Der er gået lige omkring syv måneder siden EA lancerede Biowares MMO-satsning Star Wars: The Old Republic, og det går tilsyneladende ikke godt hos udvikleren Bioware Austin.
Spillets executive producer Rich Vogel, der har et hav af store titler bag sig, bekræftede i løbet af tirsdag at han har forladt Bioware. Det blev fulgt op af rygter omkring store nedskæringer i personale.
Senere på tirsdagen følte Bioware sig også nødsagede til at kommentere sagen:
"As we announced in May and detailed at E3, the BioWare Austin team is refining Star Wars: The Old Republic to continue to grow the game and the service.
As with the launch of any MMO, the size and skillset of the teams needed to maintain the game is different than the ones that built it. Starting in May, there have been staff reductions in the BioWare Austin studio. Some people have been platooned to other projects at BioWare Austin and EA SPORTS/Austin. Others have been released - qualifying personnel receive severance and outplacement assistance.
BioWare Austin is currently staffed to ensure the continued delivery of new, high quality game content for The Old Republic, and at a more frequent cadence. In the weeks ahead, we will announce plans for growing The Old Republic with new content, new players and new ways to play."
Ifølge Bioware er det altså business as usual, men faktum er, at flere er blevet tvunget til at forlade Bioware Austin. Hvad dette indebærer for The Old Republic må tiden vise.