So...why doesn't EA just make KOTOR 3 already?

[bug_of_war]

This question is kinda pointless, you could ask it about any company that had a seemingly good franchise that they seem to refuse to push forward. For example, just look at all the people begging for Half Life 3/Episode 3, or Mirrors Edge 2. The previous two games garnished some success and even though people openly enjoyed the game the devs still haven't released a sequel.

 

[Alandoril]

Well they could make a KOTOR 3 without having it connected to the other two games...

 

[JediMB]

Forget about KOTOR 3, and just hope that Disney will approve the Order 66-era Star Wars RPG that Obsidian want to make.

 

[JediMB]

They did suffer layoffs some time back, and they are missing some really good writers from their past like Gonzalez and Ziets, but Avellone is very much still there.

Ziets got rehired for Project Eternity, for the record.

 

[Terrible Opinions]

Kinda-sorta. He's been brought back for the project (snicker), but he's not a permanent member of Obsidian's staff anymore or anything. He's set to work on Torment, too.

 

[BrotherRool]

Another interesting tidbit about approvals and how much of a grip LucasArts has on things: if you paid attention, early on in TOR, you were limited to Dark Side having red lightsaber colours and Light Side only having blue and green (heck, I think they still have class restrictions on them for crafting). Very rarely were other colours even offered, and even then it seems they're limited to the higher tier rewards from operations and such - again limiting who can get them.

I'd imagine it was an up-hill battle trying to allow alt blade colours, let alone for the other games too.

You'd notice that even in the media: movies, TV shows, other games, it's often enforced as part of the look and feel of the franchise (i.e. being able to ID who's who).

I think it's possible that T3 and all the obvious film substitutes were a Lucas mandate because he's talked before how he likes this whole recurring heroes idea. But Obsidian said in their whole time making KOTOR 2 LucasArts only made 6 suggestions for things they should change total (and they weren't necessarily particularly significant either) and KotoR 2 let you have a silver lightsaber =D, never mind the red,green,orange,yellow,blue, purple

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

What the...? Alright, who necro-ed the KotOR 3 thread from three months ago--

POSTED: 19 March 2013 5:37 pm

..... Huh.

Eh, alright, I'm willing to play again.

If Lucas Arts are merciful enough, they should definitely allow Obsidian to give it another shot and write the damn thing. They really had something beautiful going with KotOR 2, but it ended up going downhill fast by the end. Either way, the potential was there, and I'd love to see it realized.

One condition though: they aren't allowed to program it. Seriously. Get someone else. No, I don't care that video game development doesn't work like that or that the production management would be run ragged dealing with two separate teams. They aren't allowed to program it. Period.

 

[Therumancer]

I just bought KoTOR the other day, and I am having a ton of fun playing it. I am seeing the parallels to the original saga as well as Mass Effect 1's story but the story remains engaging. The only downside is the absurdly clunky combat, Im also not a big fan of dice rolls, but I can deal with it. Over all it is a well put together game that actually allows you to roleplay if you feel like it, such a novel idea to include in an RPG. KoTOR 2 also seems to be praised by the star wars community. So why isn't KoTOR 3 being made?

Lets just ignore the blunder of TOR and just move on. It would be in EA's own best interests to produce the game. It is one of their last remaining franchises that has remained untainted, fans are anticipating this game. It would be the perfect opportunity for EA to restore themselves in the eyes of the gaming community. The game's structure and pacing has been top notch so far. It puts other modern games to shame. As long as they stick with the core formula of the original games I'm sure that the game would be a huge success. Is there any good reason as to why EA doesn't move ahead with a new KoTOR game?

Well, Mass Effect is similar to KoToR because it as intented to be a spirtual sequel to KoToR, so the similarities were obvious. Mass Effect was always kind of acknowleged as a sort of confession that there would never be another KoToR game like this again.

Like it or not a big part of what made KoToR is the game engine and it's conventions, dice rolls and all. The core system was Wizards Of The Coast's "D20"/"3E D&D" engine, for which they had officially obtained the Star Wars RPG liscence. The whole network of properties behind this game doesn't exist anymore. WoTC has moved onto 4E D&D which has a whole new engine and no longer has the Star Wars liscence, and even Star Wars itself got bought out by Disney. It's an interesting question as to who owns the rights to a lot of the central characters involved in KoToR if someone was going to push, I've heard rumors that there was some real questions behind the scenes when "ToR" decided to not only mention Revan but have him show up at one point, and that they needed permission to safely release some of the items in their FTP "Cash Boxes" based on KoToR. Apparently Star Wars being a real mess to liscence with odd things like re-using some of the original wookie noises being a mess even when Lucas was doing it.

I'd LOVE to see a new single player Star Wars RPG, or an official KoToR sequel, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm sure EA would probably consider doing one if they could, but it's probably a huge headache to even consider.

To be honest, I've been hearing the Star Trek liscence is even worse to work with. The guys doing Star Trek online apparently needing specific permission every time they decide to release a new ship or whatever from the series.

 

[Sargonas42]

I'm not denying that LucasArts has (almost) full control over the rights to Star Wars games, but lets be a little more smart about this. There is no questioning that EA has a contract with LucasArts. We do not know what is in that contract other than LucasArts giving rights to use KoToR stuff for "Star Wars: The Old Republic". What else is in that contract is speculation. I do not know what is in the contract, ThriKreen may or may not know.

From this point on, this is all speculation from my experience in the industry and with these type of business contracts. It would be stupid for EA business wise to make a KoToR game, then let LucasArts go to another company and create competition against The Old Republic. There has to be something in the contract that would prevent LucasArts from doing this while TOR is still live or for a certain number of years.

I should clarify, I *DO* know of the arrangement between the two. (My apologies, I spend so much time being flamed by all sides for being ex-EA and sometimes supporting them, that I forget not *EVERYONE* knows my background.) The easiest way to explain it is, Bioware's license to do Star Wars properties exists on a one by one basis. There is no rights to the franchise as a whole. Lucas owns the Old Republic franchise as a whole. Bioware has SOME rights around the first KotoR and TOR, and that's it. Even then Lucas Still has control of HOW those rights are exercised to this day. Anything future needs to be given out by Lucas to whom they tap to do the work. Lucas Arts' primary operating business practice is to always maintain executive ownership and final say over all of their properties, no matter whom they partner with.

This is coming from someone who's sat in on meetings where these very issues have been discussed.

Long story short.. don't ever expect a KOTOR3 from EA any time soon, when Disney now has the resources to make it in house.

Like it or not a big part of what made KoToR is the game engine and it's conventions, dice rolls and all. The core system was Wizards Of The Coast's "D20"/"3E D&D" engine, for which they had officially obtained the Star Wars RPG liscence.

Fun fact.. at one point (no idea if anymore) for several years, one of the questions you would be asked during your interview at Bioware was "What is THAC0?"

 

[Woodsey]

Right now, I'm far more interested in Obsidian's idea for a new RPG set between the two trilogies. If they can bring the same level of writing they brought to KOTOR 2, that could be something worth getting excited for.

wait, is that really happening? or just something mentioned briefly at some point in an interview/blog?

They were pitching it to LA before the Disney take over, think they were hoping to pitch it again as soon as seemed reasonable.

Personally, would rather see them handle something closer to KotOR's timeline. In between the trilogies seems needlessly limited.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Right now, I'm far more interested in Obsidian's idea for a new RPG set between the two trilogies. If they can bring the same level of writing they brought to KOTOR 2, that could be something worth getting excited for.

wait, is that really happening? or just something mentioned briefly at some point in an interview/blog?

They were pitching it to LA before the Disney take over, think they were hoping to pitch it again as soon as seemed reasonable.

Personally, would rather see them handle something closer to KotOR's timeline. In between the trilogies seems needlessly limited.

while under lucas's supervision, i would agree with you, this is obsidian we are talking about, they could take it in a whole different direction, just because it's in the same time period between the movies, doesn't mean it HAS to be central to the movies plots (if you get what i'm saying?)

they wouldn't even need to make the force unleashed 1 and 2 part of the canon, which would probably be best all things considered.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Like it or not a big part of what made KoToR is the game engine and it's conventions, dice rolls and all. The core system was Wizards Of The Coast's "D20"/"3E D&D" engine, for which they had officially obtained the Star Wars RPG liscence.

Fun fact.. at one point (no idea if anymore) for several years, one of the questions you would be asked during your interview at Bioware was "What is THAC0?"

hah, that's pretty awesome. reminds me of that google billboard from years ago:

 

[DarkhoIlow]

Oh, what I would give to see Kotor 3 made by Obsidian. As you might have noticed by now from that last phrase is that I loved Kotor 2 more than the first one despite it's issue with the lackluster ending.

We will probably never see a Kotor 3 in the same way those games were made before Big Daddy EA bought off Bioware.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

That's actually less of a problem than you make it out to be. KOTOR and KOTOR 2 didn't share a protagonist, nor did they share most of their story. Revan was referenced in KOTOR 2, but he didn't have an impact on the plot, which concerned a bunch of renegade Sith Lords and an exiled Jedi. It helps that the two games were written by totally different developers.

Really, they could make a KOTOR 3 that has zero plot connection to Revan or the Exile, and it would be in keeping with the trends of the series (which was called Knights of the Old Republic, not "The Adventures of Revan") and coherent with the eventual fates of Revan and the Exile as established by the novel tie-in and SWTOR's canon.

Of course, the fanboys would kick up an unbelievable shitstorm if EA released a KOTOR 3 that didn't have Revan or the Exile in it, even if it was in line with the previous two entries. Actually, I don't think EA should release a KOTOR 3, just because it would be impossible for them to look good while doing it. It's such a eulogised property that any changes - any updates to the mechanics, any flaw in the writing, any failure to pay dues to the other entries in the series - would be seen as heresy.

EA's so widely hated at the moment that I don't think any KOTOR title they could produce, no matter how good, would actually translate into a good response from the title's fanbase. And Bioware has been the internet's punching bag ever since DAII and ME3. If I were them I'd focus on keeping SWTOR afloat rather than trying to please the unpleasable.

Indeed, I can't find much sympathy with EA's critics when in fact they act like bigger assholes than EA does. All the past year or so has done has made me distance myself from the clusterfuck that is the so-called "Bioware fanbase." Making a KotoR 3 is like remaking FFVII at this point; it'd just have impossible expectation piled on it and people would just throw another hissy fit.

 

[romxxii]

Have we not learned from SimCity? We shouldn't let EA resurrect beloved old franchises; they just come back all wrong. It's like EA's headquarters were built on top of a native American burial ground.

 

[JemothSkarii]

EA make KOTOR III?

no please. Please god no. not EA.

Disney owns the rights now. Hopefully they'll licence it to obsidian and they can just make another great RPG with its own plot. KOTOR I and II plot lines were resolved (in a dissapointing fassion) in TOR.

I just want a HUGE RPG set in the tabletop star wars universe. A RPG with a HUGE FRIGGIN universe with HUGE FRIGGIN worlds to explore. WITH HUGE awesome dialogue. one that has super interesting companions and tons of kreia quality dramatic dialogue.


Is this to much to ask?

no EA. Fuck them. No more 'RPGs' from them plz. no more. they don't seem to understand what good RPGs are.

So like Freelancer but with more planetary dohickey thingies? I could deal with that.

OT: KoToR III could work, I've been thinking of trying the first two again to see if I can deal with that painful starting in the first game.

 

[Woodsey]

Right now, I'm far more interested in Obsidian's idea for a new RPG set between the two trilogies. If they can bring the same level of writing they brought to KOTOR 2, that could be something worth getting excited for.

wait, is that really happening? or just something mentioned briefly at some point in an interview/blog?

They were pitching it to LA before the Disney take over, think they were hoping to pitch it again as soon as seemed reasonable.

Personally, would rather see them handle something closer to KotOR's timeline. In between the trilogies seems needlessly limited.

while under lucas's supervision, i would agree with you, this is obsidian we are talking about, they could take it in a whole different direction, just because it's in the same time period between the movies, doesn't mean it HAS to be central to the movies plots (if you get what i'm saying?)

they wouldn't even need to make the force unleashed 1 and 2 part of the canon, which would probably be best all things considered.

I don't doubt it'd be good, it's just a time period that has been done frequently, and whose tone is dictated by the end of the prequel trilogy. To my mind the only reason you'd set it in such a narrow time space is because of the films and their influence in that period. The original KotOR was exciting because it divorced itself so thoroughly from the films.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

Because that might fall under the heading of "doing something intelligent". And that's kind of beyond EA.

 

[Mekado]

Yes, i'm sure EA is quite eager to throw some more money at a "super-sure to return our investement tenfold" Star Wars project again...