LucasArts and BioWare have announced the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchise.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, you'll explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. You can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining your personal story and determining your path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, you'll befriend courageous companions who will fight at your side or possibly betray you, based on your actions.

"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the most critically acclaimed Star Wars game in LucasArts history and a preeminent example of our company's interactive storytelling heritage," said Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts. "For a long time, we've wanted to return to the franchise in a grand way, and we felt that the best setting for it was an online world that would allow millions of people to participate in the experience together. We knew that the developer capable of working with us to deliver an engrossing story with a fully-realized online world was BioWare."