The video game division of George Lucas' multimedia empire will begin producing the first of its "Star Wars Galaxies" online gaming series for the two consoles. LucasArts did not disclose a release date, but said it would produce the multiplayer games for the next two generations of the Xbox and PlayStation.
Microsoft and Sony have ambitious plans to make the Internet a more central element in video games. Online gaming allows companies to charge customers monthly fees so they can play more interactive and collaborative games.
In one example, Sony's "EverQuest" has experienced wild popularity, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers paying US$13 a month to play.
In the "Star Wars Galaxies" series, players take on character roles and engage in various quests while interacting with other players. LucasArts in December will release a PC version of the game, "Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided," which is being developed by Sony Online Entertainment.
Game consoles have recently been engaged in a price war. Last month, Microsoft slashed its Xbox pricetag in Australia by more than AU$250, Sony has since joined in the trend, as has Nintendo which cut its GameCube price by nearly US$50.
