Updated 23 May, 2012, 6:39 pm IST

Upcoming MMO Games of 2009

08 Jan, 2009, 2:39 pm IST | by Nikhil Singh

All you persistent world addicts, here's what to looking for 2009...

With the role-playing genre taken care of yesterday, it's time to look at what all you persistent world enthusiasts can look forward to this year. Unlike most popular MMOGs that are based in high-fantasy (*cough cough* WoW) the coming year is filled with with a multitude of flavors to appease the appetite of a wider audience. Here's what's hot in the massively multiplayer online game sector in 2009.

DC Universe Online

Platforms: PS3, PC
Release Date: TBA 2009

Inter-medium transitions usually work out quite disastrously for most games; but all you comic book fans out there will be glad to know that the upcoming MMOG based in the DC universe - DC Universe Online - seems like it won't be a bastardization of DC comics. The ensure this, one of the best comic book artists in the world - Jim Lee, will be watching over the development as the game's Executive Creative Director. Sony Online Entertainment hopes to make the game unlike the streamlined MMOGs where combat is concerned, but they're not too forthcoming about how exactly they plan on doing so. What we do know though is that the player will be able to pick from the heroes or villains side to play on. Rather than having areas captured by the heroes or villains, most of the game's world will be public space, making for a rather interesting setting for PVP as well as PVE play. If you're still skeptical about how the game will turn out, the fact that veteran developers from EverQuest are on the team, so you can be almost certain the MMO content should be pretty tight.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Platforms: TBA
Release Date: TBA 2009

After the tremendous success the first two KotOR games enjoyed, it didn't make sense that neither BioWare nor Obsidian Entertainment weren't working on a sequel. Speculation of both a single player and MMO sequel ran rampant, but to be honest it just seemed like the wishful thinking of a ton of rabid Star Wars fans. So when BioWare officially acknowledged the existence of a Star Wars MMO in development, the internet exploded and every Star Wars loyalist out there unsheathed their lightsaber in the hope of using against another fan some day. The game takes place 300 years after the incidents of KotOR, and allows the player to align himself with either the Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic. Unlike most MMOGs both sides will have different classes each, allowing the player to immerse him/herself in a believable Star Wars universe. NPC (non-player character) companions will be a major part of the game, and depending on the amount of time you spend and deeds you do, you companion will grow fond of you or dislike you. By the looks of it, BioWare's treading lightly on Star Wars territory, ensuring that they keep the lore as true to the series as possible, which is a great thing for Star Wars fans out there.