As we get closer to the end of the year, Star Wars: The Old Republic is getting closer to launch, and we’re starting to see more and more of the game. The general buzz I’m seeing is that anyone who has played an MMO is going to at least try it out. Will is be a WoW-killer? Probably not. But will it gain a big enough audience to provide a substantial alternative to the seven-year old juggernaut? Probably so.
The Star Wars universe has mechanics that seem to translate very well into a game setting. Swords make sense there. They have two distinct factions with opposing philosophies. It seems like a no-brainer. I tried the previous venture into gaming with Star Wars Galaxies, and it was not that good. The Jedi Knight series of single player games was awesome. Bioware had a great product with Knights of the Old Republic, and it looks like they’re going to translate that success into the MMO field.
I have not pre-ordered yet. I know a lot of people who say they are playing, but I’m looking for a stable group that will be committed to playing together and giving it a serious try.
World of Warcraft is still a great game – probably the best game I’ve ever played – but it’s become a bit dull waiting for the next big thing to happen. If Blizzard is going to retain folks, they’re going to have to do something spectacular to keep them from defecting to TOR.