Author: Soeren Kamper

Star Wars: The Old Republic isn’t the only Star Wars MMO in development.

According to GamerVision Star Wars: The Old Republic isn’t the only Star Wars MMO in development. They say that “trusted sources” confirm that Sony Online Entertainment is working on a Clone Wars MMO. This is not the first time that we’ve heard this rumor. Here’s what they had to say on it: Thought EA’s The Old Republic was the only Star Wars MMORPG in development? Think again. Trusted Gamervision sources have confirmed that there is a second MMO in development by Sony Online Entertainment, the creators of once awesome, now less-than-awesome Star Wars: Galaxies. Supposedly called Clone Wars Adventures and due by the end of the year, it’s to be a browser-based game aimed at a much younger demographic than The Old Republic. Namely pre-teens, the same audience for the popular Clone Wars television show, and far away from those who might even consider subscribing to BioWare’s RPG. So far…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Belsavis

Belsavis was a planet in the Ninth Quadrant, which was a region of the Bozhnee sector. Ice-covered, its average temperature was in the -50s. It was located on the Belsavis Run. History Old Republic era At some unknown point in the past, the planet became one of the many worlds that belonged to the Rakata Infinite Empire. During that time, the Rakata made use of the world as a prison colony where they placed many dangerous prisoners that remained trapped for the millennia. It entered an ice age around 5,000 BBY. Its inhabitants dwelt in three volcanic jungle rifts. During the Great War, the Republic used Belsavis’ prison to confine dangerous Sith lords and war criminals. Plett’s Well, was settled 88 BBY by Jedi Master Plett, and came to be called simply Plawal. The main Republic colonization of the planet occurred 20 BBY, with many plants and animals being imported…

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SWTOR Hands On @ GDC

The Game Developers Conference was held last week and several sites had an opportunity to get a “hands on” with Star Wars: The Old Republic. Both 1UP and Eurogamer were afforded the opportunity to check out the game. Here a couple excerpts from their reactions: Story Driven Experience When playing a story mission in Star Trek Online, it’s all text delivered through a little dialog box. More times than not, it’s usually an alien race harassing a Federation colony, and you need to step in and blast them out of the stars. From the little that we’ve seen of The Old Republic so far, this much is certain: you will have many different story arcs available to your character available out of the box on day one. Recently we saw some of this in action as we got a taste of the Trooper’s story arc, and what it was like…

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SWTOR in PC Gamer UK Magazine

When I dropped by the supermarket this weekend I noticed that one of the magazines had a familiar Sith Warrior  on the cover. And indeed, what I found was PC Gamer UK’s April 2010 issue, which they’ve labeled “The MMO issue”. And indeed it is, with articles looking at WoW: Cataclysm, a number of future MMOs, rating a number of current MMOs against each other, a free trial for EvE Online on the cover DVD and a number of other articles. But the main article of interest is a six-page article, titled “Tour de Force” looking at Star Wars: The Old Republic. Not that there’s much of any new information in it. Considering when the magazine was published it can’t even cover the presentation given last week during GDC. Though it’s still a nice read. I won’t include scans of the article because I’m sure they’d not be happy with…

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May the schwartz be with you: Spike TV – Star Wars ads

Unless you’ve been stuck upside down in a wampa cave, you probably have heard that Spike TV was airing the entire Star Wars saga, back in April 2008. In case anybody missed the news, Spike was telling the world about this television premiere with some head-turning outdoor ads, starting at Penn Plaza in New York City. Check it out: Along side the billboard adds Spiked TV also ran some Genius TV ads. Most people I know have only seen the first one that was aired, but here is a collection of all them:     See below for the press release from prnewswire.com:Spike TV Enters a New Galaxy With the Complete Star Wars(TM) Saga Features The Broadcast Premiere of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and the Basic Cable Premieres of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones Feel…

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Know your lore: Saul Karath

Saul Karath was a Human male born on Corellia who served the Galactic Republic’s Navy as an admiral during the Mandalorian Wars. In 3,963 BBY, Karath was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral after keeping the Mandalorian forces at bay for six weeks at the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line. When the fugitive Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick—who was fleeing from his Masters after being framed for the Padawan Massacre of Taris—attempted to warn Karath of Serroco’s destruction, Karath assumed that Carrick was a Mandalorian spy. Shortly after the Mandalorians razed Serroco’s surface, Karath participated in the Adasca Affair, which was Adascorp leader Arkoh Adasca’s failed auction of exogorth superweapons. Karath also played a role in the events of the Covenant Affair, in which the secret Jedi cabal known as the Covenant was destroyed. Later that year, the Jedi Knights Revan, Malak and their Jedi faction entered the war, and Karath became the…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Betrayal

As The Clone Wars rage on, the thirst for power is causing entire Star Systems, along with many of the Jedi, to change sides. Count Dooku, using his knowledge of the dark side as a lure, is causing many to leave the Jedi Order. An award winning short film set in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars Betrayal deals with a Padawans reoccuring dream about his past and his doubts about his current mission assigned to him by his mentor, Jedi Master Allouben.  

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New SWTOR Webcomic, “Blood of the Empire”

Friday Update features a new webcomic. BioWare™ and LucasArts have once again teamed up with Dark Horse to create this original comic series published entirely online. Blood of the Empire features a new perspective and strong character-driven story written by BioWare’s Senior Writer Alexander Freed and published by Dark Horse. Set in the years before the Treaty of Coruscant and the establishment of peace between the great galactic powers, Blood of the Empire sets the stage for The Old Republic with new heroes, new villains and new revelations about the inner workings of the Emperor’s cabal. Be on the lookout for the release of the first issue of Blood of the Empire coming soon on the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ website. Get a sneak peek at the series below!

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New SWTOR Planet! Belsavis

Hey guys… Today they just announced a new planet that will appear in Star Wars: The Old republic! This planet is going to be awesome.. As you will read below, this planet is where many Sith Lords, Mandalorians, and creations of Sith alchemy were sent to be imprisoned during the Great War. The Imperial forces will give it their all to free them but the Republic is going to do THEIR best to keep the evil forces contained.. Read on! Republic knowledge of Belsavis predates the Great Hyperspace War, but for centuries, the planet warranted little attention. With the exception of some unusual volcanic activity, the planet was deemed, in all ways, unremarkable. Belsavis was added to the star charts then summarily dismissed as nothing more than another curiosity of the Outer Rim. Fifty years ago, while investigating the planet’s tropical rifts that seemed to defy the ice shelves in…

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Plans for endgame in place

Not really that surprising, but BioWare’s Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk noted that they have plans for The Old Republic’s endgame in place, as noted by VG247: BioWare bossman Ray Muzyka has told VG247’s US editor Stephany Nunneley that plans for what happens after you finish Star Wars: The Old Republic are in place. But speaking at GDC alongside fellow head of the studio Greg Zeschuk, the pair wouldn’t go into specifics as to what would be coming. “We have plans for end game, but can’t be more specific,” said Muzyka, before teasing: “Actually, we can, but we won’t. “But soon actually, it’s nice to be able to reveal things a little bit over time.” “It’s been a long cycle, but we knew that going in and we’ve been very thoughtful about details. People who play MMOs want details,” added Zeschuk. That said, there will be stuff in the game…

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SWTOR is EA’s “largest ever” project

Though this should come as no surprise to anyone, Eurogamer is reporting that Star Wars: The Old Republic is EA’s largest ever project. Their text: BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic is the most expensive game ever created at EA. The publisher’s chief banker Eric Brown described the MMO as the “largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company””. He said a packaged game usually costs around $30m to make at EA, but “any MMO costs significantly more than that”. When asked by a member of the Wedbush Morgan Securities audience in New York today how the cost compared to World of Warcraft, Brown said Blizzard spent “$100 million, perhaps more” to ship the game in 2004. “That’s lifetime [research and development] to actually ship it and obviously then there’s maintenance subsequent to ship and expansion packs,” Brown added. These days, WOW makes around $100m a month…

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Endgame is “Brand New System”

ComputerAndVideoGames, the digital arm of PC Gamer magazine, has posted a message noting that James Ohlen told them that the endgame content in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a combination of classic MMO systems and something new. Here’s their article: Bioware has revealed that end game content in Star Wars: The Old Republic will mix the classic MMO system with “something brand new””””””””””””. The ‘endgame’ content offers players incentives to stay in the game once they’ve reached maximum level. Speaking to PC Gamer in its new ‘MMO issue’, the game’s creative director James Olhen said: “We’re looking at classic [endgame] systems, but we’re also doing something brand new that hasn’t been done in an MMO before. So we’re going to mix those two together.” Olhen then got hushed by the game’s product manager, but added that Bioware was keen for players to continue questing after hitting maximum. “We…

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Know your lore: Zaalbar

Zaalbar (pronounced /’zɑlbɑɹ/), also nicknamed “Big Z”, was a male Wookiee who aided the former Sith Lord Revan in his quest throughout the galaxy to find and destroy the Star Forge superweapon . Originating from the Mid Rim Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, Zaalbar was the son of Wookiee Chieftain Freyyr, but had been exiled from his homeworld. Zaalbar was considered in Wookiee culture to be a madclaw, a title of dishonor, as he had attacked his brother Chuundar with his climbing claws, violating a Wookiee code of conduct. Despite his brother’s deals with slavers, which had led to their fight, Zaalbar’s father did not believe his accusations against Chuundar. Leaving Kashyyyk, Zaalbar traveled to the planet Taris where he encountered and befriended the Twi’lek orphan Mission Vao. Zaalbar and Vao traveled everywhere on Taris together. The two protected one another in the absence of any other companions and a close…

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DEVELOPER BLOG #10 : making the Jedi Consular

This weeks Friday Update features a Developer Blog by writer Joanna Berry as she brings to light some thoughts behind making the Jedi Consular. My favorite Star Wars™ film has always been The Empire Strikes Back™. But while the battle of Hoth will keep me glued to the screen for that second when the AT-ATs appear out of the snow, the film’s defining moments are on Dagobah, while Luke struggles and trains with Master Yoda. Before that, the Force was just a word that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader used, for a power whose glory days were long over. But on Dagobah, with Luke, we saw the Force differently; not as some simple trick that made Imperial Stormtroopers look the other way, but something greater. The Force™ is a living energy binding the galaxy as a whole. It is something that, in the hands of a master, could raise a…

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While we wait for The Old Republic:Tales of the New Republic

Tales of the New Republic was a film released with much anticipation on May 25, 2007. There was a lot of speculation at the time that this film was a trailer for The Clone Wars 2008 series. It was actually a class project at The Digital Animation & Visual Effects School in Orlando, FL and I am sure it was done to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars. The film plays like an animated trailer for a possible new series and is very well done. A must see!

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Star WarsThe Old Republic: What are YOU most excited about?

Hello everyone! This website has been running since 2008 and we thank you all for supporting us thus far. We have seen some major advancements with the game and we will be posting some more content from the developers themselves! We have been talking and we really want to get into touch with the visitors of our site. We definitely want some more interaction so expect to see some interactive posts in the coming future! So the question I want to ask to you all today is this, what are YOU most excited about for Star Wars: The Old Republic? Is it the awesome gameplay that we will experience? Is it the questing? Which class are you most excited to play in? How much time will you spend trying to master the game before others do? 🙂 Tell us ANY of your thoughts! There is so much to look foward…

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Know your lore: Mission Vao

Mission Vao (pronounced /’mɪʃɪn ‘veo/) was a female Rutian Twi’lek who lived as a street urchin on the ecumenopolis of Taris during the Mandalorian Wars and the first half of the Jedi Civil War. She preferred speaking Galactic Basic Standard rather than her people’s native language and was the closest friend of the Wookiee Zaalbar. She joined the crew of the Ebon Hawk following her encounter with Revan and the destruction of Taris, and was awarded the Cross of Glory in 3,956 BBY, at the age of 14, for her part in locating the Star Forge and the triumph of the Galactic Republic over the Sith Empire at the Battle of Rakata Prime. She parted ways with Revan after the defeat of Darth Malak. Biography Childhood Mission grew up as an orphan, having never known her parents, with just her elder brother Griff to look after her. Griff was a…

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Can BioWare Put The RPG Back in MMORPG?

You can’t help but wonder whether BioWare’s upcoming MMOG, Star Wars The Old Republic, will be able to port the same roleplaying aspect their successful single player games are known for to a new platform. Tentonhammer Have an excellent editorial about this: With story based MMOGs, I had hoped games would give us direction and purpose without losing the ability to make choices. Alas this was not to be–most current quest-based games give you little more than a choice between taking a quest or not taking a quest. I want to take a quest to kill a target and then be faced with the decision whether to actually kill them or let them go. Either way, there could be consequences for my actions. Let me piss off an NPC and have to face him or his minions later. Let me refuse to take a quest from an NPC vendor and…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Makazie One

Makazie One is a fan film that made its debut on the Internet in September of 2009. It is a great film that features the voice of Jay Laga’aia. As with most fan films, be sure to watch additional footage after the credits. You can visit their website for more information. Set in the Star Wars Universe during the time period between Episodes 3 and 4, an elite soldier has been sent to track down and destroy a known threat to the Empire through intense ground battles and haunting imagery of death that surround the environment. The unsuspecting enemy to the Imperial Order has no idea what he is up against when the two finally meet for an action packed surprise ending.

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Threat Of Peace Issue #27

The next issue of Threat of Peace #27 has just been released: The twenty-seventh issue of Threat of Peace™ concludes the volume with a surprising turn of events as Jedi Knight Satele Shan, Fortris Gall, and Special Forces Lieutenant Tavus report their battle with the Sith to Master Orgus Din. The story comes full circle when Braden the Bounty Hunter finally completes the contract which got him tied up in this mess in the first place. Check out the final issue of Threat of Peace now.

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