Merchandise and Almost E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3 for short, each year is a bit like Christmas for gamers. It is one week during which most game publishers and developers show what they've been working on, all vying for the attention of the public. It is a week of unveiled secrets, flashy trailers, new gameplay footage and further details. It's always a very exciting time (in my opinion) even for those who can't attend as the gaming news sites are literally flooded with articles and videos coming out of E3. And with it starting again next week it's almost here.

Last year BioWare attended E3 as well with Star Wars: The Old Republic. We got the "Deceived" cinematic trailer first show during EA's press conference and I still feel that it's probably the best cinematic trailer I've ever seen. The HoloNet was also first revealed during E3 last year. And various journalists got to see a gameplay demo (behind closed doors) giving rise to a lot of "impressions" articles on that. Besides that there were also a lot of interviews with a variety of BioWare staff about The Old Republic, giving even more articles. A lot of sites also like to give out 'awards' for E3 attendees ("Best of Show", "Best Trailer", "Best MMO", etc) and The Old Republic came away with a lot of them. You can find all of it in the wrap up I posted after the event was over.

And now with this year's E3 right around the corner BioWare posted the following message:

In conjunction with the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles we will be publishing a special edition Fan Friday. As we release new exciting information about Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, we’ll be updating this article daily to share the big announcements with you. So be sure to check back often so you don’t miss anything.

Sneak Peek on Gametrailers TV
		Just can’t wait for E3 to get here? Well, you’re in luck! GameTrailers TV will be airing a special pre-E3 edition on Friday, June 11th. During the show, there will be a Behind the Scenes segment where you’ll get a sneak peek at our next cinematic trailer! Check your local listing for air time.

It certainly sounds like they're gearing up for a spectacular showing during E3, with promises of a new cinematic trailer and enough new information to warrant a post on it every day. According to the countdown on the official website it's set to start Monday the 14^th of June at 4pm PST... which just happens to be two hours after the start of EA's press conference (note that the countdown on EA's E3 site is two hours ahead of the SWTOR one). This makes a lot of sense since these conferences usually last about two hours... and just as last year I'd expect the SWTOR trailer to be shown at the very end of the conference. As soon as the conference is over things should go up on the site.

Next to the new cinematic trailer I also expect that we might get some hands-on reports from journalists; last year they only watched but I expect them to get a chance to play this year. And of course more interviews and other articles, as well as possibly some more awards. Maybe we'll even get more game system information and perhaps a surprise or two. They just started with going into advanced classes so more details on those for one or two base classes wouldn't surprise me at all. And neither would the reveal of more player species. And maybe, just maybe, they'll reveal when they're planning to go into closed beta. Either way, it looks like an interesting week ahead.

That's not the only update BioWare put up though; they also put up the following news:

Limited Edition Shae Vizla Statue by Gentle Giant!

Statue is work in progress. Final product may vary.

You were first introduced to this brutal Bounty Hunter as she joined the Sith fleet in an ambitious assault during the Sacking of Coruscant. Known as Shae Vizla, she is commonly employed by the Empire for large risky undertakings.

Now captured in a beautifully detailed statue designed by Gentle Giant Studios, Inc., Shae Vizla will be a great addition to any Star Wars™ collection. Priced at $79.99, this extraordinary limited edition piece is now available for pre-order.

Order yours now and be sure to use coupon code TORDEAL during checkout for a special 15% discount reserved for the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ community!

Choose Your Allegiance

Tensions signal a war is coming. When that day comes, neutrality will not be an option. Everyone will be forced to choose an allegiance. Show your unwavering loyalty for the Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic by wearing one of these eye-catching shirts.

The Old Republic allegiance symbol shirts are available in black with a white distressed symbol on the front and the Star Wars: The Old Republic logo on the back. These are regularly priced at $16.99, but use coupon code TORDEAL during checkout for a special 15% discount!

Choose wisely; will you support the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire?

The Old Republic Messenger Bag

Whether you’re traveling across the galaxy or just across town, you need a sturdy bag for carrying your inventory.

This classic messenger bag is priced at $34.99, and is a great way to show your love for The Old Republic. Buy yours now and make sure to enter code TORDEAL during checkout for a special 15% discount!

All of these products are available for purchase at the Star Wars Shop. For general inquiries about Star Wars Shop, click here. For customer service inquiries, click here.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

About Gentle Giant, Ltd. Gentle Giant Ltd. designs, develops, and manufactures three-dimensional representations of beloved characters from a variety of franchise properties with worldwide name recognition.

© Copyright 2010, Gentle Giant Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I'll file the merchandise under "news" for now; if they come out with more in the future I might put it under a new label.

A Look At The Competition

Ever since the game was first announced on October 21^st 2008 I have been closely following any news regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic and posting any bits on this blog. But BioWare's MMO is far from the only MMO that I've been keeping an eye on (if none of them quite as closely). With a week to go before E3 2010 I thought it might be interesting to look at what other MMOs are in development. That we we can see how the landscape might change over the coming few weeks (if at all).

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of MMOs in development, nor necessarily a list of all the most important ones to come out in the year before and after the release of The Old Republic. There are undoubtedly going to be MMOs that you might have added to your list, as are there likely to be MMOs listed in mine that you wouldn't have included. A number might not even be released until years after The Old Republic has been and a couple are even nothing more than rumors at this point. The complete list of all coming MMOs is quite long, and for many it is entirely uncertain when, or even if, they are going to be released. So see this instead as a list of MMOs in development that have caught my attention in one way or another to some greater or lesser degree. And of course each bit of information will be far from comprehensive, for some I could probably fill entire blogs in their own right, and be meant more as a brief overview. I'll also endeavor to post a couple of links to more information for each, but here too it's meant more as a taster than a comprehensive list of available information.

Looking at the list of upcoming MMOs one thing to take away is that story seems to play an increasingly important role in the MMOs of the future. Perhaps it is just because of my own preferences, but my two top picks (which I'll list first) both claim to have a strong story focus. Perhaps one could say that they are following in the footsteps of BioWare's MMO, but I think it's likely more accurate to say that a number of studios all saw the industry moving in the same direction and decided to develop their own brand of storytelling in MMOs. Great minds think alike, if you will. And of course there will also be plenty of more traditional MMO offerings, all trying to stand out in their own ways. Either way, and though I'm sure that you've heard this many times before that makes it no less true, it looks like there are exciting times ahead for MMO players.

View my picks of MMOs in development after the break.

Blood of the Empire, Issue #4

The fourth issue of Blood of the Empire is the only update we get this Friday, likely in preparation for the flood of information that's probably come during E3 (in little over a week). Here's the official news on the comic:

In the fourth issue of Blood of the Empire™, Teneb Kel begins his quest to find the Emperor's apprentice and learn the reason she betrayed her master. But a war-torn galaxy isn't always friendly toward Sith, and without a squad of Imperial soldiers to back him up, Teneb must rely on his wits and his lightsaber for protection. Also: what role does the Republic play in Exal Kressh's machinations?

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

There is some speculation that teh jedi master at the start of this issue might be a hint to Miraluka (made popular by Visas Marr in Knights of the Old Republic 2) as a player species. At the very least Sean Dahlberg seems to confirm that there are some details in the comics that directly relate to the game:

While we can understand some people may be frustrated, I want to say the vast majority of people will forgive us after E3 2010.

Also, there is information about the game in the comics (both in TOP and BotE) - in response to a comment above. While there isn't a plethora of meta-gaming details in there, there are some story elements you will run across when you play the game and some other morsels of info that some day you'll go "oooooooh" when you see it in-game.

Of course, he doesn't actually confirm that seeing an NPC of one species means players can play that species too; if anything he's mostly talking about story threads finding their way into the game.

Sean also indicated that we should be getting more great things during E3:

Hey everyone, we're quickly approaching E3 Expo 2010! In fact, we have just about a week and a half until we're there! We have some great things we'll be sharing with you throughout the week and the team is working to make sure that everyone has a great experience (those who are attending E3 and those who will be following us here from the web that couldn't be there).

In other news it seems that one of Star Wars Galaxies' developers, and apparently a fan-beloved one, has moved on to join the The Old Republic development team. As Massively reports:

Massively has learned some exciting news for Star Wars: The Old Republic and sad news for Star Wars Galaxies. According to his Linked-In profile, the fan-beloved developer, Matt Boudreaux, landed a new job at Bioware's Austin studios working on SWTOR. Boudreaux, known as AdeptStrain on the SOE forums, implemented some of the most ground-breaking additions to the aging game Star Wars Galaxies, such as new Jedi and melee animations, the Appearance Tab, and the Chronicles System. His role on the SWG team was solidified by his role in creating some of the best instances like Hoth and Death Troopers.

His wit and easygoing demeanor gained AdeptStrain quick rapport among fans. Roleplayers, in particular, have a vested interest in his work because of the added character customization given by the Appearance Tab. Some players are even considering moving to SWTOR just because AdeptStrain is now a part of the team. A loss for SWG truly is a gain for SWTOR.

Based on their job postings, it does not seem that SOE are looking for a replacement, but when they do, he or she will have big shoes to fill. We at Massively congratulate Matt on his new position and wish him well.

Matt has also since made a couple of posts on the forums (post 1, post 2, post 3):

Hi guys and girls,

If you played SWG in the last two years or so, you know me as AdeptStrain. For everyone else, nice to meet you!

I'm insanely excited to be working here at BioWare. The magnitude of talent here is quite staggering and I hope to contribute in any way I can to make TOR an amazing experience for all. While SWG will always have a special place in my heart, I'm very excited to put all my energies into TOR and help to try and create something really amazing.

I can't wait to start having some interesting conversations. Till then, I'll be diligently working on my various tasks.

- Matt

Post two:

Thanks for all the <3 guys. To answer a few quick questions, my job title is programmer. My current tasks are... my current tasks.

Replying to questions about his ingame allegiance and class:

I honestly have no idea. I normally like being on the good side of things, but I also tend to find the light side a bit whiny for my tastes (seriously, watch Luke in A New Hope). As for class, I personally think the Trooper class is pretty awesome.

The best of luck to Matt in his new job and congratulations to both him and BioWare on the new partnership.

Dev Quote: Daniel Erickson on Dialog Options

I decided to add a new kind of post to the blog: dev quotes. This will mostly be game related quotes from the official forums (as noted through Dev Tracker), though I can imagine quotes from other places as well. We'll see how it goes. In the past such quotes generally fell under the "news" label, but since it's not always news though it might still be interesting this seems a better approach.

To kick things off we'll start with a quote from Daniel Erickson on the dialog options in the game:

The Mass Effect dialogue system worked exceptionally well for keeping the game fast and action-oriented, which is always that team's target. On Dragon Age we went for a more classic RPG approach with more options and the ability to dig into all the little details. The first option in dialogue was usually the most sensible one for a reasonable person in the situation. SWTOR is somewhere in the middle. We keep the story moving (nobody wants to sit there in a multiplayer game while their party member begs an NPC for more backstory) but we present the options based on the situation and the class or faction.

So in the Flashpoint that Altyrell mentioned, the kill option was on the top because it was an Imperial quest and being darkside is the default for their big faction choices. In the same manner the top option for Smugglers tends to be funny or flirty, Bounty Hunters tend to be all business, Consulars tend to be questioning and wise, etc. Then, of course, the rest of the options enable players to do something totally different with their characters. Want to be a hardcase Smuggler? A wry action hero Bounty Hunter? A charming Inquisitor? Choices are much broader than just good and evil.

Hope that helps!

I must admit that I personally prefer Dragon Age's dialog system over Mass Effect's dialog system, but I can definitely see why they'd go with the latter. Though I've no problem sitting there in a multiplayer game begging an NPC for more backstory.


[UPDATE] I've gone back through the old news posts and tagged those as "dev quotes" that I felt should be. I've also edited the older posts to make the forum quotes dev orange (which I was already using for the newer posts) and will endeavor to keep using it in the future more dev quotes from the forums.

Rumor: Leaked Play Guide?

MMORPG.com are reporting that now defunct fan site Ithorians.com has pictures of what seems to be a play guide for Star Wars: The Old republic (most likely for some test version of the game). Whether this is real or some hoax is hard to confirm, but you can see the images yourself here:

There aren't a lot of surprises in the guide, mostly confirming fairly standard play mechanics. The only things of note are that it mentions that players can fill in a surname and that on death players respawn at a med center.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures

It was rumored last September that Sony Online Entertainment was working with LucasArts to create a third Star Wars MMO, this one set in the Clone Wars period, targeted at a younger audience and being similar to Free Realms. Today they are confirming those rumors.

Called "Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures" it is a browser-based, free-to-play game (they're calling it a "virtual world" instead of an MMO since apparently it won't have leveling or quests). Here is the text from Gamasutra:

Sony Online Entertainment and LucasArts are developing Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, a free-to-play virtual world based on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series airing on Cartoon Network, set to launch online and in retail stores this fall.

While LucasArts published SOE's last MMO based on the George Lucas franchise, Star Wars Galaxies, the San Diego-headquartered studio is both developing and publishing this title. The companies hope to introduce the Jedi, Padawan and Clone Troopers saga to a new generation of Star Wars fans with Clone Wars Adventures.

In this browser-based virtual world, players will be able can pilot starfighters, fight other starships, duel against "icon adversaries" with their custom lightsaber, play minigames like Droid Programming and Speeder Bike Racing, and play an embedded collectible card game featuring characters, creatures, and vehicles from The Clone Wars show.

While Clone Wars Adventures is free, players can purchase a monthly membership with unspecified advantages. They can also buy outfits, items, and accessories through microtransactions with Station Cash, SOE's virtual currency.

As with Free Realms, SOE's tremendously successful free-to-play virtual world with more than 10 million users, Clone Wars Adventures is designed to be a safe online environment for kids and families. It will offer customizable safety options, such as pre-canned chat and playtime settings for younger users.

"Clone Wars Adventures is the ultimate destination for fans of The Clone Wars series and will bring the action and excitement of the show to players online so they can experience The Clone Wars universe firsthand" says SOE president John Smedley.

Smedley adds, "We've worked with LucasArts and Lucasfilm to create a virtual world that is seamlessly integrated with the TV series and a true extension of the show. It's also just flat-out fun to play."

And thanks to Massively I've also got a trailer video of the game for you:


Having played Free Realms a bit, which was quite fun (for a brief while), this could be quite entertaining. It depends on how fun the minigames themselves are (Free Realms' minigames got boring rather quickly, not to mention some frustrating time-based minigames), but might be worth keeping it installed to waste the odd moment here and there.

Sounds like something to check out at least.


[UPDATE]

IGN has a couple of ingame videos and a preview article. Though it seems none of the videos actually have sound. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Similar to Free Realms, Clone Wars Adventures features a hub world where players can interact with their friends and spend Station Cash (a real-cash-to-game-currency system developed by SOE) to buy new outfits and accessories for their characters. The developers also explained to me that certain game types will also be reserved for monthly subscribers, though it doesn't sound like these modes have been finalized as of yet.

I'll refrain from embedding the videos; you can see them at the link above.

Companion and Sith Warrior

Most of what this Friday update brings has already been revealed over the last day by other sites (particularly IGN and GameSpot), but it's nice the see on the official site regardless. And with a few new snippets here and there (such as a new biography page).

First there is another game system update as they explain Companion Characters. Here is the official news:

Every Star Wars™ hero needs a companion. Han has Chewie, Luke has R2-D2 — even Jabba has the cackling monkey lizard Salacious B. Crumb. These characters will complement your strengths or weaknesses, and provide company for the epic journey you will inevitably undertake. Whether they’re combative, friendly, flirtatious, or even just good for a laugh, they always contribute to your development and serve as a sounding board for your choices. In Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, a variety of these Companion Characters will join your cause.

Learn more about Companion Characters and how they can shape and enhance your game play by visiting the Game Systems section!

The text is, as far as I can tell, the same as the text in IGN's article so there's not really much new there.

Second is an update to the the Sith Warrior class, now officially including the two advanced classes for the class (namely the Juggernaut and the Marauder). It also adds a "known associates" tab (listing a companion for the class) and the new movie and screenshots have been added to the site as well. Here is the official news:

Wondering how you will be able to customize the Sith Warrior to fit your specific play style? We are excited to confirm the two Advanced Classes for the Sith Warrior: The Juggernaut and the Marauder! Whether you want to charge into the fray as a Juggernaut, punishing your adversaries while protecting your allies, or slice through enemy ranks with two Lightsabers and unmatched aggression, the Advanced Classes system in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will give you the power to match your play style.

In conjunction with the Companion Character section released today, we present you with one of the Sith Warrior’s Companions – Vette! You can learn more about this known associate on the Sith Warrior page or by accessing Vette’s biography.

Check out the newly updated HoloNet to get details about the Advanced Classes available to the Sith Warrior. Also be sure to visit the media section for a new video featuring the Sith Warrior as well as some screenshots showing the Juggernaut and Marauder in action!

What connects the two updates is a new biography entry, that of the Sith Warrior's Companion character Vette. Here's the description from her HoloNet entry:

Slave, Treasure Hunter, Survivor

Few people have seen as much of the galaxy as Vette and few have had as little control of their destiny. Born a slave on the occupied world of Ryloth, Vette was separated from her family at an early age and sold to a series of minor crime lords. When legendary pirate lord Nok Drayen utterly destroyed her latest owner's holdings, Vette and the other slaves were given their choice of freedom or joining up with Nok. Vette became a pirate, travelling the known worlds and learning to get in and out of places she wasn't allowed.

Years later Nok Drayen mysteriously and suddenly released all of his people from service. Vette was left on Nar Shaddaa where she joined up with other young, idealistic Twi'leks and used her criminal abilities to rob and ruin those who exploited Ryloth's cultural artifacts and people. An unquenchable spark, Vette is older than her years but far from mature, delighting in silly pranks and always ready to laugh at people who think too much of themselves.

She sounds like an interesting character. And I think that this, these companions each unique to the classes, help show what sets The Old Republic apart from other MMOs and help it feel like something truly special.

On that note ComputerAndVideoGames has a short article up quoting some comments by BioWare designer and writing director Daniel Erickson on just that; how The Old Republic hopes to bring something to MMOs that before has been exclusive to single player games. Here's an excerpt:

"We've always had that thought in the back of our heads: That Old Republic should be all the things we thought an MMO would be in the first place - which is all the parts of an RPG. Which means - and this is the most radical idea - it should just be fun. Like, just fun to play. You shouldn't be trying to ignore all of the content to get to the end as fast as possible."

Well, here's keeping my fingers crossed. If I can just play the game and enjoy it instead of feeling the constant drive to get to some mythical place where the game's fun supposedly truly starts (and I've been there, and it doesn't) then it'll have succeeded in my book.


[link] to article at CVG.