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Industrial robots do Star Wars better than Lucas
At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Shanghai, industrial robot company Yasakawa equipped a couple of its manufacturing machines with lightsabers and choreographed a violent ballet for them to perform. The resulting battle is more exhilarating than the duel at the end of Phantom Menace and the performances are less lifeless than those in Attack of the Clones. Best of all -- Lucas can't add 30 minutes of new CGI scenes and re-release the video below in 3D.
The path of the Dark Side: The Old Republic shows Sith Warrior progression
Can't wait until Star Wars: The Old Republic comes out so you can get your Darth Vader or Darth Malak on? BioWare's here to help with a tantalizing new video that shows the progression of a Sith Warrior in TOR. While the Sith Warrior begins as an unskilled neophyte with a lightsaber substitute, he soon grows in power and chooses one of two advanced classes: the Sith Marauder or Sith Juggernaut. The video shows off a range of each class' skills from stealth attacks to lightsaber flinging. The Sith Warrior's not about a subtle appearance, of course; both advanced classes are shown wearing truly wicked-looking armor and intimidating masks. If you want even more TOR news, take a look at the new dev blog from lead UI artist Michael Voigt, all about designing the UI for the game. You can check out the Sith Warrior in all his glory after the jump!
The Perfect Ten: Predictions for The Old Republic
I'm going to share with you a deep secret about the Massively staff: Pretty much all of us hate Larry. Oh, as a person he's likable enough, and he showers regularly, so no complaints there. He even saved the President's dog once and earned the Merit of Patriotic Pooches. Women swoon at his feet, and men occasionally throw their billfolds at him just so that he can afford to live the luxurious lifestyle that he obviously deserves. No, we hate him for a different reason entirely. You see, Larry gets the privilege and honor of being the Star Wars: The Old Republic reporter in these here parts, which has earned him no end of envy from the rest of us. Whenever we're all talking about TOR, Shawn will come in the room and tell all of us to cut it out -- except Larry. "Larry, it's your job to talk about The Old Republic. Keep on truckin', pal! You're the best!" And then Larry sticks his tongue out at us and makes pretend lightsaber noises for an hour or so while we grit our teeth. But then I remembered: I have a top ten column! In which I can talk about anything! And if that subject so happened to be TOR, then for one glorious week I could actually talk about BioWare's upcoming MMO without fear of reprisal from upper management! So today is all about my predictions for The Old Republic. Nine of them will come true; one will not. Have fun guessing which one!
Hands-on with SWTOR's Jedi Knight on Tython
Last month, Massively was invited to LucasArts for a whole day's experience with BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic. One of the perks of living on the West Coast is that I get to attend all these awesome in-depth Silicon Valley events and really expand on Massively's sessions at various conventions! For all my enthusiasm, I have to admit I approached this hands-on with no small amount of trepidation. I'm a huge Star Wars fan (I still play Star Wars Galaxies!), but I fell out of "expert" range on the saga a decade ago. Like many of you readers, I've been wary of the hype and even warier of delusions of grandeur on the part of game companies trying to do justice to the IP. I was really afraid that it wouldn't be as good as I'd hoped and that I'd walk away disappointed. And given the parts I saw, SWTOR's not as good as I'd hoped. It's better. %Gallery-108535%
Kinect lightsaber, and other inevitable milestones for the open-source robot eye (video)
What, you didn't think the Kinect open source community would just take a break for the weekend, did you? Microsoft certainly wouldn't want that, and after seeing how much shadow puppetry warmed our hearts, we wouldn't want it either! Thankfully, someone in this world can now track a wooden stick to emulate a lightsaber in real time, bringing one classic meme that much closer to actuality (and the promised Star Wars Kinect game not even parsec closer to release). If that's not enough, we also have a demo made that converts hand-waving to MIDI notes -- which, as creator Ben X notes, puts him one step closer to Ableton Live integration -- and a pretty pretty wild visual of body dysmorphic disorder (and a chubby cat) courtesy of the powerful open source Cinder library and a Vimeo user who goes by "flight404." If those were appetizer and two-part entree, respectively, our post-meal coffee would be a pretty sharp critique on Kinect Joy Ride -- where it seems, on at least one track, you can nab a bronze trophy by staying as still as humanly possible. All the footage you seek is after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Hyperspace Beacon: Killer colors
The lightsaber is the most iconic tool of the Jedi in Star Wars. "This weapon is your life," Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Anakin Skywalker as the master handed back the lightsaber his student lost while chasing Zam Wessel. Without a lightsaber, the Jedi are just another group of wizards with fancy quotables. But as soon as you put the glowing laser sword in their hands, they become something more; they become the warriors whom every child has imitated in one way or another. Just what about that blade makes it special? Well, I can't tell you the reason people are intrigued by the illuminated weapon, but I can tell you that, according to lore, the crystal is the heart of the blade. In the movies, we have seen four different colored blades: red, green, blue, and purple, but other colors exist in lore. The Lead Writer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Daniel Erickson, made a statement at PAX when questioned about saber crystal colors at the SWTOR presentation: "There is a broad spectrum of crystals available out in the galaxy. We have not made final plans on some of the more esoteric ones. They all have specific canonical connotations -- as to what they represent and how they came to be." Which raises the question: What are these canonical connotations? What do the colors of the crystals mean? I took a trip through Star Wars lore to uncover the answer to that question. Follow me after to break to find out more.
E3 2010: Hands-on with Clone Wars Adventures
Arriving at the SOE booth at E3, one is assaulted with the shininess of their latest upcoming titles, DC Universe Online and The Agency. But scattered about the booth were demo stations for many of their other upcoming games including the recently announced Clone Wars Adventures. We haven't heard much about this game since it was announced (and our subsequent interview with the lead designer), but we got to sit down at E3 and find out what's involved. As a quick refresher, CWA is less a traditional MMORPG and more a virtual lobby where players can access a number of minigames. There's no leveling or quests or equipment with stats. It's more Free Realms and less EverQuest. It will be free-to-play as a Flash-based browser title when it arrives this fall. But how does all this actually play? Click past the jump for more info.
New Force Unleashed 2 trailer shows Vader doing what he does best
Darn that Darth Vader -- sure, he's a Sith Lord who betrayed his master, will blow up a planet without a second thought, and even threatens to kill his own soldiers, but honestly, you just can't trust the guy. This brand new E3 trailer from LucasArts for Force Unleashed 2 shows the game's protagonist Starkiller getting betrayed by ol' helmethead yet again, and then lightsaber slicing and dicing his way out of a whole heap of space trouble. We already knew that Starkiller would be dual-wielding lightsabers in the game, and while this trailer is vague to say the least, it does hint at why we're seeing him whole and hale again, instead of the (spoiler) less-than-lively state we saw him in at the end of the last game. Looks like it's an Attack of the Clones all over again. At least that force power looks fun -- hopefully we'll see more at E3 next week. Watch the whole thing after the jump.
Exclusive: SOE talks Clone Wars Adventures
Last Tuesday, we gleefully reported on Sony Online Entertainment's brand-new, upcoming Star Wars game: Clone Wars Adventures. We'd heard the rumors, but confirmation sent us into pure fan-frenzy! This kid-friendly virtual world promises a free-to-play romp through the Clone Wars era, allowing players to jump into Star Wars minigames and join the storied heroes of the Republic in the fight against the Separatist armies. That's what we could dig up on the official site, anyway -- but don't you want to know more? Well, Star Wars fans, you're in luck, because we've landed a juicy interview with the Lead Designer of CWA, Matt Higby. Join us after the break as Matt graciously answers all our eager questions about purple lightsabers and parental tools, cartoons and cash shops, and why adult fans (not just kids) will want to check it out!
THQ unleashes Star Wars iPhone games
Yet one Jedi was feared above all others, and that Jedi ... was Alex. That's right! THQ's finally giving the beloved sci-fi franchise the treatment it deserves on iPhone with Star Wars: Lightsaber Duel (like the existing lightsaber app, but for two phones), Star Wars: Cantina (like Diner Dash but ... spacier) and Star Wars: Yoda Sound Board (like something that you'd ever want to spend money on, but the opposite). ... What, are these not the apps you're looking for? ... Fine, yes, that was an intentionally misleading headline. We had to suffer a pretty brutal comedown when we read the press release, so we thought it only fair that you should too. Sorry.
Thrustmaster's lightsaber Wii peripheral on sale at Amazon
We want to meet the person at which this this Thrustmaster lightsaber sale at Amazon is targeted. "Are you kidding me? $35 for a fake lightsaber handle that I stick on my Wiimote? What sort do you think I am? I'm a grown man! ... Wait, what? It's only $20 now? Well, if you're going to twist my arm ..." Listen, we're being crabby. Buy it, go ahead, have a great time. But just know that every man has a price at which value outweighs his dignity, and yours is fifteen dollars. ... What? Why are you laughing at our half-off horse armor receipt? What are you trying to say?
Coming soon: Lightsaber duels on the iPhone
Do you need a weapon that's not as clumsy or random as a blaster, or perhaps, an elegant weapon from a more civilized age? Soon, there will be an app for that. THQ Wireless, the maker of several Star Wars-themed iPhone apps including The Force Unleashed and Star Wars: Trench Run, will release a new app called Lightsaber Duel early in April. Overall, the app sounds similar to another app called Lightsaber Unleashed, which allows you to swing your iPhone around and make "vvvmmm, vvvmmm, tssshh!" noises come out of the speaker. Lightsaber Duel will expand on that idea. Rather than merely going all Star Wars Kid with your iPhone, you'll actually be able to engage in duels with your fellow wannabe Jedi or Sith via a Bluetooth connection with their iPhone. You'll also be able to play music during the duel. However, we're not yet sure if that means only music bundled with the app, or if you'll be able to play your iTunes music. "Duel of the Fates" and "Battle of the Heroes" are fine lightsaber battle tunes, but the übernerd in me wants to be able to mix it up and throw in a little "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII or "Burly Brawl" from Matrix: Reloaded. THQ hasn't released pricing info yet, but assuming it isn't heinously expensive, this is an app that's likely to hit the top of the App Store charts within hours of its release. [Via Mashable]
Star Wars & Indiana Jones items hit Home
If you click this image, it shall become more embiggened than you could possibly imagine LucasArts has invaded PlayStation Home today with a bunch of new virtual goods and a space to hang out in. Without all of the crime and sudden de-limbing that goes on in the Mos Eisley Cantina, the LucasArts storefront will offer patrons a safe environment to purchase virtual goods -- sorry, no power converters available. Here's the list of goodies: Yoda shirt (for male avatars) Obi-Wan Kenobi shirt (for male and female avatars) Jedi Order shirt (for male and female avatars) Indiana Jones costume – torso, pants, shoes Indiana Jones costume – hat, hair Stormtrooper costume (for male and female avatars) Imperial Officer costume (for male and female avatars) Blue Lightsaber (for male and female avatars) Jedi banner (for avatar personal space) Sith banner (for avatar personal space) Star Wars The Force Unleashed poster (for avatar personal space) LucasArts promises more updates to come. In the meanwhile, feel free to peruse select avatar items in our gallery below, but there may be a slight chance these aren't the images you're looking for. %Gallery-85933%
SWTOR's Sith Warrior detailed, cataloged
Gamescom provided us with plenty of information on the newly revealed Sith Warrior class for Star Wars: The Old Republic. So much is already known, making the newly revealed official web page feel like a safe place to keep all that information rather than a source of geeky revelation.We're nothing if not persistent in our quest to discover curious new things, and such is what we found in the concept art on the Sith Warrior's Holonet entry. BioWare seems to be outdoing themselves when it comes to designing various lightsaber hilts for the unscrupulous Sith. Additionally, reading the overview text for the class reveals two storylines: One where your character aligns themselves with the recently formed Dark Council, and the other a path of the renegade seeking their own goals.Watching the short videos cemented it for us, most likely. BioWare will be hard pressed to show us another Empire class that warrants a significant chunk of our time. Then again, with PAX just one week away, they may just do that.%Gallery-35034%%Gallery-35033%
Sony seeks official PlayStation peripherals -- offers logo, good time
Do you dream of big plastic tennis-rackets and steering-wheel snap-ons for Sony's upcoming motion controller? Yeah, then why not build them yourself? Sony Computer Entertainment has launched its Official Licensing Program that gives accessory and peripheral makers in Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe access to all the PS3, PSP, and PS2 tech documents and schematics required to qualify your product for an "Official Licensed Product" logo. Sure, you'll likely have to hand over some cash for the privilege, but imagine the bank that awaits the person who converts the glowing orb atop Sony's motion controller into the very first official PS3 lightsaber.
Official Star Wars lightsaber and blaster accessories for licensed Wii Jedis
Hey, who doesn't have a desire to get down and nerdy with their Wii on occasion -- we respect that. But if you're going to pretend to hold the Wiimote like a lightsaber, you might as well go for the full-on, officially-licensed accessory. Oh, there are plenty of pretenders but nothing can feed your delusions of grandeur better than George Lucas' blessing. Yes, the lightsaber glows, and the cats at Bensussen Deutsch & Associates have plans for a matching blaster too. Unfortunately, the accessories don't make room for MotionPlus which is fine, we guess, since they'll be shipping with Star Wars - The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes -- a game that doesn't support MotionPlus anyway. How wude.
First official lightsaber accessories for Wii announced [update: no Motion Plus]
There are a few weird, internal reactions a nerd has to deal with when a company -- Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, in this case -- announces that it's creating the first officially licensed Star Wars lightsaber and blaster accessories for the Wii. On one hand, Wii accessories are, by and large, completely pointless. On the other hand, they're lightsabers ... and they light up. On yet another hand (wait ... three hands?) the accessories, including the blaster, clearly don't have enough room to accommodate MotionPlus (as far as we can tell).Granted, these are being released in conjunction with Star Wars - The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, which has no MotionPlus support that we're aware of, but come on! Any lightsaber accessory should have an extra slot for MotionPlus. We don't care if LucasArts ever makes another lightsaber game or not. Hell, we'll pick up Red Steel 2 and just pretend we're using a lightsaber. At least, we would, if these accessories supported MotionPlus.Oh, the Clone Trooper blaster also comes with stickers.Update: We've confirmed with BDA that neither Republic Heroes nor its accessories support MotionPlus.%Gallery-66808%
The Old Republic video details Tython, shows off unexpected footage
BioWare has unleashed what they're calling the first Developer Dispatch on their official Star Wars: The Old Republic website. In truth, it's an exceptionally high quality developer diary video centered around Jedi training planet Tython and its laborious creation. And while that doesn't sound particularly awesome, it actually is pretty much that.Disappointingly, no new combat footage was given up this time around. Mostly, we weren't given any gameplay to indulge upon. What was offered was soothing geek-surances like the above image of lightsaber concept-to-game model. This is BioWare saying, "See? Our concept art translates quite well into game engine!" and they're basically on the mark.One thing BioWare was able to do is say a lot with just a little. The gameplay footage that was revealed caught us a little off guard. Not only did this fresh early footage bare what most MMOs have a player staring at for hours -- their avatar jogging along complacently -- but it looked pretty good. Obviously, we're not raising The Old Republic's right hand in victory over "pretty good" looking footage. Yet at this early date, such a routine-but-key visual looks like it's been pretty well nailed down. Check out the full video after the break.
Penny Arcade comments on Old Republic footage
The Old Republic's latest video footage had some people drooling over the release of the highly anticipated BioWare title, but others, like Tycho from Penny Arcade, weren't too impressed during the latest trailer.Tycho's comments, while negative, can ring truthful to those who have been following SWTOR since the great announcement back in October. It seems that we keep hearing about this great "story pillar" of the game and how most MMOs don't contain an intense storyline, but veterans of Asheron's Call's monthly updates or Wrath of the Lich King's new emphasis on story will certainly recall that some games have already put story in as their main pillar.Of course, Tycho also brings up the fact that it's odd for someone with an infinitely sharp laser beam sword to slash at the same monster multiple times, but we think you get the idea. Check out all of Tycho's comments in his Penny Arcade blog post and make your own decisions on what you think of the first gameplay footage.
Star Wars: The Old Republic to have choreographed combat
For some MMO players, nothing kills immersion more than the constant reminder that your avatar is a hollow, ephemeral character model, with every weapon strike that passes right through your ghostly form driving that point home. Star Wars: The Old Republic has a new take on MMO combat that should come as welcome news to anyone who faults the way combat looks in most massively multiplayer online titles.Bioware president Greg Zeschuk has told videogaming247 that combatants in SWTOR won't be 'swinging through each other', largely due to the fact that choreography will play a major role in the forthcoming title's combat system. "Star Wars is choreographed, it's elegant; it's big, powerful moves and lightning bolt flashes, but in a way that makes sense visually and aesthetically. One of the goals we have is to create this choreographed type of combat that looks as though it could be taking place in a Star Wars movie," he recently commented to videogaming247. Is this a welcome change for you as an MMO player, or is the way avatar combat presently looks in most massively multiplayer titles fine for you? BioWare has finally unveiled Star Wars: The Old Republic, their new MMO! Massively's got you covered on all the details -- from liveblogging the announcement to screenshot galleries and more. Join us in the Galaxy far, far away!
