Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a storytelling MMORPG

As I've mentioned several times before, I see a future for better storytelling in MMORPGs. Just like movies went from being watched for the fascination of moving pictures to being watched for the stories they tell, I think MMORPGs could become more of a medium to carry a story. So it was with great delight that I read the FAQ for Bioware's announced Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR):

How does Star Wars: The Old Republic differ from other MMO titles?

Star Wars: The Old Republic will be similar to other MMOs but with several key innovations. Traditionally MMOs are built on three pillars; Exploration, Combat, and Progression. We at BioWare and LucasArts believe there is a fourth pillar: Story. Our mission is to create the best story-driven games in the world. We believe that the compelling, interactive storylines in Star Wars: The Old Republic are a significant innovation to MMOs and will offer an entertainment experience unlike any other.

Melmoth thinks this will be impossible. But I think that while introducing better storytelling into MMORPGs is not an easy task, Bioware certainly is the best placed to try it. Their single-player RPGs have excellent story lines. And of course the Star Wars universe is a very strong license for storytelling. So I'm sure hoping they will pull it off.