Session Name: | Designing a Live MMORPG: The First Year of Star Wars: The Old Republic |
Speaker(s): | James Ohlen |
Company Name(s): | BioWare Austin |
Track / Format: | Design |
Overview: | Star Wars: The Old Republic had a tumultuous first year. The expectations for the game were huge, and the size and scope of the worlds created were unparalleled. Building it was one of the most difficult endeavors BioWare had ever embarked on. But none of that prepared the team for the post-launch year. After launch, the design team was deluged with information about the game - fan reaction, press reaction, metric reports, etc. Changing the game in reaction to the information was no easy feat. The game code was complex, and changing it without bringing down the service was difficult. The game was also gearing up to change to an F2P model. This is a presentation on how the design team coped, and what lessons were learned along the way. |