Sony Online Entertainment's next game will be "dedicated" to fans of its discontinued MMO Star Wars Galaxies, the firm has said.
During a Reddit "ask me anything" session, SOE president John Smedley was asked which of the company's 'shutdown' titles he would like to see return, and what he would have done differently.
"Star Wars Galaxies," he replied. "I would do everything differently."
He then added: "SWG PLAYERS - OUR NEXT GAME (not announced yet) IS DEDICATED TO YOU. Once we launch it... you can come home now."
It's not clear whether the SOE boss was suggesting a renegotiation of the Star Wars rights, or that the firm is instead planning an unlicensed MMO that plays similarly to Galaxies.
EA currently holds the Star Wars license, giving it exclusive rights to the development and global publishing of new Star Wars games on consoles and PC. It also currently hosts its own MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic.
However, EA and SOE have collaborated on Star Wars Galaxies in the past, with EA developing and hosting a localised version of the game for the Japanese market.
Star Wars Galaxies launched in 2003 to a mixed reception from fans and critics alike. It was widely viewed that the SOE game offered plenty of ambitious ideas, wrapped around more than a few broken ones.
In 2005 the game's developers accepted defeat and completely redesigned it, slashing the number of player classes and allowing new users to play as Jedi from the start - a privilege previously reserved for only the most elite.
SOE pulled the plug on the game in December 2011, choosing not to renew the license agreement with LucasArts.

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