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BioWare: SWTOR could've been a Game of Thrones MMO

by Jef Reahard on Dec 21st 2011 2:30PM

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Arya Stark reacts to the Bigpoint Game of Thrones announcement

The Force may be with BioWare, but it might interest you to know that the Canadian RPG giant wasn't married to the Star Wars IP when it began discussing its initial foray into the MMO space. According to an article at PC Gamer, everything from the Lord of the Rings, to the Dark Tower, to A Song of Ice and Fire was on the table when the team began drawing up its design documents.

"If we were going to do a Game of Thrones MMO, what kind of rules and what kind of gameplay elements would really bring that world to life? Each [design document] had that, but we always focused on the story at the fore," says BioWare's James Ohlen.

Ultimately, the devs forsook Westeros for the fertile setting they helped create in the Knights of the Old Republic series, and George R. R. Martin fans are left to ponder the differences between a huge BioWare production and a Bigpoint browser title.

Source: PC Gamer
More coverage: Official site

Tags: a-game-of-thrones, bigpoint, bioware, game-of-thrones, interviews, kill-10-lannisters, mmo-industry, song-of-ice-and-fire, star-wars-the-old-republic, swtor, the-old-republic, tor, whyyyyyyyyy

Reader Comments (43)

I love both IPs but I'm glad they went the way they did. GRRM does not need any more distractions from writing and finishing 'Winds of Winter' and 'A Dream of Spring'.

I've never seen the appeal of Game of Thrones to be honest. It just seemed far to dreary, and depressing for my fantasy tastes.

I really wish that the Elric of Melniboné series of books, would get a TV show or, even a movie. Elric is possibly one of the best protagonists ever..bar none. Now that's a fantasy world, that I'd love to see made into an MMO.

@ElfLove
That's why people like it so much. It's not your typical Fantasy where the good guys always win and the bad guys always lose. Main characters aren't immune to death either, like they are in so many other fantasy series.

@Ceridith

Have you ever actually read Elric: The Stealer of Souls?

@ElfLove

No, and I was talking about Game of Thrones anyways.

@Ceridith
You *might* want to take a look at Elric. It's depressing but also far more fantastical and epic than GoT.

@Ceridith

Neither is the story of Elric of Melniboné and his sword "Stormbringer" and its twin Mournblade.A lot of people don't even know Michael Moorcock's saga but they all know about Arthas sword and where do you think it comes from?Not from Blizzard's writers anyway :-)

@ElfLove

Honestly though I've been a fan of the Eternal Champion series for over 35 years, I'd rather have had a Game of Thrones MMO. Though its close I will admit. It would have been a much higher magic game world to be sure, which I guess could make a stronger case for it being more suitable for a MMORPG.

Not having the huge ego of some, I'd love to play a Companion to Heroes, as long as Stormbringer or one of its ilk didn't suck my characters soul! Darn if I'm not talking myself into saying Moorcocks world would make a better mmorpg. lol

Plan B.

Should've gone with Mass Effect.
But GoT? If in the vein of DA2, would've been a sheer disaster.

@Lucidus I wish they would have went with Mass Effect instead of Star Wars that way they are free and clear to go anywhere they want with the story line. As much as I love the Star Wars Universe, I dont like that George Lucas has final say and that while there is still thousands of years of story still untold its a pretty established universe that limits somewhat what they can do in the game.

I agree. I just finished book 4 yesterday. Maybe by the time I finish book 5, he might have another one for me to read.

thank god they didnt make game of thrones cuz they would have ruined it with cartoony graphics and WOW combat.

So something could have been but didn't and never will. Thanks for informing me.

@Dumac It's comical isn't it? The all time winner of pointless articles however goes to Jef's article a few weeks ago that was about a Game of Thrones producer who was seen in a gaming T-Shirt. I kid you not.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/game-of-thrones-producer-digs-kingdom-of-loathing/

@Duulin
Well that may be a little too harsh, it's a blog site, not a "serious" news site, and besides it's PC Gamer who made it into a "OMG Game of Thrones" story, not Jef. But whenever a story like this comes along, I'm a bit confused as to how to react.

Thank god they didn't make Game of Thrones 'cuz it sucks.

@(Unverified) Moron

@Clemalum07

I see you are continuing your sterling personality trait of insulting others as a form lightning fast mental ripostes to those you don't agree with. Your problem as usual is that instead of just ignoring a foolish post without merit, you dive right into the pigsty with em. Bah and look! You got mud on me in your effort to wrestle with the troll!

SWTOR is a good game but I wish they went with a song of fire and ice, a Wheel of Time, or a Mass Effect route rather than using the Star Wars IP.

I can see why they did it Star Wars is a bigger IP, they have some story on it already (KOTOR) and it gave them a bit more breathing room with the story they created, but I personally believe that the other IP's would better translate into an MMO than Star Wars

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BioWare: SWTOR could've been a Game of Thrones MMO

Reader Comments (43)

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:39PM wildcard58 said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:45PM ElfLove said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:58PM Ceridith said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 3:08PM ElfLove said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 3:27PM Ceridith said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 5:47PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 22nd 2011 2:14AM Valdur said

Posted: Dec 22nd 2011 4:34AM Celtar said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:48PM dudes said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:49PM Lucidus said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 5:50PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:50PM runzwithsizzorz said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:54PM Dumac said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 3:36PM Duulin said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 3:53PM Dumac said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:57PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 3:41PM Clemalum07 said

Posted: Dec 22nd 2011 4:37AM Celtar said

Posted: Dec 21st 2011 2:59PM Vgk said

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