Star Wars MMORPG On The Way?

A collaboration between Lucas Arts and BioWare has fans salivating with anticipation.

You have to wonder. Some have to wildly hope. But the announcement that Lucas Arts and game developer BioWare arecollaborating on an interactive game product has made people suspect that a Star Wars online roleplaying game might be in the works.   There’s even precedence of a sort. The two companieshave worked together before, creating the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in 2003.   Unsurprisingly, neither company is saying exactly what they’ll be working on –what’s life without a tease and some anticipation, after all? – but there’s plenty of speculation that it will be associated with Star Wars, and the tantalizing idea of amultiplayer online game has fans salivating, especially as a press release about the venture promises something “to push the boundaries of the gaming market.”   “LucasArts hasa 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 thisin BioWare," said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. "Through our previous collaborations, we know that BioWare has an impressive ability to blend gripping stories with technologicaladvancements, and we believe that our upcoming product will deliver an experience that will span the traditional boundaries of video game entertainment."   And BioWare said nothing todampen the flames of gossip.   “BioWare’s mission is to deliver the best story and character-driven games in the world, delivering powerful emotional experiences to our fans." saidRay Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare Corp. Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare Corp., "The collaboration with LucasArts allows us to combine our passion for creating high qualityand innovative experiences with those of a company dedicated to bringing only the finest games to market."   No release date for the final product was announced, but it’s hoped thatthe force will be with them.