Source: A slide (pictured) from Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello's presentation to analysts yesterday.
What we heard: The past 24 hours have been dominated by announcements from EA about its preparations to release Mass Effect on the PC, Spore on September 7, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, and a Burnout sequel. The aforementioned presentation by EA's CEO also revealed that one of the mystery projects of recently acquired Pandemic Studios is a new game based on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.
Riccitiello's presentation also appeared to reveal a new game from Pandemic's former corporate twin, BioWare Inc. The same slide as the LOTR revelation had the Canadian studio's development lineup listed as "Mass Effect, Dragon Age, KOTOR, [and a] New MMO."
Many took the mention of "KOTOR" to mean that the studio's recently revealed collaboration with LucasArts is indeed a third installment in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series. And since BioWare is now strictly a developer, the listing also implies that the studio has retaken the series' reins after outsourcing 2005's KOTOR II to indie shop Obsidian Entertainment, currently at work on Sega's Aliens role-playing game.
Furthermore, the listing of Bioware's "new MMO" as a separate project from KOTOR gives the impression that the two are different games, and that Bioware Austin's massively multiplayer project might not be a KOTOR MMOG after all.
The official story: Unfortunately, the aforementioned assumptions about BioWare's slate appear to be premature. "The slide in John's presentation is titled 'Best Creative Talent'--it addresses future and past titles," an EA rep cheerfully told GameSpot. "KOTOR, Black, Boogie, Skate, and some other titles on the slide speak to past portfolio releases and the pedigree of the studio, but do not specifically address future sequels. The MMO in development at Bioware Austin is listed as a 'New MMO.' We apologize for any confusion this may have caused."
Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that the slide is official confirmation of KOTOR 3--or that the BioWare Austin MMOG is not KOTOR MMOG. However, keep in mind that even though the slide does "not specifically address future sequels," EA Games division president Frank Gibeau has already confirmed a new Skate game, and a next-generation Black sequel was revealed in 2006. And if BioWare and LucasArts aren't working on a new KOTOR game--MMOG or not--then what are they working on?
