So the big news this past week was undoubtedly the announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the upcoming MMO based on the Knights of the Old Republic franchise, developed by Bioware and LucasArts. SWtOR takes place a few hundreds years after the end of Knights of the Old Republic, but continues the Stars Wars storyline in no doubt great ways, considering Bioware’s talents at developing massive storylines with quality gameplay, we can only imagine where they could take such huge possibilities as an ever-expanding world based on the Star Wars backstory.

But with the forthcoming release comes some big questions. First, what about that other Stars Wars MMO? What was it again….oh yeah….Star Wars Galaxies. Is it sticking around? Yes states LucasArts exec Tom Nichols, who sees no reason the two games can’t exist together. It seems they still have big plans for Galaxies, plans they wish to pursue aggressively should The Old Republic be a big enough hit to revive the original Sony-backed Star Wars MMO.

But then comes the whopper of a question. Can SWtOR really take on World of Warcraft? EA games president Frank Gibeau believes so and we certainly think World of Warcraft will be in a run for it’s money.

“Just look at the base of Star Wars fans, plus what BioWare can do. Trust me: we want to win. EA’s reputation is for wanting to win. This is going to be a powerful category and there’s lots of ways to compete in this category. [Blizzard] created a much larger opportunity for everybody else, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way.”

Yeah! Finally, the Star Wars MMO which should have been made (let’s ignore that whole Galaxies thing for the time being) has finally been confirmed. Though not much information has leaked, we do know it’s being developed in Austin, and will be connected to Knights of the Old Republic, which happens to be a Playthrough favorite.

In addition to the announcement, LucasArts and Bioware launched the official site for Star Wars: The Old Republic, including an FAQ, which gives some exciting information and insight into what this game can and will become. Some gems are quoted below!

Will I be able to play on the Light or Dark side of the Force?

Yes, during character selection you will align with the Republic or the Sith Empire. In addition, throughout the game you will also be faced with many decisions which can change your path down the Light or Dark side of the Force.

When does Star Wars: The Old Republic take place in relation to the movies?

Star Wars: The Old Republic takes place more than 3,500 years before the rise of Darth Vader. The most powerful Sith Empire in history has emerged from deep space to attack the Republic and its legendary Jedi guardians. After decades of war, a tenuous truce has been established between the Sith Empire and the Republic, but events occurring in the game are leading the galaxy back to an all-out war.

How does Star Wars: The Old Republic relate to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic?

Star Wars: The Old Republic takes place approximately three hundred years after the events of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). At the conclusion of the Jedi Civil War in KOTOR, Revan disappeared into unknown space in search of a great threat to the Republic, an expanding Sith Empire led by a mysterious Emperor who planned vengeance for his ancient Jedi enemies. Revan never returned from unknown space, but the Sith Empire did, kicking off a war with the Republic that lasted for decades. Now, despite the uneasy truce created by the Treaty of Coruscant, the tension among the divided star systems is threatening to once again tear the galaxy apart.