The MMO industry is a strange thing. Where else in the gaming world does a genre suffer from such a monopoly mentality? For years, Everquest was at the top of the heap. Every MMO that was announced was hailed as being a “EQ-killer,” and for the most part, every one was a commercial dud. Then Warcraft came along and took the crown from Everquest, and the exact same thing happened!

Thus far, the MMO marketplace has only ever had room for one all-out success at a time. It’s this problem that killed the brilliantly conceived Marvel MMO that so many of us had geeked out about. Microsoft Game Studios’ Shane Kim summed up the issue nicely;

When we first entered into the development and agreement of the development of Marvel Universe Online, we thought we would create another subscription-based MMO. And if you really look at the data there’s basically one that’s successful and everything else wouldn’t meet our level or definition of commercial success. And then you have to look [and say]: ‘Can we change the business model for that?

And that’s really the question — can the business model for the MMO market be changed? With the recent confirmations of Star Trek Online and Knights of the Old Republic MMO, and the upcoming releases of DC Universe Online, three big companies are going to have to find a way to do just that.

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Knights of the Old Republic was exquisite. Bioware created a brilliant new universe within the existing Star Wars license by using the D&D ruleset and a hell of a lot of imagination. You’d be hard pressed to argue against it being the greatest Star Wars story ever told. Sure the Obsidian delivered sequel left a lot to be desired (more specifically, an ending), but all in all it’s a franchise we’ve been praying someone would get back to. For years now it’s been rumored that LucasArts and Bioware had teamed up again to bring us the third installment in the series, a KOTOR MMO. It’s officially gone from rumor to reality. KOTOR MMO is coming. I need to change my dipey.

From the reveal on Portfolio.com;

In an interview at E3 this week, Electronic Arts chief executive John Riccitiello said that EA is working on the next version of Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic, and it will most certainly have a massively multiplayer online component to it.

“We’ve got two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry in development,” said Riccitiello. The first title, based on the Warhammer property, will launch soon. “And the one that people are dying for us to talk to them about — in partnership with Lucas, coming out of BioWare, which is, I think, quite possibly the most anticipated game, full stop, for the industry at the point when we get closer to telling you about it.”

Does Riccitiello mean the oft rumored Knights of the Old Republic Online? “Yes,” he said.

Read the full article here, then come back and join me in my giddy excitement.