Some details about the technologies used for the game engine

From a 1up article :

For the MMO, Bioware will be employing a new type of technology called StreamBase, a type of "complex event processing" that has also caught the attention of U.S. intelligence agencies. StreamBase was developed through funding by In-Q-Tel, an investment firm that specifically supports technology that the CIA is interested in.

The complex event processing will serve Bioware by analyzing events taking place in their world at a rate of up to 350,000 messages a second. From there, the tons of mini-events can be cut into groups based on timeframe or type. This will allow for natural, smooth adjustment of the game world to the number of players and their actions as well as help in monitoring when certain players are causing problems. Bioware technical director Bill Dalton expects the new technology will allow their game to "do more than match" the current expectations of MMOs with titles such as World of Warcraft.

The game's name and setting remain unannounced, but Bioware did confirm that they're currently planning for a 2009 launch. According to the article, the development of the title has also been split between the Austin, Texas studio and Bioware's Edmonton, Canada studio.

> Source : 1up : Bioware MMO Scheduled for 2009

Bioware announces Massively Multiplayer Online RPG project

From a press release from Bioware :

BioWare Corp. Announces New ''BioWare Austin'' Studio Monday March 13, 8:01 am ET New Studio Recruiting for Massively Multiplayer Online RPG Project

EDMONTON, Alberta—(BUSINESS WIRE)—March 13, 2006—Canadian videogame developer BioWare Corp. has announced the opening of a new studio, BioWare Austin, based in Austin, Texas. It is the second of BioWare's studios and the first to be located outside of Canada.

BioWare Austin has already begun work on a Massively Multiplayer Online roleplaying game (MMORPG) title; the new game will mark BioWare's debut in the Massively Multiplayer Online space. BioWare has recruited some of the top talent in MMO and RPG development, both to manage the development efforts at BioWare Austin and to collaborate with the experienced team at BioWare Edmonton, to develop a game that combines the best of BioWare's great past games with a compelling persistent online experience. Joining the Austin team as lead designer is James Ohlen, BioWare's Creative Director, whose previous credits include lead or co-lead design roles on Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic(TM), Neverwinter Nights(TM), Baldur's Gate(TM) and Baldur's Gate II(TM). Also leading the BWA team are MMO veterans Richard Vogel and Gordon Walton. Richard Vogel brings 15 years of experience to BioWare Austin, previously serving as VP of Product Development for Sony Online Entertainment's Austin studio, as well as launching Ultima Online(TM) as a senior producer at Origin. Gordon Walton recently served as VP, studio manager and executive producer at Sony Online Entertainment as well as VP and Executive Producer at Electronic Arts.

"BioWare is committed to a seamless collaboration between our two studios to ensure the same high standards of quality and creativity our dedicated teams have always delivered," said Ray Muzyka, co-founder and Joint CEO of BioWare. "With our extensive heritage in the roleplaying genre, BioWare Austin is extremely well positioned to innovate in the massively multiplayer online space for BioWare's valued community of fans."

The new BioWare Austin comes soon after the formation of BioWare/Pandemic Studios, a partnership facilitated by private equity firm Elevation Partners. The new entity combines top videogame developers BioWare Corp., an industry leader in the role-playing game genre, and Pandemic Studios, an award-winning developer of best-selling action titles.

Both BioWare Austin and BioWare Edmonton currently have job openings for programmers, designers, artists, animators, world builders and writers, with new jobs being posted regularly. Applicants may view job postings and submit materials through jobs.bioware.com. BioWare Austin will also be recruiting, along with BioWare Edmonton and sister studios Pandemic Studios LA and Pandemic Australia, at the Game Developers Conference at the San Jose Convention Centre in San Jose, California, March 20-24, 2006.

Source : Kotaku : Bioware announces MMO

Star Wars Galaxies 2 to be developed in 2008 or 2009

From a Hollywood Reporter article :

"Not all games are set up around the buying and selling of items, which would make it very difficult to take a game like 'Star Wars Galaxies' and make that transition," [Nancy MacIntyre, senior director of "Star Wars Galaxies"] says. But, she adds, when "Star Wars Galaxies 2" is developed -- perhaps in 2008 or 2009 -- things will be different. "If we were starting to build 'Star Wars Galaxies' today, we would absolutely consider building it from the ground up with premium services."

> Source : MMOG publishers conjure up new business models (14th december 2005)