By the time the highly-anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic is released to the masses, EA will have spent more money on it than any other game in the company's history.

You have to spend money to make money. EA and Bioware are spending a lot of money in research and development to make sure the game delivers on its promises of grandeur and innovation. EA is also giving Bioware a lot of time to get everything ready for the game's release, which won't be before March 2011.

The "most expensive EA game ever" title adds to the already high expectations for this MMO. Bioware seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to creating games with great gameplay that interacts with a great story, such as Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins. The Star Wars universe is rich and very popular. It is not shocking that EA CEO Eric Brown is confident in the success of the game.

"In the past, for MMOs, the type of fiction that has resonated most broadly is fiction based on swords and knights and sorcery, et cetera."

"Star Wars is analogous to that -- instead of the swords, you have the lightsabers; instead of the knights you have the Jedi -- we think it's a fiction that does very well, we think it's a fiction that spans the decades."

Electronic Arts and Bioware are targeting 2 million subscribers, needing at least one million to cover development costs.

I think EA will achieve the 2 million and the subscriber base will increase from there. Now, I am well aware that a popular franchise turned into an MMO is not an instant turn-key mega success. Star Trek Online's issues proved that. However, with EA's support and a company with a prestigious RPG pedigree like Bioware, the game seems to be headed into the right direction. Plus, since it won't be available before March 2011, it gives me plenty of time to upgrade to a better computer.

Are you planning on playing Star Wars: The Old Republic when it finally releases? Do you think EA is wise to invest so much money in the game?

Source: CVG, Gamasutra