im sorry but im going with no one wants to play an mmo where you have to be a pubescent wizard running around school. that is literaly the gayest concept iv ever hear.
LOL...hmm...yeah, that Luke Skywalker was quite the stud.
Regardless, again...weakest...argument...ever.
p.s. the 20 million copies of Harry Potter video games already sold would disagree...and apparently so would the now owners of Bioware who not only bought the license but have discussed making an MMO of it for a long time now.
but I'm sure the fact that a Star Wars uberdork thinks it's "gay" will factor heavily in their decision making process.
you know when you make assumptions you make an ass out of me and you. I never once said i think its going ot be a star wars mmo. in fact if you read my earlyer post you would know that i think all these game ideas are just ppl bullshiting because no one knows what the game is going to be except bioware and we should all just sit back and wait. so dont assume just because i think the concept of a harry potter mmo is gay it automatically makes me think that its going ot be a star wars mmo.
Dude...Bioware's working on a freaking SONIC THE HEDGEHOG RPG.
Enough with the "Bioware is far too cool and edgy to do Harry Potter" crap already.
And since you and I have no idea when they actually decided to do the MMO, not just start working on it, the exact dates are nothing but guesswork.
the whole deal is nothing but guess work thats why im waiting till bioware confirms whatever it is they are doing. But ill tell you what i would play a sonic hte hedgehog mmo if they could pull it off.
Dude...Bioware's working on a freaking SONIC THE HEDGEHOG RPG.
Enough with the "Bioware is far too cool and edgy to do Harry Potter" crap already.
And since you and I have no idea when they actually decided to do the MMO, not just start working on it, the exact dates are nothing but guesswork.
the whole deal is nothing but guess work thats why im waiting till bioware confirms whatever it is they are doing. But ill tell you what i would play a sonic hte hedgehog mmo if they could pull it off.
OH, don't get me wrong Shanks, I've never stated that I have anything more than a theory, that I've backed up with some logic and facts.
Sadly, KOTOR as an MMO stops at the "theory" part.
The facts weigh against it, particularly after the EA buyout of Bioware, and the only thing all this hype is based on is the most ridiculous web posting of a "news story" (read "rumor typed in a way it sounded important").
EDIT: forgot...the "news story" and that some tool registered lucasartsbioware.com LOL!
Dude...Bioware's working on a freaking SONIC THE HEDGEHOG game.
Enough with the "Bioware is far too cool and edgy to do Harry Potter" crap already.
And since you and I have no idea when they actually decided to do the MMO, not just start working on it, the exact dates are nothing but guesswork.
No you're right, it makes perfect sense for Bioware to develop Harry Potter, I'm sure Harry Potter would deliver all the Bioware hallmarks we've come to know and love
As long as you're dead set in your theory, you might as well share how you think it would work, keeping the following quotes in mind.
"It's got all the characters and story arc that BioWare is known for, and I wish I could say more. It's the best of breed of MMO, with the magic BioWare's associated with, and our goal is to make sure people can't stop playing it."
"The key points that we're gonna do that no one's done before in an MMOG are bring story, character, and emotion to it. Decisions matter, [non-player characters] aren't just Pez dispensers, and you're not in a grind,"
"We want to bring a level of storytelling that's equal to the single-player box games that BioWare has done. I think we can do that. One of the big challenges will be making our storytelling work in an environment that has multiple players."
Dude...Bioware's working on a freaking SONIC THE HEDGEHOG RPG.
Enough with the "Bioware is far too cool and edgy to do Harry Potter" crap already.
And since you and I have no idea when they actually decided to do the MMO, not just start working on it, the exact dates are nothing but guesswork.
the whole deal is nothing but guess work thats why im waiting till bioware confirms whatever it is they are doing. But ill tell you what i would play a sonic hte hedgehog mmo if they could pull it off.
OH, don't get me wrong Shanks, I've never stated that I have anything more than a theory, that I've backed up with some logic and facts.
Sadly, KOTOR as an MMO stops at the "theory" part.
The facts weigh against it, particularly after the EA buyout of Bioware, and the only thing all this hype is based on is the most ridiculous web posting of a "news story" (read "rumor typed in a way it sounded important").
EDIT: forgot...the "news story" and that some tool registered lucasartsbioware.com LOL!
really the biggest support the kotor theroy has is the hiring of ex swg devs
well i got somthing on harry potter because i actully decided to read the first post
-A .pdf 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
Kor...do you even know anything about Harry Potter and that world...because it fits every single aspect of that quote like a glove. Your personal views on it seem pretty limited frankly if you think Harry Potter is just some kid's book.
I've read them, and yes I enjoyed them. Now please tell me how you believe a Bioware Harry Potter MMO would work. That's what I asked. How do you think Bioware could maintain its unique style (and if you've ever played any Bioware game since Baldur's Gate, you know what that style is) while developing in the Harry Potter IP? Because honestly, I can't even comprehend. So give us some of your ideas.
"There is no Harry Schubert here. We have a Damion Schubert. I suppose I can see how you'd mix the two up, being that they're so..similar...obviously." James Henley
"I think he was mixing up Damion with Harry Potter." Stanley Woo
See...that's the Bioware I know...and that Bioware wouldn't be making an MMO based on Harry Potter
Kor...do you even know anything about Harry Potter and that world...because it fits every single aspect of that quote like a glove. Your personal views on it seem pretty limited frankly if you think Harry Potter is just some kid's book.
I've read them, and yes I enjoyed them. Now please tell me how you believe a Bioware Harry Potter MMO would work. That's what I asked. How do you think Bioware could maintain its unique style (and if you've ever played any Bioware game since Baldur's Gate, you know what that style is) while developing in the Harry Potter IP? Because honestly, I can't even comprehend. So give us some of your ideas.
I've played every Bioware game other than Jade Empire. I think Harry Potter's universe actually melds quite well, as dark as they became in the later books. Is Hogwart's really so different from the various Academies of Magic we've seen in all the D&D titles? Is the merchant row in Harry Potter so different from Neverwinter or Baldur's Gate? Is the idea of super powerful evil magician raising an army to destroy the powers of good something new to Bioware? How about a bunch of inexperienced and underpowered good guys banding together, and through training and experience, becoming powerful enough to rise up against said Evil Magician? Hell, the interactions in the books/movies between Hermione, Ron, Harry, etc. could be exact dialogue from the parties of NPC's in NWN and BG, between the bickering...falling in love...all that.
As to how it would function as an MMO? I could see a number of ways, particularly that would fit the exact description in your previous quote from Bioware about decisions mattering. Everyone starts as a "found student" with magical ability and you begin your training at Hogwart's. Of course much more of the world is avaiilable to you from forests to merchants to all the things that are found in the HP universe. As you train, you are then making decisions as well...do you want to join the side of good or evil...do you want to be a Deatheater or the Order of Phoenix..etc. etc.
Of course you could also go an entirely different way with it if you're interested in pulling a wider age range, where you can choose between being an adult wizard, already out of Hogwart's and living the various lives that they do...OR start as a child and student and have a completely differente xperience.
ALL of that fits Bioware, fits an MMO, and IMO would be quite a good one.
EDIT: feel free to post that over there and see if you get any Bioware dev commentary.
p.s. read me the actual storyline of the original Baldur's Gate...then explain the storyline of Harry Potter to me...
This secrecy thing has me baffled. I'm not sure why it's such a secret. I am more surprised it hasnt been leaked yet. Surely someone has visited that Austin office to see something or pick up on something lying around on someone's desk/monitor even.
Anyways whatever IP it is I am going to try it out. Bioware and Blizzard are the 2 top devs in my opinion out there for producing quality and value games.
-------------------- 10 million people play WoW but I have yet to find one who admits liking it?!"
"Aion has the grind of EQ, the PvP of DAoC, and the smooth playability of WoW."
This secrecy thing has me baffled. I'm not sure why it's such a secret. I am more surprised it hasnt been leaked yet. Surely someone has visited that Austin office to see something or pick up on something lying around on someone's desk/monitor even.
Anyways whatever IP it is I am going to try it out. Bioware and Blizzard are the 2 top devs in my opinion out there for producing quality and value games.
I'm in Austin. I'll sneak into the offices with my mad ninja skills if you all are willing to sponsor my gear. (night vision goggles, black latex body suit, utility belt, etc.)
This secrecy thing has me baffled. I'm not sure why it's such a secret. I am more surprised it hasnt been leaked yet. Surely someone has visited that Austin office to see something or pick up on something lying around on someone's desk/monitor even.
Anyways whatever IP it is I am going to try it out. Bioware and Blizzard are the 2 top devs in my opinion out there for producing quality and value games.
I'm in Austin. I'll sneak into the offices with my mad ninja skills if you all are willing to sponsor my gear. (night vision goggles, black latex body suit, utility belt, etc.)
Orphaned young man, scarred, raised by relatives and the secrets of his parent's lives and deaths kept from him. He comes to learn that he has a great power, given to him while a "big bad" was busy killing his parents who weren't all they appeared. He then goes out to discover the secrets of that power and find and kill the "big bad" that started it all.
LOL...yeah, that's SO un-Bioware. Unless of course you count Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, etc....
oh...or Star Wars for that matter.
Young man living with his aunt and uncle, being lied to about how his mother and father died, suddenly meets old bearded dude who teaches him how to do magic tricks and wave a wand so that he can seek revenge and save the world...Luke or Harry?
just for explanation not flaming. i ve talked this "name server" issue with my cousin who is a computer engineer and working in this sector for about 10 years. he said name servers are kind of programs to guidance the IPs all over the world to a spesific website, for example typing www.mmorpg.com by anyone all over the world, first sending data to name servers and these turning this data to IP number so the browser can reach the target website. so many websites can use same name servers but usually similiar ones using he said. I told him the whois action about lucasartsbioware.com shows us a proxy server as registant so we cant know who is behind it, but shows the name servers clearly. he said if the name server info is certain then most probably the source of this action is same. he underscored if this is a guy who try to fool or fake people then he is using same name servers with bioware. he said name servers have huge capacity and this is a possiblity but not too much. i will search on this issue more.
" Interesting article in Business Week Online about EA's soon purchase of Bioware and Pandemic. EA says they will let these company's operate independently. Lets hope so...
The tight-knit community of BioWare fans and players, however, weren't so pleased. Gamers flooded the official message boards on BioWare's Web site. "You guys just sold your soul," wrote a gamer from Du Quoin, Ill., under the handle SlaughterX. Others, like a player nicknamed Veacute;linn, were less bellicose, pleading, "BioWare, if there is ANY way you can get out of this, do it now. Do it!"
The discontent may not be misplaced. The history of game developer acquisitions is checkered at best. Fans fear that EA's corporate culture might stifle the developers' future products. The last megagames deal to get as much attention was Microsoft's (MSFT) $375 million acquisition of British developer Rare in 2002, which has yet to produce the commercial or critical success initially anticipated, despite a winning string of blockbusters before the purchase. For his part, Gibeau is stoic: "We treat our studios like city-states," he says. "They'll have their own independence, though we encourage collaboration."
Fingers crossed...
Why do I write, create, fantasize, dream and daydream about other worlds? Because I hate what humanity does with this one.
1. that document is bogus, it's not actually part of the pdf release. 2. even the bogus document only states that Bioware doesn't own the IP of the MMO, as it's on their section of the chart.
Fair enough--but what about--
The fact that Rowling is EXTREMELY strict when it comes to what direction the HP franchise goes in. While games have been made, all of them have been based off of the existing books. I doubt she would allow any HP games made that were not explicitly focused on what she had written.
I really enjoy Harry Potter-- I just fail to see how it's really a possibility. I feel you're placing WAY too much emphasis on the EA acquisition for your theories (it's not KOTOR because of EA...it IS Harry Potter because of EA, etc.).
1. that document is bogus, it's not actually part of the pdf release. 2. even the bogus document only states that Bioware doesn't own the IP of the MMO, as it's on their section of the chart.
Fair enough--but what about--
The fact that Rowling is EXTREMELY strict when it comes to what direction the HP franchise goes in. While games have been made, all of them have been based off of the existing books. I doubt she would allow any HP games made that were not explicitly focused on what she had written.
I really enjoy Harry Potter-- I just fail to see how it's really a possibility. I feel you're placing WAY too much emphasis on the EA acquisition for your theories (it's not KOTOR because of EA...it IS Harry Potter because of EA, etc.).
I don't see her having any huge problems with it. After all, she sold the license a long time ago already, is now completely done with the books anyways, and if the company she's trusted with the license now owns the developer all the better.
p.s. Harry Potter just makes the most sense to me, but make no mistake I realize it's still a stretch...it's just my stretch LOL...I will say that I firmly, 100% believe that EA buying Bioware does, however, eliminate the idea of KOTOR.
For those saying it couldn't be Hairy Pooper and the Chamberpot of Secrets: The MMO because Bioware was already working on it before they announced the EQ aquisition...
I know it's shocking to believe, but EA didn't just walk over to Biowares holding company, and hand them a check one thursday, and tell the Bioware guys to pack their shit, they're going to Austin!
In all likelihood, they were talking with Bioware about doing something long before anything got said about an MMO, or a buyout by anyone .
As for that hack, Rowling? She's about the money. If there were enough cash in it for her, she'd greenlight an MMO based in the world. It'd fail, because IP's like that make for crappy MMO's
Hell, she let's the freakshow fans scribble up their creepy little homoerotic fan fiction. Hell, she's apparently joined in with the gay bumpfuzzle lovefest with the Dumplingbore thing.
Comments
LOL...hmm...yeah, that Luke Skywalker was quite the stud.
Regardless, again...weakest...argument...ever.
p.s. the 20 million copies of Harry Potter video games already sold would disagree...and apparently so would the now owners of Bioware who not only bought the license but have discussed making an MMO of it for a long time now.
but I'm sure the fact that a Star Wars uberdork thinks it's "gay" will factor heavily in their decision making process.
you know when you make assumptions you make an ass out of me and you. I never once said i think its going ot be a star wars mmo. in fact if you read my earlyer post you would know that i think all these game ideas are just ppl bullshiting because no one knows what the game is going to be except bioware and we should all just sit back and wait. so dont assume just because i think the concept of a harry potter mmo is gay it automatically makes me think that its going ot be a star wars mmo.
I'm Here. I'm Awesome. Get Used To It.
Dude...Bioware's working on a freaking SONIC THE HEDGEHOG RPG.
Enough with the "Bioware is far too cool and edgy to do Harry Potter" crap already.
And since you and I have no idea when they actually decided to do the MMO, not just start working on it, the exact dates are nothing but guesswork.
the whole deal is nothing but guess work thats why im waiting till bioware confirms whatever it is they are doing. But ill tell you what i would play a sonic hte hedgehog mmo if they could pull it off.
I'm Here. I'm Awesome. Get Used To It.
the whole deal is nothing but guess work thats why im waiting till bioware confirms whatever it is they are doing. But ill tell you what i would play a sonic hte hedgehog mmo if they could pull it off.
OH, don't get me wrong Shanks, I've never stated that I have anything more than a theory, that I've backed up with some logic and facts.
Sadly, KOTOR as an MMO stops at the "theory" part.
The facts weigh against it, particularly after the EA buyout of Bioware, and the only thing all this hype is based on is the most ridiculous web posting of a "news story" (read "rumor typed in a way it sounded important").
EDIT: forgot...the "news story" and that some tool registered lucasartsbioware.com LOL!
No you're right, it makes perfect sense for Bioware to develop Harry Potter, I'm sure Harry Potter would deliver all the Bioware hallmarks we've come to know and love
As long as you're dead set in your theory, you might as well share how you think it would work, keeping the following quotes in mind.
"It's got all the characters and story arc that BioWare is known for, and I wish I could say more. It's the best of breed of MMO, with the magic BioWare's associated with, and our goal is to make sure people can't stop playing it."
"The key points that we're gonna do that no one's done before in an MMOG are bring story, character, and emotion to it. Decisions matter, [non-player characters] aren't just Pez dispensers, and you're not in a grind,"
"We want to bring a level of storytelling that's equal to the single-player box games that BioWare has done. I think we can do that. One of the big challenges will be making our storytelling work in an environment that has multiple players."
----------
Life sucks, buy a helmet.
the whole deal is nothing but guess work thats why im waiting till bioware confirms whatever it is they are doing. But ill tell you what i would play a sonic hte hedgehog mmo if they could pull it off.
OH, don't get me wrong Shanks, I've never stated that I have anything more than a theory, that I've backed up with some logic and facts.
Sadly, KOTOR as an MMO stops at the "theory" part.
The facts weigh against it, particularly after the EA buyout of Bioware, and the only thing all this hype is based on is the most ridiculous web posting of a "news story" (read "rumor typed in a way it sounded important").
EDIT: forgot...the "news story" and that some tool registered lucasartsbioware.com LOL!
really the biggest support the kotor theroy has is the hiring of ex swg devs
I'm Here. I'm Awesome. Get Used To It.
Kor...do you even know anything about Harry Potter and that world...because it fits every single aspect of that quote like a glove.
Your personal views on it seem pretty limited frankly if you think Harry Potter is just some kid's book.
well i got somthing on harry potter because i actully decided to read the first post
I'm Here. I'm Awesome. Get Used To It.
----------
Life sucks, buy a helmet.
or that just means they dotn even have an ip yet. thats a possiblity
I'm Here. I'm Awesome. Get Used To It.
For you Vincenz
See...that's the Bioware I know...and that Bioware wouldn't be making an MMO based on Harry Potter
----------
Life sucks, buy a helmet.
I've read them, and yes I enjoyed them. Now please tell me how you believe a Bioware Harry Potter MMO would work. That's what I asked. How do you think Bioware could maintain its unique style (and if you've ever played any Bioware game since Baldur's Gate, you know what that style is) while developing in the Harry Potter IP? Because honestly, I can't even comprehend. So give us some of your ideas.I've played every Bioware game other than Jade Empire. I think Harry Potter's universe actually melds quite well, as dark as they became in the later books. Is Hogwart's really so different from the various Academies of Magic we've seen in all the D&D titles? Is the merchant row in Harry Potter so different from Neverwinter or Baldur's Gate? Is the idea of super powerful evil magician raising an army to destroy the powers of good something new to Bioware? How about a bunch of inexperienced and underpowered good guys banding together, and through training and experience, becoming powerful enough to rise up against said Evil Magician? Hell, the interactions in the books/movies between Hermione, Ron, Harry, etc. could be exact dialogue from the parties of NPC's in NWN and BG, between the bickering...falling in love...all that.
As to how it would function as an MMO? I could see a number of ways, particularly that would fit the exact description in your previous quote from Bioware about decisions mattering. Everyone starts as a "found student" with magical ability and you begin your training at Hogwart's. Of course much more of the world is avaiilable to you from forests to merchants to all the things that are found in the HP universe. As you train, you are then making decisions as well...do you want to join the side of good or evil...do you want to be a Deatheater or the Order of Phoenix..etc. etc.
Of course you could also go an entirely different way with it if you're interested in pulling a wider age range, where you can choose between being an adult wizard, already out of Hogwart's and living the various lives that they do...OR start as a child and student and have a completely differente xperience.
ALL of that fits Bioware, fits an MMO, and IMO would be quite a good one.
EDIT: feel free to post that over there and see if you get any Bioware dev commentary.
p.s. read me the actual storyline of the original Baldur's Gate...then explain the storyline of Harry Potter to me...
This secrecy thing has me baffled. I'm not sure why it's such a secret. I am more surprised it hasnt been leaked yet. Surely someone has visited that Austin office to see something or pick up on something lying around on someone's desk/monitor even.
Anyways whatever IP it is I am going to try it out. Bioware and Blizzard are the 2 top devs in my opinion out there for producing quality and value games.
--------------------
10 million people play WoW but I have yet to find one who admits liking it?!"
"Aion has the grind of EQ, the PvP of DAoC, and the smooth playability of WoW."
I'm in Austin. I'll sneak into the offices with my mad ninja skills if you all are willing to sponsor my gear. (night vision goggles, black latex body suit, utility belt, etc.)
I'm in Austin. I'll sneak into the offices with my mad ninja skills if you all are willing to sponsor my gear. (night vision goggles, black latex body suit, utility belt, etc.)
I'd be more worried about your bail
...more I think about it, let's see...
Orphaned young man, scarred, raised by relatives and the secrets of his parent's lives and deaths kept from him. He comes to learn that he has a great power, given to him while a "big bad" was busy killing his parents who weren't all they appeared. He then goes out to discover the secrets of that power and find and kill the "big bad" that started it all.
LOL...yeah, that's SO un-Bioware. Unless of course you count Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, etc....
oh...or Star Wars for that matter.
Young man living with his aunt and uncle, being lied to about how his mother and father died, suddenly meets old bearded dude who teaches him how to do magic tricks and wave a wand so that he can seek revenge and save the world...Luke or Harry?
Its not going to be a harry potter mmo because bioware began developement before they joined with EA
just for explanation not flaming. i ve talked this "name server" issue with my cousin who is a computer engineer and working in this sector for about 10 years. he said name servers are kind of programs to guidance the IPs all over the world to a spesific website, for example typing www.mmorpg.com by anyone all over the world, first sending data to name servers and these turning this data to IP number so the browser can reach the target website. so many websites can use same name servers but usually similiar ones using he said. I told him the whois action about lucasartsbioware.com shows us a proxy server as registant so we cant know who is behind it, but shows the name servers clearly. he said if the name server info is certain then most probably the source of this action is same. he underscored if this is a guy who try to fool or fake people then he is using same name servers with bioware. he said name servers have huge capacity and this is a possiblity but not too much. i will search on this issue more.
So my question is...if it's a Harry Potter MMO, why doesn't EA own the IP to the MMO?
(This going off of that document that shows what IP EA now owns and which ones they don't)
1. that document is bogus, it's not actually part of the pdf release.
2. even the bogus document only states that Bioware doesn't own the IP of the MMO, as it's on their section of the chart.
Posted elsewhere by EEL85:
" Interesting article in Business Week Online about EA's soon purchase of Bioware and Pandemic. EA says they will let these company's operate independently. Lets hope so...
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2007/id20071029_312839.htm "
The last section of the article:
Fans Fear Corporate Control
The tight-knit community of BioWare fans and players, however, weren't so pleased. Gamers flooded the official message boards on BioWare's Web site. "You guys just sold your soul," wrote a gamer from Du Quoin, Ill., under the handle SlaughterX. Others, like a player nicknamed Veacute;linn, were less bellicose, pleading, "BioWare, if there is ANY way you can get out of this, do it now. Do it!"
The discontent may not be misplaced. The history of game developer acquisitions is checkered at best. Fans fear that EA's corporate culture might stifle the developers' future products. The last megagames deal to get as much attention was Microsoft's (MSFT) $375 million acquisition of British developer Rare in 2002, which has yet to produce the commercial or critical success initially anticipated, despite a winning string of blockbusters before the purchase. For his part, Gibeau is stoic: "We treat our studios like city-states," he says. "They'll have their own independence, though we encourage collaboration."
Fingers crossed...
BOYCOTTING EA / ORIGIN going forward.
I think Warhammer Online is going to tell us a lot about what quality we can expect from the Bioware MMO under EA.
The fact that Rowling is EXTREMELY strict when it comes to what direction the HP franchise goes in. While games have been made, all of them have been based off of the existing books. I doubt she would allow any HP games made that were not explicitly focused on what she had written.
I really enjoy Harry Potter-- I just fail to see how it's really a possibility. I feel you're placing WAY too much emphasis on the EA acquisition for your theories (it's not KOTOR because of EA...it IS Harry Potter because of EA, etc.).
The fact that Rowling is EXTREMELY strict when it comes to what direction the HP franchise goes in. While games have been made, all of them have been based off of the existing books. I doubt she would allow any HP games made that were not explicitly focused on what she had written.
I really enjoy Harry Potter-- I just fail to see how it's really a possibility. I feel you're placing WAY too much emphasis on the EA acquisition for your theories (it's not KOTOR because of EA...it IS Harry Potter because of EA, etc.).
I don't see her having any huge problems with it. After all, she sold the license a long time ago already, is now completely done with the books anyways, and if the company she's trusted with the license now owns the developer all the better.
p.s. Harry Potter just makes the most sense to me, but make no mistake I realize it's still a stretch...it's just my stretch LOL...I will say that I firmly, 100% believe that EA buying Bioware does, however, eliminate the idea of KOTOR.
It's UO 2: Reborn.
And they've brought back precasting, beyotch!
For those saying it couldn't be Hairy Pooper and the Chamberpot of Secrets: The MMO because Bioware was already working on it before they announced the EQ aquisition...
I know it's shocking to believe, but EA didn't just walk over to Biowares holding company, and hand them a check one thursday, and tell the Bioware guys to pack their shit, they're going to Austin!
In all likelihood, they were talking with Bioware about doing something long before anything got said about an MMO, or a buyout by anyone .
As for that hack, Rowling? She's about the money. If there were enough cash in it for her, she'd greenlight an MMO based in the world. It'd fail, because IP's like that make for crappy MMO's
Hell, she let's the freakshow fans scribble up their creepy little homoerotic fan fiction. Hell, she's apparently joined in with the gay bumpfuzzle lovefest with the Dumplingbore thing.