There are a lot of people I talk to these days, whether it's over IM, Twitter, or any of the other wonderful social networking/productivity-inhibiting apps, about Star Wars: The Old Republic. With the game's development being in its relative infancy as far as the process is concerned, some folks out there are in a constant state of delirious excitement over what could be an extremely successful release. The key element I keep hearing over and over again is "SWTOR can't come soon enough WE WANTS IT NOW11".
Hey, I get it - we've seen the gameplay demo, we've seen the interviews here on Darth Hater and elsewhere, and the resulting anticipation has only gotten bigger. Guilds are already recruiting, players are already mapping out their plans, and passionate followers follow the latest info more excitedly than a cat follows a penlight beam. I'm as excited as the rest of you are to get my hot little hands on closed beta and get ready to provide some feedback, but really, it's a good thing that The Old Republic is as far out as two years away In fact, the longer it takes, the better I think it'll be.
Now before you burn the new contributor at the stake with accusations that I want SW:TOR to come out on the same timeline as, say, Duke Nukem Forever, hear me out. The main reason why I think that SW:TOR should be sitting pretty is simply the opportunity to observe how other MMOs are handling their respective releases, with all the successes and struggles to go with them. As far as we know right now, SW:TOR will be arriving on shelves after a number of other anticipated MMOs will have been released. These MMOs will have gone through growing pains, balance issues, and community dramatics that Bioware can observe, learn from, and use to make their release better. It's no secret that the landscape of MMOs has changed since the release of WoW, with a much more discerning and scrutinizing community looking for an MMO title in a genre that frankly, is almost saturated with titles. Whatever Bioware can learn from nwo, til the time the game releases, will be valuable to its development.
If you don't believe me, look to the way Bioware is handling their information reveals. Cautious about the rather judgmental nature of the pre-release MMO crowd, they've limited updates to things they are absolutely fine with being dissected by sites like this one. They've been very careful committing to certain features that will or will not be in the game. They've pursued a measured, organized methodology of interviews that sell the unique strengths of the game without hyping it with too much marketware. It's a cautious approach that shows they're watching, waiting, and learning. Add to that the fact that they have a collaborative relationship with fellow EA MMO group studio Mythic Entertainment, who've learned their own lessons with Warhammer Online, and Bioware is armed with knowledge they can use to adjust their strategy for release.
So the next time you feel let down that The Old Republic can't be installed on your computer fast enough, just remember - good things come to those who wait, and SW:TOR will hopefully be no different.
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Posted 9/19/2009 5:17:03 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/18/2009 4:07:53 AMNot much else to say about it really.
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Posted 9/18/2009 1:48:45 AMIf it takes another year, so be it. Just make it right.
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Posted 9/18/2009 2:03:10 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/17/2009 11:10:24 PMThings need to be noted about a long, long, LONG wait time for a game. Many titles will come out between now and a year, and that is all competition against TOR. The more new games, the more people will be separated in the industry. And now with AION coming out, the new WoW Expansion coming out this year, and the possible release of Blizzards other MMO next year, it is starting to get scary. The pressure will start hitting BioWare, and the question may come along, "Release now and grab as many subscribers as we can" or "Wait to release, and hope they leave from the other MMOs"
Personally, I believe the game will be out next year, due to the fact that BioWare has stated that they won't release anything until it is 100% confirmed, and they won't release everything at once, leaving them a bumper to use. I do expect the closed beta to begin later this year, or early next year. But again, the game looks impressive as all hell, and talking to everyone from LucasArts and BioWare at PAX, I can't shake the impression that the game is a lot further then we think.
As Sean has said, the next two weeks will be slow, but next month expect a reveal or two, and a lot more on the game. BioWare is smart in releasing information, they don't want to say what might be stolen and used in a competitors game. Once you start seeing them release new game mechanics never used in other MMOs, expect a beta soon.
Again this is all my personal opinion, and I stand by it. Welcome aboard Frank
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Posted 9/18/2009 2:22:21 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/18/2009 12:56:35 AMThe thing is, waiting is good, but waiting too long will just hurt them. There will ALWAYS be new games, new MMOs coming out, and the problem is, if they wait until like 2011, other companies will make a game using their ideas, for example fully voiced MMO, or maybe cover system, etc.
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Posted 9/18/2009 3:33:56 PMAre you suggesting that someone could develop a (decent) fully-voiced MMO by 2011? I seriously doubt that- considering the amount of time BW has already put into the game, plus the fact that they didn't even have to develop their own game engine.
I really don't think BW has to worry about pushing out SWTOR due to competition from other MMOs in the next two years (unless Blizzard unexpectedly releases a new one.)
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Posted 9/18/2009 2:24:20 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/18/2009 1:16:25 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/17/2009 10:48:24 PMWe're now going live to Ollie Williams to report on the situation:
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4025/olliewilliams.jpg
Thanks, Ollie.
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Posted 9/18/2009 1:32:36 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/18/2009 12:33:49 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/17/2009 11:03:20 PM