this make the game more immersive, but should certainly keep things entertaining when playing as that second, third or eighth character.
Early purchasers have been given early access and server queues have already appeared. That either means that there is a high level of interest in the game or it is the beginning of some technical issues they will need to overcome. Hopefully they will be able to capture and sustain a solid player account in the coming months. It will take a lot to make The Old Republic a profitable game.
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