If you're a big Star Wars geek, like myself, you are surely stoked for the new Star Wars MMO: Star Wars: The Old Republic. I've played the first two countless times and I might just dust off the old xbox for a second (more like twelfth) go at the RPG franchise. The story, setting, and gameplay just rolled some of the best elements in an RPG together like an extra-large pizza with all the right toppings.

Then again, there are people like me who also love the KOTOR franchise, and again, like me who want a KOTOR 3. I'm fairly sure you have seen the ratings (or maybe you might be one yourself) about how the new MMO kills all hope for another satisfying single-player experience. To a certain degree, I agree with you, but a better part of me says trust Bioware and their owner, Electronic Arts.

What gamer hasn't hated EA this past year? They release a stream of half-baked titles and perpetually pump out sports titles. They buy off the NFL so they are the sole provider of NFL games. They buy out two great independent studios, Bioware and Pandemic for millions of dollars. And most currently, they unsuccessfully try to buy out Take-Two Entertainment. If that isn't enough of a reason to hate Electronic Arts and John Riccitiello, then you might as well go to blogs that continually say that Riccitiello kills kittens for pleasure among other false accusations.

However, give Riccitiello some credit. Activision-Blizzard rears it's head from the ashes of Viendi, Activision, and other 3rd party developers. Then GOD Games comes back as Gamecock Entertainment. But above all else, the gaming market is completely fed up with EA. To his credit, EA bought those two companies, Pandemic and Bioware, to bring life into the financially thriving, but talent bankrupt business.

And now, they are reaping the rewards of buying up those studios that have an immense amount of talent, as well as finding talent in their own halls (i.e. Dead Space). With EA's near-limited funding, Bioware can create a phenominal MMO. Let's look at the record for Bioware according to Gamespot (excluding expansions): Baldur's Gate 9.2, Baldur's Gate II 8.7, Neverwinter Nights 9.2, Jade Empire 8.4, KOTOR 9.1, Mass Effect 9.0. With a talent for RPG's at Bioware, I do believe that they can make KOTOR 3,4,5,6,7, etc. with Star Wars: OR

I know EA hasn't exactly been the most cuddliest of publishers as of late, but they do look like they are making a turn around and just maybe publishers, such as, Bioware can help them turn their image around. We can only wait and play.

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