www.swtor.com... oh my

Lucas registers "Star Wars The Old Republic" trademark

http://www.eucantina.net/archives/834

LucasFilm Registers Trademark for "Star Wars The Old Republic" Online Game !!!

On July 3rd, 2008, LucasFilm filed for trademarks for the following:

• Star Wars The Old Republic
• Star Wars Sagas
• Star Wars Legends

The trademarks have been registered for "Entertainment services provided on-line by means of global and local area networks, namely, providing interactive computer game software, interactive video game software and interactive computer games and interactive video games, all on-line by means of global and local area networks"

You can view a screenshot of the trademark for "Star Wars the Old Republic" here. It is important to note that these trademarks were registered in the same way as the trademark for "Star Wars Galaxies". These are officially registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It appears that at least one of these titles may be used to create a new online Star Wars game. "The Old Republic" title makes me think about that KOTOR MMO everyone's been talking about.

Credit for the screenshot and discovery of "The Old Republic" title goes to the website StarWarsUniverse.com

E3 2008: EA CEO confirms KOTOR MMO

Jul 17, 2008:
John Riccitiello tells Conde Nast Portfolio that BioWare's mystery massively multiplayer project is a third installment in the Star Wars series.

Ever since it was announced in 2006, BioWare's massively multiplayer role-playing game has been shrouded in mystery. Though the Canadian developer opened a satellite studio in Austin, Texas, just to develop it, its cofounders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk maintained an iron wall of silence. However, Electronic Arts knew enough about the title to help convince the company to buy BioWare/Pandemic for $860 million last year.

Today, as E3 2008 wound down, the fog hanging around BioWare's MMORPG appears to have dissipated. Less than 72 hours after presiding over EA's own press event--where the project was nowhere to be found--CEO John Riccitiello almost casually revealed the MMORPG in question is a sequel of sorts to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

"We've got two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry in development," Riccitiello told Conde Nast Portfolio magazine. "The first title, based on the Warhammer property, will launch soon. And the one that people are dying for us to talk to them about in partnership with Lucas [Arts is] coming out of BioWare, which is, I think, quite possibly the most anticipated game, full stop, for the industry." When contacted by GameSpot, BioWare reps declined to comment further.

BioWare's first Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game was released in 2003 for the original Xbox and PC, and was named the year's top RPG by GameSpot. An Obsidian Entertainment-developed sequel was released in 2004 and 2005 on the same two respective platforms. Both critically acclaimed games are set several thousand years before the events of the Star Wars films, and cast players as adventurers who eventually become powerful Jedi Knights.

Currently, the Knights of the Old Republic MMORPG is set for release sometime in 2009. Once it launches, it is unclear what will happen to LucasArts' current massively multiplayer title, the Sony Online Entertainment-developed Star Wars Galaxies.

uk.gamespot.com

EA's BioWare/Pandemic buyout official

Jan 7, 2008:
Publisher's $860 million purchase of acclaimed RPG- and action-oriented shops finalized; former studio heads named VP, general managers under EA Games label.

With the Federal Trade Commission giving Electronic Arts the go-ahead in November to acquire VG Holding Corp.--owners of acclaimed development studios BioWare and Pandemic--it was only a matter of time before the $860 million deal announced in October was official. The clock hit zero on the massive buyout today, as Electronic Arts has finalized the sale that brings BioWare and Pandemic into the fold under its EA Games publishing label.

Former BioWare cofounders and presidents Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will now hold VP positions at EA and have been named co-general managers of BioWare. Likewise, Pandemic's Andrew Goldman and Josh Resnick have been named EA VPs and co-general managers of Pandemic Studios. Greg Borrud, former director of production at Pandemic, has also been appointed to EA VP and will take on the role as chief production officer at Pandemic.

Though the jury is still out on whether the economics of the deal warrant the purchase price, the buyout significantly bolsters EA's presence in the action, adventure, and role-playing game markets. BioWare brings to the table a number of highly acclaimed RPG properties, including Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age, as well as an unannounced massively multiplayer RPG rumored to be based on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchise. From Pandemic, EA has secured the Full Spectrum Warrior, Saboteur, and Mercenaries franchises, as well as rights to collect royalties on the Destroy All Humans! and Star Wars Battlefront games Pandemic developed.

While the buyout at the time further solidified EA as the largest third-party publisher in the world, the massive deal was trumped in December on news that French megacorp Vivendi would be merging its games division with Santa Monica-based Activision in a deal valued at $18.9 billion.

uk.gamespot.com

The Begining

October 30, 2007 — LucasArts and BioWare today announced that they have entered into an agreement to create an interactive entertainment product. The product, details of which will be unveiled at a later date, will be developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, and will push the boundaries of the gaming market by utilizing the strengths of both companies to deliver an innovative, high-quality experience.

“LucasArts has a deep commitment to developing compelling stories and characters for the unique medium of interactive entertainment, and we have been searching for a developer that shares this value. We found this in BioWare,” said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. “Through our previous collaborations, we know that BioWare has an impressive ability to blend gripping stories with technological advancements, and we believe that our upcoming product will deliver an experience that will span the traditional boundaries of video game entertainment.”

“BioWare’s mission is to deliver the best story and character-driven games in the world, delivering powerful emotional experiences to our fans.” said Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare. Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare, “The collaboration with LucasArts allows us to combine our passion for creating high quality and innovative experiences with those of a company dedicated to bringing only the finest games to market.

www.lucasartsbioware.com