posted November 01, 2000 01:53 AM               

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- July 25, 2000 -- LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC and BioWare Corp. today announced a partnership to create the first Star Wars role playing game (RPG) for PC and next generation video game systems. Expected to release in 2002, the game will be set in a time period prior to the Star Wars films.

The agreement combines Star Wars, the most successful film-based license in interactive entertainment, with BioWare's considerable development expertise in the role playing genre. BioWare created the critical and commercial hit RPG Baldur's Gate�. The Star Wars role playing game will be developed by BioWare and marketed and distributed by LucasArts.

For the game, LucasArts and BioWare are creating an entirely original storyline set some four thousand years before Star Wars: Episode I. The ancient era is dominated by an epic struggle between the Jedi and the evil Sith.

"This collaboration with BioWare further represents LucasArts' long-term strategy to build relationships with the world's premier game developers," says Simon Jeffery, president of LucasArts. "BioWare has consistently delivered compelling games with rich and deeply engaging stories. Together, we aim to create a milestone role playing game set within a unique and largely unexplored area of the Star Wars universe."

"The opportunity to create a richly detailed new chapter in the Star Wars universe is incredibly exciting for us," says Dr. Greg Zeschuk, joint CEO of BioWare.

posted November 02, 2000 03:46 AM               

- Star Wars: Obi-Wan due out in 2001.
- Star Wars Online due out in 2002.
- Star Wars RPG due out in 2002.

Darn. I remember the days before the theatrical release of Episode 1: The Phantom Menace when there were around a dozen Star Wars PC games in development