14 DAY TRIAL // Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the biggest video game launches coming this year and the developers working on the game at BioWare are offering more details on how their upcoming MMO offering will try to attract even middle of the road solo gamers to the more hardcore elements of the genre.
Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Damion Schubert, who is the lead systems designer working on Star Wars: The Old Republic, has said, “One of the things we have to acknowledge as MMO designers is that our magic — our secret sauce, this stuff, the raids — this is hardcore stuff.”
He added, “And we have to figure out how to get the solo player in a position where they want to take part in this, where they feel comfortable with the social circles, where they feel like they can be contributors.”
Clearly, the team at BioWare that is in charge of Star Wars: The Old Republic has put a lot of thought into the issue of social gaming and into how those who are used to playing on their own can be enticed and convinced that being part of a group will enhance their experience.
Schubert has said that a lot of so-called solo gamers are so characterized because they never engaged in a game that allows them to be social.
It seems that The Old Republic will allow those who experience solo or party-based BioWare games before to feel at home with the MMO than offering them reasons to play with others and see if they enjoy the experience.
The Star Wars MMO, which is taking place a few thousand years before the movies, is set to be released at some point during the autumn of the year, after a delay that was aimed at allowing BioWare more time to polish the game.