Overly Positive

Moon Over Endor has a little sidepost on Star Wars Galaxies (you know, that OTHER Star Wars MMO) and, via Massively, what one of the developers has in mind for the game in the face of the Bioware hype machine that is Star Wars: The Old Republic. According to this SWG producer, plans to support Galaxies are in the works, although there was a curious deflection about commentary on SW:TOR.

Star Wars Galaxies turned six, according to the article, which, despite everything it’s gone through, is pretty impressive as far as MMOs go. Sony Online Entertainment has been known to keep MMOs going for quite some time, so obviously, there must be some money-making opportunity here. Considering that there is currently zero competition for Star Wars-based online RPG play, it’s no surprise Galaxies is still around and kicking.

My memories of Star Wars: Galaxies are a bit middling these days, but what I do remember, I remember with fondness. Being in an actual cantina and being able to entertain players, blasting things with my trusty rifle, traveling planets with my own ship, trying, and ultimately deciding to not bother with, becoming a Jedi, and more. One particular story of note was being around for an in-game wedding, filled with as much touchy-feely fuzzy as you could get for an Internet ceremony, only to have chaos and drama ensue as one Imperial decided to torch the Jedi presider in question when he PvP-flagged. Talk about “all those opposed” needing to “speak now”, right?

Anyway, Galaxies changed core design at least 2 or 3 times that I can count over the years, and the move towards making becoming a Jedi easier, and not harder, led to me eventually seeking new opportunities elsewhere. Re-learning skills and tactics in an MMORPG is definitely something that could grate on players, but those who have stuck with it in Star Wars Galaxies are probably among those I’d say are even more optimistic than me (an that’s saying something) about the long-term viability of SWG

Galaxies being around is a good thing, ultimately, for Star Wars: The Old Republic and Bioware. It’s clear that MMO developers look to the past to see how best to approach the future, and Bioware’s association with anything regarding the Star Wars IP (and LucasArts in particular) guarantee information sharing. Ultimately, when SW:TOR comes out, it will ship keeping in mind the mistakes of the past. We wouldn’t really be in that kind of position without Star Wars Galaxies taking that first bold move “a long time ago” to make a Star Wars MMO. I agree with Moon Over Endor’s Ayane – it is likely that many will flock to the banner of SW:TOR from Galaxies, but even if SWG ends up closing shop, it will have had nothing to be ashamed of due to how far it’s come already.