Background (from the KOTOR Online Wiki)

Last update : 20th october 2008
Copied from the KotOR Oline Wiki

Although not officially announced yet, several reports lead us to believe that Star Wars: KotOR Online may be in development. If you've got anything new to report please join us and edit this page or hop over to the forums and post it there.

Facts

• BioWare and LucasArts issued a press release announcing the two are collaborating on a "ground-breaking interactive entertainment product." The release promises more information is coming at a "later date," though everything point to the long-hinted-at Star Wars MMO [Source]
• On March 5, 2007, Chris Priestly of Bioware debunked rumors that BioWare is working on a third installment of the KotOR single players series. Quote: How about I prove you wrong by saying that we are not working on KotOR 3 and have no plans to start? It may be a rumor or w hope or w wish or whatever, but we are not currently working on KotOR 3 and we have no plans to work on KotPR 3 at this (or any afaik) time. [Source]
• The Star Wars Galaxies development team is located in Austin, as well, and BioWare confirmed almost a year ago an unspecified number of SOE employees migrated to BioWare when they moved into the area. The studio is headed by MMORPG industry veterans Gordon Walton and Richard Vogel. Gordon Waltin worked on Star Wars Galaxies. [Source]
• A .pdf file from the EA acquisition listing all the past and future games from Bioware - notice the New MMO doesn’t have Owned IP checked - Meaning it is indeed a licensed IP [Source]
• July 12, 2008, Kotaku reports that LucasFilm has recently filed trademark applications for Star Wars The Old Republic, The Old Republic, Star Wars Sagas and Star Wars Legends, all of which are described as "video game software" and "entertainment services provided on-line by means of global and local area networks."
• July 17th, 2008, BioWare is slated to announce a new title at E3 2008. - [Source]
• July 12, 2008, John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, confirms in an interview with that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is indeed getting a massively multiplayer online iteration: An article on [portfolio.com] quotes Riccitiello as saying, "... 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." When directly asked if this was confirmation of Knights of the Old Republic Online, the executive said simply, "yes".
• July 3, 2008, Lucasfilm LTD submits a copyright application to the US patent office for: "Star Wars: The Old Republic". The "goods and or services" section outlines just what will be entailed in the project which clearly defines it as an MMO. [Copyright Application]
• October 6, 2008, According to an invitation sent out to media outlets including Gamasutra, LucasArts' and BioWare's long-awaited, much-discussed joint development project will be revealed to the press October 21, 2008 [Source]

Speculations

• A source close to BioWare confirmed that the studio’s upcoming MMO will be centered around the Star Wars universe [Source]
• Analysts claim it is a Star Wars MMO - [Source]
  • Responding to EA's acquisition of BioWare/Pandemic, analysts from Citi, Oppenheimer, Lazard, and Wedbush Morgan have all reacted positively, saying the move was well worth the $860 million price, and speculating Bioware's "mystery MMO" will be Star Wars themed, calling it a "strong positive" for EA.
  • Citi's Brent Thill noted that the "industry is buzzing over BioWare's mystery MMO," predicting, "based on past development work" that Bioware is quietly working on the Star Wars MMO. As said, Thill calls the potential of the title a "strong positive" for the publisher, and one that "bolsters [its] MMO exposure."
• July, 21, 2007, A Star Wars Galaxies player takes an official survey about a MMO with the title "Star Wars: The Old Republic". He immediately posts all of the details on Ahazi.org. He reposts the information on July, 20, 2008 on [This Blog].

Technologies

• On August 8, 2006 BioWare announces the selection of Simutronic's HeroEngine for its upcoming MMO
• On June 11, 2007 BioWare selects StreamBase's Stream Processing Engine for its next-generation MMO
• On July 19, 2007 BioWare announces a licensing deal for Perpetual Entertainment's Online Technology Platform for use in BioWare's upcoming MMO
• On December 12, 2007 Audio solution provider Audiokinetic has announced that Mass Effect developer BioWare's Austin development studio is using Audiokinetic's Wwise audio solution in the development of its upcoming MMO title.