Star Wars MMO to nestle between Warhammer,SWG
DateTime:7/8/2009 5:21:12 PM

Star Wars: The Old Republic is an exciting title for fans, if only because the KOTOR property originally produced by Bioware became one of the most beloved RPGs of all time thanks to its excellent combat system, rich world, and innovative conversation system. And while those qualities may very well translate into an excellent MMO, the new game fits an awkward position when EA is busy managing another high-profile MMO, and a similar, licensed Star Wars MMO is already out there. But, according to EA, there is room for the three to co-exist.

EA Games president Frank Gibeau admitted to Gamesindustry.biz that the overlap between Warhammer Online, EA Mythic's recently released fantasy MMO, and Bioware's The Old Republic will be present but not significant. When asked if the two would be competing, Gibeau responded in turn. "Well, as much as Need for Speed is a competitor for FIFA," he said. "They compete in the same genre of videogames but they're very diverse customer bases. The Warhammer customer base will overlap to a degree with Star Wars, but obviously you're bringing in millions of new customers with the Star Wars universe."

With the recent influx of MMOs, the landscape for the complicated genre is getting to be a bit rocky. More and more publishers are trying to land the big one as Activision did with Blizzard's World of WarCraft, but the vast majority of titles sink into remedial subscription levels or die altogether. What will happen with The Old Republic is hard to predict, but one wonders whether the risk will be worth the rare reward, considering the fate that befell Star Wars Galaxies.