It's a little mindboggling to think of how big BioWare has gotten over the past few years.

On the one hand, the company is developing two major RPGs in Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2. That alone would be an impressive showing.

But on top of those titles, BioWare is also tackling a new Star Wars MMO--a project so daunting, and potentially lucrative, that it almost dwarfs the more traditional efforts.

At last week's Game Developers Conference, I caught up with BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk. While I could have easily spent my limited time asking about just one of the projects, I tried to cover all three with a few questions apiece--starting with the old-school RPG being demonstrated next door. ... Read more

Sure, the Galactic Empire might think that it doesn't need "that scum," but bounty hunters are a beloved part of the Star Wars mythology. That's why they're one of the playable classes in BioWare's upcoming and undated PC MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Just remember that unless you're paying one, bounty hunters aren't to be trusted.

Furthering the tradition of sporadic media releases, BioWare and LucasArts have released the second developer diary for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The video is packed with story details, confirmation of a Bounty Hunter class, and new footage.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Still no word as to when the PC MMO will hit, or how its business model will work.

An update to the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website has produced these new screenshots of Hutta, the homeworld of classic Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt.

No word yet as to when PC MMO will hit stores, or how its business model will work.

Tucked away within this "Developer Dispatch" video is our second chance to see BioWare's upcoming Star Wars MMO in motion, including combat and Jedi meditation.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

No word yet as to when the PC MMO will arrive, or how its business model will work.

BioWare has issued a few new screenshots from Star Wars: The Old Republic, one of which features a Mon Calamari. You know, like Admiral Ackbar. The fishy dude that said "it's a trap" in Return of the Jedi and spawned decades worth of nerdy references.

No word yet as to when the PC MMO will hit, or how its business model will work.

Eight new screenshots from BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic represent the studio's belated Christmas gift to the public. A release date for the anticipated PC MMO has not yet been set, nor have there been any solid details on the game's pricing.

BioWare has released the first trailer for its upcoming title Star Wars: The Old Republic, the Knights of the Old Republic-informed MMO.

The trailer provides an overview of the project, and includes a decent amount of in-game footage.

The Old Republic was announced in October, and currently has no expected release date. Platforms have also not been detailed, beyond the obvious PC release.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

The first in-game footage of BioWare's upcoming PC MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released tomorrow, December 12, the studio and LucasArts have revealed.

The footage will mark the beginning of a video documentary series that examines the game, which is set in the timeframe of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series. It will be available on Shacknews as well as the game's official site.

BioWare and LucasArts have yet to provide a release date for the game or detail its payment model. Earlier this week, BioWare owner EA appeared to claim that the title would be microtransaction-based, but later said that was a misunderstanding.

Update: Electronic Arts has responded to Shacknews, reiterating that "no statements have been made about the Star Wars business model," and attributing Mr. Riccitiello's comments to a misunderstanding.

Original story: Publisher Electronic Arts today classified BioWare's upcoming Star Wars MMO The Old Republic as a "microtransaction-based" title, indicating that the game will include alternative financial models other than a subscription fee.

"We are continuing to stick to the plan relative to building out our direct-to-consumer models which include microtransactions and subscriptions," said EA CEO John Riccitiello in a conference call today. "The recent launch of Warhammer [Online] is a great example of that."

"Other initiatives we've announced, for example [the] Star Wars online MMO, are mid-session games which are microtransaction-based," he continued. "You'll be hearing more about those in the February [conference] call."

Other "mid-session" EA titles include FIFA Online and NBA Street. These games are either provided for free, or for a nominal charge, and are then... Read more

A new batch of screenshots from BioWare's Star Wars MMO The Old Republic have arrived, showing off some new environments, characters, attacks, and beasts.

The studio has yet to say when the anticipated and story-driven PC MMO will launch, though BioWare is "definitely planning" for an an open beta to precede its retail debut.

A console release has not been addressed by the developer. When the oft-rumored MMO was confirmed, BioWare said that it was "only talking about PC" at the time.

Blizzard sees it as "a fact" that BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) will be a great game. From the house of the world's largest game, that's quite a compliment, but COO Paul Sams was quick to offer some advice to the Austin, TX, studio looking to become Blizzard's rival.

Sams warned that BioWare may not be expecting "players smacking them around"--no doubt in reference to an unforgiving Internet public--according to VideoGamer.com. The Blizzard executive also reminded BioWare of the online issues that plague MMO launches.

Star Wars: The Old Republic was finally announced in October

Thanks to the company's Battle.net service, "we had a level of experience that candidly no other game company had and so a lot of the bumps and bruises that we got would have been substantially, monumentally worse," said Sams of the experience of launching World of Warcraft.

Even for the accomplished BioWare, Sams implied that launching an MMO could still be an uphill battle. "You can have a great developer and you can have ... Read more

EA Games president Frank Gibeau didn't exactly dodge questions comparing BioWare Austin's newly-announced Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) to Blizzard's World of Warcraft (PC), the big dog in MMOs. In fact, he comes across as ready for the challenge.

"Just look at the base of Star Wars fans, plus what BioWare can do. Trust me: we want to win. EA's reputation is for wanting to win," said Gibeau to VG247.

Gibeau credited Blizzard with creating a massive market for MMOs, but he feels that EA is poised to take advantage of the sweat of Blizzard's brow... Read more

Though BioWare only announced its story-driven MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic for PC, studio owner Electronic Arts have revealed that console releases of both Star Wars and EA Mythic's PC-only MMO Warhammer Online are being considered.

"We're definitely looking at the opportunity to bring the MMO experience to console, without question," EA Games president Frank Gibeau informed Eurogamer.

"[Star Wars: The Old Republic and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning are] under consideration," he continued, warning that the company is "not really in a place to commit or announce anything specific with regards to those."

Warhammer Online launched on PC this past September. Developer BioWare and publisher LucasArts have yet to state when Star Wars: The Old Republic will arrive, though the studio has promised that an open beta will precede its release.

Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC), BioWare's new Star Wars MMO, aims to innovate with its companion characters, the customizable teammates with more heart than the average NPC.

Companion characters will function similar to the way the NPC allies did in the earlier Knights of the Old Republic games, acting as AI-controlled "companions." Players will only have one companion character out at a time, and they can be swapped in and out from the player's pool of allies.

While they may sound like traditional MMO "pets," the team is trying to make them feel more like compelling, dynamic allies.

"Companion characters--we want them to be more than pets," said creative designer James Ohlen. "We want them to be virtual friends. We want you... Read more

BioWare Austin's Star Wars: The Old Republic has enough content to fill the shoes of "KOTOR 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and beyond," according to BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka at the game's announcement earlier today.

To that end, lead writer Daniel Erickson has headed a team of 12 full-time writers for several years in crafting storylines tailored to each class. Adding to the complexity, BioWare has brought its trademark moral quandaries into the equation, creating another dimension on which to write compelling storylines.

Shacknews talked to Erickson about the considerable writing effort in the long-awaited MMO and learned about a great deal, from moral decisions and Jedi to bunnies and Han Solo.

On the way story will work in The Old Republic:
"We have classes in the game, and every class has a different story. Every class has a story that will take you from the first level of the game to the last level of the game, and none of those stories are the same... Read more

Ending years of silence and rumors, BioWare and LucasArts today revealed that they have joined forces to produce a Star Wars massively multiplayer online game set in the Knights of the Old Republic Universe.

Dubbed Star Wars: The Old Republic, the title will allow players to choose between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire factions, with each having unique classes and races. Only a PC version was confirmed in today's announcement.

No release date was given, with BioWare stressing that the game has no release window, though a past report suggested it would launch in 2009. The studio is "definitely planning" an open beta, BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk confirmed.

The story-based MMO will be set roughly 300 years after BioWare's 2004 single-player RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC, Xbox) and the Obsidian-developed sequel, or 3500 years before the beloved film series.

"We're making KOTOR 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and beyond--this game is that big, it's got that much content in it," explained BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka. "It's very... Read more

Here's a look at the invitation sent out to press for the BioWare/LucasArts joint announcement coming up on October 21.

Despite Electronic Arts president John Riccitiello's earlier confirmation of a BioWare-developed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMO, the two companies have been otherwise mum, the cat remaining halfway in the bag.

But looking at that teaser image, there doesn't seem to be much room left for wild speculation. The rest of the invitation reads: "BioWare and LucasArts invite you to attend the official unveiling of the game that's been rumored about for years."

Stay tuned for more coming later this month.

Following rumors that BioWare will be unveiling its new Knights of the Old Republic MMO later this month, BioWare and LucasArts have announced that they will be holding an event to reveal a new project on October 21.

The event, to take place at LucasArts' offices in San Francisco, promises "the official unveiling of the game that's been rumored about for years," according to Gamasutra.

After months of speculation, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitello spilled the beans on the new Star Wars MMO during an interview at E3.

Since then, rumors have circulated regarding when the companies might officially announce the game. Last week, a columnist for the UK paper The Daily Star teased that he would be filing a report on the title later this month.

Acclaimed RPG developer BioWare will officially reveal its massively multiplayer Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game later this month, claims CVG.

The publication cites a recent column in UK newspaper The Daily Star, which stated the reporter would soon head off to San Francisco in order to "file an exclusive report on [BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic MMO.]"

After months of rumors, studio owner EA confirmed that BioWare Austin was indeed working on a massively-multiplayer effort set in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic universe, which takes place 4000 years before the beloved film series. No platforms have been announced for the game.

The Knights of the Old Republic universe was popularized through two Xbox and PC RPGs--the first developed by BioWare, the second handled by Obsidian.

According to EA CEO John Riccitiello, the Star Wars MMO is one of the "two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry"--the other being EA Mythic's recently launched Warhammer Online (PC)--and is "quite possibly the most anticipated game, full stop, for the industry."