wraggster
January 27th, 2014, 19:56
Sony Online Entertainment's next game will be "dedicated" to fans of its discontinued MMO Star Wars Galaxies (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/playstation-2/rpg/4401/star-wars-galaxies/), the firm has said.
During a Reddit "ask me anything" session (http://www.reddit.com/r/EQNext/comments/1w2lu2/im_john_smedley_president_of_soe_amaa/), 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.
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_2587/image_258718_460.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/viewer.php?id=258718&mode=article)"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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/398998/disney-shuts-lucasarts-game-publisher/), 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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/pc/mmo/10596/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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=96562) 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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/128967/star-wars-galaxies-targets-noobs/), 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 (http://preview.computerandvideogames.com/329969/star-wars-galaxies-officially-closed/) in December 2011, choosing not to renew the license agreement with LucasArts.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/446831/soes-next-game-dedicated-to-star-wars-galaxies-fans/
During a Reddit "ask me anything" session (http://www.reddit.com/r/EQNext/comments/1w2lu2/im_john_smedley_president_of_soe_amaa/), 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.
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_2587/image_258718_460.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/viewer.php?id=258718&mode=article)"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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/398998/disney-shuts-lucasarts-game-publisher/), 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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/pc/mmo/10596/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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=96562) 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 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/128967/star-wars-galaxies-targets-noobs/), 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 (http://preview.computerandvideogames.com/329969/star-wars-galaxies-officially-closed/) in December 2011, choosing not to renew the license agreement with LucasArts.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/446831/soes-next-game-dedicated-to-star-wars-galaxies-fans/