Riccitiello and Bioware have monitored Warhammer Online metrics, says Mythic

EA CEO John Riccitiello and Bioware have both visited Warhammer Online developer Mythic Entertainment to view metrics of the ongoing beta, according to the game's creative director, Paul Barnett.

"One of the great things we've got is tons of metrics that run in the background," he said in a video interview you can watch after the link below. "They do all sort of clever things with metrics - things what I do not understand - but I do know that Bioware came and had a look at them because they were very excited about them, and John Riccitiello came and visited... He was very excited about them."

Bioware is known to be working on an MMO - thought to be Star Wars-based - but has yet to reveal the identity of the game.

Barnett refused to give a release date for Warhammer Online, saying only it'll be released "whenever it is". After a bit of a scuffle on the subject of release date last month, Mythic issued a statement saying the project would make retail in the second quarter.

Paul has to be the most enthusiastic man in games - his video diaries of WO's development last year are the stuff of legend - but it looks as though creating the MMO has drilled it out of him somewhat.

"I miss my children terribly," he said.

Keep going, son. Almost there. Watch him speak, two parts, after the link. The stuff about Riccitiello and Bioware is in the second bit.