Gamespots rumor control

[kumquatq3]

RUMOR #3: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords has been moved up to a Holiday 2004 release.

 

Source: The latest trailer for the game.

 

The official story: See below.

 

What we heard: When the latest trailer for the role-playing game hit the Web on Wednesday, it riled up the already easily excitable fans of the first KOTOR. Besides revealing that members of your party will follow you as you turn to the dark or light side of the Force, the trailer also promised the game will arrive in "winter 2004"--two months earlier than its previously announced ship date. However, a phone call to LucasArts revealed the publisher may be using some variant of the Orthodox Christian Calendar, which celebrates Christmas on January 19. "Winter 2004 extends to February 2005," said a rep, meaning there's still a chance Obsidian Entertainment's first game won't make its debut until next year.

 

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus insofar that it's been expressly moved forward (although the trailer certainly gives you that impression). It could still make it by Christmas, though.

[thepixiesrock]

CURSES YOU MISLEADING TRAILER!!! CURSES TO YOU!!!

 

Thank you that is all

Goodbye

[starwarskid15_19]

on the lucasarts page they claim the release date is winter 2004

[tripleRRR]

So expect delays.

 

 

TripleRRR

[ShinIchiro]

I think they've announceed FEB in order to prevent delays...It's much easier to make people happy by moving something up than putting it back.

[Qui-Gon Fishing]

I'm not sure if we should really celebrate this news, since it just might mean that KOTOR2 might end up a rushed job despite the fact that it already has a pre-exisiting game engine and all. Finer details, incomplete subplots, and other nooks and crannies might be left out in favor of a sooner release date. I don't know about you guys, but I prefer a meaty game that's satisfying, rather than a bare bone side dish of a game.

[nightcleaver]

Uhh.. they've said, and I've said, and OTHER people have said over and over again that the dev's are putting their product to Lucasarts at the same date, regardless of when LA decides to release it. When they send the product to LA, LA makes the sound. It looks like they've already started, which is a good thing.

 

Also, all the assets are completed - they're just bug testing for the next few months until that's done. Worst case scenario: LA makes crappy sound and there are a few bugs. If you don't recall, the first game had some biggies as well...

[Qui-Gon Fishing]

That's also true, but if you remember the games from LucasArts in the past. Take, X-Wing Alliance for example. The family storyline plot was never done, we never find out what eventually happens to Anton. Just because the team has "completed" the game and shipped it off the LucasArts, it doesn't mean that they hadn't decided to cut some aspects of the game out in order to make sure that they meet the schedule to send the product out to LucasArts for the sound to be added in time for the deadline. Just as I recall in the first KOTOR, the missing lightsaber crystal that you're supposed to have gotten if you beaten a particular person in pazaak 10 times in a row.

 

What does this mean? It doesn't matter if they've said, you said, and OTHER people said over and over again that the dev's are putting their product to Lucasarts at the same date. It could very well be half-truths, and we could only know for sure when we are playing the games ourselves, so personally I'm hoping for the best but am expecting the worst with the announcement of a shorter release date.

[Zahadome]

So expect delays.

 

 

TripleRRR

I expect to get the pc version on June 2005, for X-box the schedule might even work

[Chemix]

First of all, lucas isn't making this, obsidian is, second of all, they're testing for the next few months, I don't think testing realy takes too much time, so I don't think we have much to worry about in that aspect of whether time taken out for several months of testing/polishing will cut out large portions of the game. I'm looking forward to a november/ december release

[Darth Sun_Tzu]

I think they are just covering themselves. Ofcourse they would like to release it b4 Xmas but they dont want to let people down if they dont get it out buy then!

 

Although I think it would be in their interest to release it b4 Xmas as they are likely to get bigger sales early on!

[nyugisszorny]

Lucas-men are very funy boys. They usualy play this kind of jokes. Orthodox calendar... c'mon whose goin' to believe this?:-D Just a joke i think.

[gstommylee]

guys you mistook it. based on what i read its bogus that its gonna be out in 05. Not dec of 04. so it still may be out in december of 04

[OrganisedChaos]

I think Lucasarts would try and release it by december- they know they would make the most profit if it was released as a potential x-mas present for all the fans around the world.

[uncdeez]

KotOR 2 shouldn't come out this year because it would get killed in sales. Do you guys have any idea how many ridiculously high profile releases there are for the rest of 04'?

[Chemix]

are u saying it can't compete?

[Sarkile]

Yes, and none of them are competing for KoTOR's sales. I'm sorry, but Half Life 2 doesn't appeal to the same fan base that KoTOR does.

[uncdeez]

are u saying it can't compete?

I think KotOR 2 will be a better game than most, if not all, of the big games of 2004 but it can't compete in sales.

 

Really high-profile games coming out towards the end of the year.

 

Halo 2

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Gran Turismo 4

Metal Gear Solid 3

Resident Evil 4

Metroid Prime 2

 

All of these games are pretty much going to sell over a million copies based off of name recognition alone. Then there is Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 which are both coming out soon and those are going to sell a lot of copies during the holiday season as well.

 

Analysts call these games "murderer's row" because other games are going to get crushed by them. If KotOR 2 comes out in 1st quarter 2005 it will be competing against a much weaker lineup.

[The Omnifarious Host]

are u saying it can't compete?

I think KotOR 2 will be a better game than most, if not all, of the big games of 2004 but it can't compete in sales.

 

Really high-profile games coming out towards the end of the year.

 

Halo 2

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Gran Turismo 4

Metal Gear Solid 3

Resident Evil 4

Metroid Prime 2

 

All of these games are pretty much going to sell over a million copies based off of name recognition alone. Then there is Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 which are both coming out soon and those are going to sell a lot of copies during the holiday season as well.

 

Analysts call these games "murderer's row" because other games are going to get crushed by them. If KotOR 2 comes out in 1st quarter 2005 it will be competing against a much weaker lineup.

You can add Fable to that list

[Meshugger]

are u saying it can't compete?

I think KotOR 2 will be a better game than most, if not all, of the big games of 2004 but it can't compete in sales.

 

Really high-profile games coming out towards the end of the year.

 

Halo 2

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Gran Turismo 4

Metal Gear Solid 3

Resident Evil 4

Metroid Prime 2

 

All of these games are pretty much going to sell over a million copies based off of name recognition alone. Then there is Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 which are both coming out soon and those are going to sell a lot of copies during the holiday season as well.

 

Analysts call these games "murderer's row" because other games are going to get crushed by them. If KotOR 2 comes out in 1st quarter 2005 it will be competing against a much weaker lineup.

You can add Fable to that list

And the so obvious Half-Life 2 and Doom III.

[Talhar]

But thaey'd also miss the Christmas season, in which people buy a lot of stuff. They may not beat other games, but they'll get a lot.

[Topaz Quasar]

You know, some people will buy MORE THAN ONE GAME at a time believe it or not.

 

As for those games you mentioned, none of them really appeal to me. Besides, you forgot Everquest II.

[Craftsman]

I reckon.

[Pope]

However, a phone call to LucasArts revealed the publisher may be using some variant of the Orthodox Christian Calendar, which celebrates Christmas on January 19. "Winter 2004 extends to February 2005," said a rep, meaning there's still a chance Obsidian Entertainment's first game won't make its debut until next year.

Sheesh, that's the biggest bullsh!t I've heard in quite a long time...

[Qui-Gon Fishing]

First of all, lucas isn't making this, obsidian is, second of all, they're testing for the next few months, I don't think testing realy takes too much time, so I don't think we have much to worry about in that aspect of whether time taken out for several months of testing/polishing will cut out large portions of the game.

Read over me and that other gentleman's post, friend. None of has said that LucasArts is the developer, try to pay more attention to what people are writing in the posts. This is a question of quality contents. Bugs can be fixed, but cut contents will almost never make it back since no one wants to pay the developers for the work needed to finish it.

 

I definitely agree with OrganizedChaos and uncdeez, this is starting to feel more and more like an attempt to cash in on the Holiday seasons. It's going to be hard for lil' Timmy out there to decide whether or not to choose one game out of all the other bunch of great titles coming out in winter.