EA Assumes All Publishing Duties for BioWare's MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Through the use of some strong Jedi mind tricks--or some kind of legal agreement--Electronic Arts assumed all publishing duties for the upcoming, highly-anticipated BioWare-developed MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

According to the press release announcing the agreement, EA stated that "certain publishing, marketing and distribution responsibilities previously designated to LucasArts will shift to EA." The idea, according to the game's publisher, is to centralize "all publishing, marketing and distribution responsibilities" under one umbrella for "efficiency."

Gamers won't notice a difference; however, it puts EA in complete control of the title and its marketing. Speaking with Joystiq at an EA Games showcase in San Fransisco, BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka noted that "it makes things easier for us to have everything under one roof, one that will eventually benefit players." Joystiq notes that this decision will ultimately make customer service issues easier to cope with as only one company is responsible for the title.

According to Muzyka, LucasArts will still be "very involved" in ensuring the complete experience is still rooted in the expected Star Wars content and tone. Presumably this means the game will be remade in a decade to slightly adjust the story's original vision making us all hate EA for ruining our childhood.