Tag: star wars mmo

Do Games get Announced too Early?

the old republic announced too early

I know this is a topic we’ve talked about on the podcast some, but you guys always seem reluctant to leave your thoughts on those. Perhaps it is because we are such cunning linguists and our arguments tear yours to shreds. Yeah, that’s what I’m going with.

In case you somehow forgot with all the incessant reminders on all of the gaming websites and Twitter and yes, even here, E3 2011 is next week and we’ll be seeing a few new games and a couple that we’ve been hearing about for what seems like forever. While Metal Gear Solid: Rising and The Last Guardian probably won’t be making an appearance, Star Wars: The Old Republic and the Tomb Raider reboot (just confirmed for a fall 2012 release) will be there, and we’ve been hearing about those games for a while. Star Wars: The Old Republic is particularly guilty in this regard, showing up to two consecutive E3s with only a fancy trailer. I’d hesitate to say that anything BioWare is a one-trick pony, but it’s certainly starting to look that way.

I hate to sound like I’m ragging on BioWare, who are obviously working very hard on their MMO, but if this game had been announced maybe two years ago as opposed to four, I wouldn’t have the same “hype fatigue” I’m experiencing now. I’m also apparently hurting for a Star Wars MMO, so there’s that too.

So what about you guys? What games have been announced a little too early for your taste? Any games at E3 2011 that you just want to stop hearing about? How far in advance of their release should games be announced?

Today’s WTF: A Whole Decade of The Old Republic

The Old Republic

I think a few years back, if you told me I was going to get 10 solid years of the Knights of the Old Republic universe I would have either called you a liar or maybe pushed you into a pile of broken glass for the way you were taunting my gaming psyche. However, now that I know that the next entry into Bioware’s beloved Star Wars RPG franchise is actually going to be an MMO, that makes a little more sense. Sort of.

According to EA CFO Eric Brown, the gaming giant isn’t just hoping for something to come along and help them take a shot at WoW, but they also want a game that can be sustained for the better part of ten years. I’ll let him explain:

“We think we can run and operate a very successful and profitable MMO at different levels… The key thing here is to really perfect the product. We’re shooting for an extremely high quality game experience. We view this as a 10 year opportunity.”

Yikes. That’s a long time to stick on the same MMO. Obviously, the big dog on the block here is WoW, and if you’re wondering they are in the middle of their 7th year. I’d say it’s pretty ambitious to shoot for a new MMO in this market in general, but to hope that it has the same staying power as the PS2 seems more than a bit optimistic. Considering that the game is coming out in 2011, that means they could still be milking this thing in 2021. By then, “old” will be the most appropriate title imaginable. But hey, I’ve been wrong before.

What do you guys think? Am I being a Debbie Downer here?

Source – Eurogamer

Rumor: Bioware Blogger Reveals The Old Republic’s $300 Million Price Tag and Other EA Secrets

The Old Republic

The rumor mill churned out a doozy today, kids. A person claiming to work at Bioware Mythic started a blog, EA Louse, and has decided to air out some dirty laundry, the kind that I’m sure the masters at EA would rather the world not know. Granted, all of this is unconfirmed, but it’s too juicy to just ignore. Some of the tidbits include details about upcoming EA layoffs in November, keeping with the current trend in the industry of letting people go just before the holidays.

In addition, he or she claims that the budget for the upcoming Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, is a whopping $300 million and that EA is panicking because they realize now that they have a failure on their hands. He goes on to claim that it will be the biggest MMO failure in EA’s history. There is plenty more on there, including some gossip about Warhammer, so head on over if you want to read more about that.

Assuming (dangerous, I know) that this is true, it would spell disaster for EA, as that is a lot of money to throw out the window. Do you see any truth to these claims? Do you think it’s ethical for an employee to reveal company dirt like this? Let’s hear it!

Source: EA Louse

Star Wars: The Old Republic Trailer

Here’s a new trailer from Bioware’s MMO, The Old Republic. While it may seem like just a regular old “making of” featurette, there’s actually a good bit of stuff from the game as it goes on. The more I see from this game, the more it ratchets up the “do want” meter that exists somewhere inside of my brain. Curse you Bioware!

Source- Kotaku