You have probably heard of Star Wars Galaxies. Released back in 2003, Sony Online Entertainment created the very first MMORPG based around George Lucas' epic space saga. Next year sees the release of The Old Republic, BioWare's attempt at forging a massively multiplayer game from the prestigious Star Wars licence. Anticipation for the game is high; can those behind Mass Effect live up to the hype? Some have inevitably branded The Old Republic a "WoW killer", but the first Star Wars MMO predated World of Warcraft by two years. Unfortunately the game wasn't remembered for its strengths, it was remembered for what the developers did to those strengths.

Seven years is a long time in gaming. When SWG Credits went live most people were still playing EverQuest, or Lineage II. Maybe even Final Fantasy XI. Upon release the game received a lukewarm response from critics, most hailed the impressive graphics but criticised the repetitive gameplay. Updates came, and subscriptions slowly began to rise. Unfortunately, they never did rise high enough. 300,000 subs were reported by the time World of Warcraft hit store shelves. For those who did sink their time into SWG, they were rewarded with an online multiplayer experience like no other. A game that pushed the genre to new heights, and did things that haven't been repeated since - If you were able to excuse the endless number of bugs.

And excuse they did. The original community that had formed in the two years following release were hardened, dedicated players who saw potential in this innovative multiplayer game. The first iteration featured thirty two separate professions, split into six different starter professions. From Pistoleer to Architect, Dancer to Image Designer, not every player had to dedicate themselves to cracking skulls and firing blasters.

The sheer joy of Star Wars Galaxies Credits came from amount of freedom you were given. Rarely were you constricted in what you wanted to do, what you wanted to be in game. This has led to some labelling the game a "simulation", rather than a role playing game. The fact is, you weren't tied to one class, one profession or one specialisation, Sony gave players an enormous amount of variety. Couple that with innovative gameplay mechanics and a Star Wars universe George Lucas himself would be proud of, it made for the perfect Star Wars game.