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Mii Spotlight: The Force edition
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, (or, last week in the Mii Spotlight) some pretenders rolled in here and tried to get everyone psyched about Star Trek. Please. We know what's better. We know that Star Wars is really where it's at -- especially when it comes to Miis. Does everyone have Spock on their Wii, ready to get his tennis on? We think not ... but there sure do seem to be a lot of Admiral Ackbars out there, ready to warn us of impending traps.
Star Wars game confirmed, lightsabers and all?
We'll call it "mostly confirmed," but according to this article on the Wii's financial success, George Lucas has said that a game that turns our trusty Wii remotes into lightsabers is on the horizon. Unfortunately, there's no quote to back up the assertion, so we remain partially skeptical, but it's one of those things that we just know is going to happen, whether we want it or not. Anyone else just as interested, if not more so, in using the Wiimote and nunchuk for Force abilities in a Star Wars game? The upcoming sandbox-style Harry Potter includes motion controls that simply make us drool for similar applications in a Star Wars title ....[Via NeoGAF]
Today's most re-sellable video: Lego Star Wars trailer
While LucasArts says it's adding some new content, we fear that the upcoming Lego Star Wars game, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga will just be a new name on an old title. Still, the humor in this series is worth a second look -- at least in cost-free trailer form -- and this ad for the game reminds us why we enjoy this unlikely franchise at all.In time for the 30th anniversary, see epic Star Wars events reenacted with Legos after the break.
Customizing your character in Star Wars
One of the biggest new features of the upcoming PSP-exclusive Star Wars Battlefront game is the ability to customize your character in a number of ways. No longer limited to simple classes, players will be able to assign points to certain abilities, allowing players to experience the game in a highly tailored way. Watch this interview and get the full details, and some game footage to boot.
Celebrate Star Wars anniversary with Force Unleashed video doc
Wow, how rude of us. Star Wars had a birthday yesterday (the big three-oh!) and we didn't so much as take it to Baskin-Robbins to get its free scoop, let alone throw it any sort of party. To try to make it up, we're sharing this new video documentary about the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. If you still don't have enough midi-chlorians coursing through your veins, check out this interview with project lead Haden Blackman. He's talking locations (there will be some from IV,V and VI), comboing lightsaber attacks with Force powers and some other details. Also, he reveals that Sam Witwer, Lt. Crashdown on Battlestar Galactica, will play the game's star, a secret apprentice of Darth Vader. So, Star Wars, we hope this makes us square. Now come blow out these candles with your mind.
Celebrate the new Star Wars Battlefront trailer
Is a game too ambitious for its own good? Maybe. The new Star Wars Battlefront title brings brand-new massively multiplayer battles ... exclusively for PSP. We're not complaining, however. The new trailer from LucasArts shows there's much to celebrate in this jam-packed UMD. The game promises so much that if Rebellion is able to deliver, our console brethren will have a lot to be jealous of.
Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga uses the Force to extract money from wallets
We all suspected as much since the beginning of the month, but today LucasArts has made it official: Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga is going to be hitting all major platforms, including the Wii, come this Fall. As a game that is comprised of two games, it will undoubtedly find an audience on the console, as we're all hungering for something to play. Then, there's the folks who never played either game and might think they'd like to see what all the fuss is about.Are you looking forward to some sci-fi, plastic-blocked hi-jinks, or are you sick of the Wii getting nothing but what seem to be ports?[Via Joystiq]
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga to brick 360, PS3, Wii, DS
Nothing beats the satisfaction that arises from successfully assembling a Lego masterpiece out of a handful of meaningless blocks. LucasArts must be glowing with delight then, since they've just managed to construct a fully functional ATM by just clipping two of their pieces together. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, LucasArts has officially announced Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and DS. The game will be a combination of Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and last year's Lego Star Wars: The Good Original Trilogy, with additional characters, enhanced levels and features tossed in by developer TT Games. The group promises to take "full advantage of the unique capabilities of all three next-generation consoles" (three?) and notes that the DS version is unique in being constructed from "the ground up." Brick your favorite console when Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga arrives this Fall.
Han shoots first in Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for PSP
At least he does according to the above screenshot, which depicts the dirty-handed scoundrel's unbearably intense encounter and point blank face-off with feared bounty hunter, Boba Fett. In the PSP's newly announced Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, Solo assembles a squadron of renegades (no, really) to strike back at the nefarious Galactic empire in locales such as Korriban, Alderaan and (surprise!) Hoth.Aside from new vehicles and improved space combat, LucasArts promises a customization system that allows for "millions of possible unique combatants," with various weapons, equipment and abilities ensuring that "no two allies will likely ever look or perform exactly the same." Online multiplayer will cater to up to 16 players simultaneously, whereas the PSP's ad-hoc connection will support eight. Wrangle renegades and shoot first this Fall when Battlefront returns. %Gallery-3071%[Via PSP Fanboy]
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron offers 16-player Infrastructure
There's a Star Wars Battlefront game coming out, and it's exclusive for PSP. Titled Renegade Squadron, this new action game will feature an a "never before told" story that takes players through new missions and new battles that spans the classic trilogy (Episodes IV to VI). Han Solo has been recruiting "battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels" to fight the tired-and-true evil Empire. This ragtag team will travel throughout the Star Wars universe. Some of the levels include: Ord Mantell, Boz Pity, Korriban, Sullust and Saleucami. There will also be new space battles at Kessel, Hoth, Bespin, and the remnants of Alderaan. Star Wars mainstays, like Endor and Hoth, will also be returning.Renegade Squadron promises to provide a greater customizable experience than its predecessors. Players will be able to choose their own weapons, equipments and abilities. A variety of vehicles will be available, including the Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader's TIE Advanced, Slave I, and the Jedi Starfighter. Capitol ships can be controlled as well.To top it all off, Renegade Squadron will also feature 16 player Infrastructure multiplayer, with leaderboards, stats tracking, and profile pages. With such robust online features, Renegade Squadron looks to easily outdo the PSP version of Battlefront II. The game is planned to release this fall. For more details and screenshots, visit the official Battlefront web site.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for Wii
Not exactly the first lightsaber experience we were looking for with the Wii -- but we'll take it. Codename Revolution reports that Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is coming to Wii this holiday season. The assumption is that this will be a one disc version of the sleeper hits in the Lego Star Wars series. Beyond this basic information, discovered through a distribution contact, there is no news on how the Wiimote will be used.If they somehow change the camera to over-the-shoulder or attempt to keep it behind the character in classic platformer style the blaster and lightsaber may be incredibly fun. If it's from the top down or random camera angles, like it is in the versions available now, we fear for a Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on Wii feel. That experience need not be repeated, thank you.
LEGO Star Wars goes Universal
A long time ago, in a squarish galaxy far, far away... Aspyr media, in an effort to save Mac users of the planet Earth from certain doom and boredom, released a Universal patch for LEGO Star Wars. That's right: it's been a while since we've had to write about an app (finally) going Universal (Adobe CS3 notwithstanding), and even longer since I've had the opportunity to make a Star Wars pun, so there it is. All joking aside though, Aspyr apparently released this patch earlier in the month, but I just caught it in today's newsletter. You can snag the 4.71MB update from Macgamefiles.com.
Star Wars Galaxies: vacant houses to be crushed by empire
If you've been eking out a virtual existence in Star Wars Galaxies, the 2003 Sony MMORPG which thrives just as much on self-destruction as it does on landspeeders and lightsabers, you may wish to check in on your neglected home away from home. If your account is found to have been inactive from 17 April 2006, any of the houses, factories, player associations or harvesters to your name will be scheduled for digital demolition. If you built it, they will come on June 5th to wreck it. Unfortunately, the Empire is not interested in doubling their efforts to wipe out the last remaining signs of civilization (read: active players). Instead, they'll split the work with you and dole out points, badges and all manner of in-game items in return. Once the vacant buildings have been reduced to nothing, Sony Online Entertainment will have successfully transformed the world into a barren wasteland with the aid of their own subscribers. Some believe that's what they've been doing since the game launched.[Via Opposable Thumbs]
DARPA developing threat sensing binoculars
The night-vision thing has definitely been done a time or two before, but DARPA's latest initiative is looking beyond the darkness as it hopes to create a set of binoculars that can actually detect threats and warn soldiers of impending death. Taking a note from Star Wars, the jokingly dubbed "Luke's Devices" is actually considered a "cognitive technology threat warning system," and utilizes brain monitoring to bring attention to spikes in activity before the person can actually realize he / she has noticed something awry. Among the gizmos that'll bring this all together are "neurally-based target detection signatures, ultra-low power analog / digital hybrid signal processing electronics, wide-angle optics, large pixel-count digital imagers, and cognitive visual processing algorithms." Yeah, sounds pretty complicated to us too, but unlike snazzy concepts we've seen before, the gurus behind these goggles reportedly hope to have prototypes ready for battle in just a few years.[Via Wired]
More Force Artwork Unleashed
LucasArts released six pieces of new concept art of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Artist renditions of Force Push and Force Electricity Lightning are displayed in very colorful manners and all in all if they can bring the scope and feel of these into the actual game, it will be very promising for Star Wars fans. They also illustrate some of the bosses and Jedi that you will be up against, as well as the environments. Are any of these desktop wallpaper worthy to you?[Via QJ.net]
Holy LEGO Batman!
LEGO Batman has been rumored to be in development for quite some time, but finally fans of building blocks and super heroes are having their dreams met (at least the ones that can be rated E for everyone). Variety of all places is reporting that TT Games is eagerly following up the success of LEGO Star Wars with a LEGO dark knight game. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will do the publishing rights this time and LEGO Batman is set to come out sometime 2008. I'm personally more excited about this LEGO title than Star Wars simply because I'm a bigger fan of Batman. If you could have any property turned into a LEGO game, which would you choose? [Via Firing Squad]
Rumor: Star Wars Battlefront III only on the Xbox 360?
This one slipped into the Bothan couch cushions: Those rebels at Games Radar report that Star Wars Battlefront III is looking like an Xbox 360 exclusive, yet another salvo in the war for exclusives. Their source is PlayStation World magazine, which makes the info a bit harder to swallow. According to the article, LucasArts is moving the sequel from developer Pandemic to Free Radical, where it'll be made as a 360-only title, although it's unclear why. Maybe Pandemic crossed George Lucas, and once you cross him ... you never come back. Especially with that Jabba the Hutt-like neck of his. Now, if this post had vanished right after that was typed, that would be some comedy.Given the extreme success of the Lego Star Wars games, it seems highly unlikely that they'll confine Star Wars Battlefront III to just one console, especially given the fact that it's a sequel to a game that has appeared on just about every platform except your watch. More on this as it develops, unless Lucas squashes us.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Star Wars Battlefront III60 exclusive?
According to GamesRadar, the March issue of UK Magazine Playstation World spilled some beans on Star Wars: Battlefront III. On page 65, they state that LucasArts is moving the series from Pandemic, who developed the first two in the series, to Free Radical, of TimeSplitters and GoldenEye fame. They go on to say that SWBIII is listed as an Xbox 360 exclusive, but don't think it will stick. Still, Free Radical has a history of making some badass multiplayer games, and hopefully it will translate well in Star Wars: Battlefront III's online skirmishes. Are you looking forward to the new gen iteration of the series? What are your thoughts on the potential exclusivity and Free Radical taking the helm?Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, that box art is fan made, and not official.[Via GameStooge]
Nikko to pair R2D2 projector with Tie Fighter speakers
So it seems pretty obvious when you think about it: if you're gonna go out and spend $1000+ on a projector / DVD player / iPod dock shaped like R2D2 from those Star Wars movies, you can't really hook it up to just any old speakers, now can you? Sure, some nice tower speakers from Energy or Boston Acoustics would sound pretty great, but if you want your home theater to have that authentic Jedi feel to it, it would seem that something more thematic / tacky is in order. Well, projector (and matching R2 Skype webcam) manufacturer Nikko has apparently come to this realization as well, and probably due to the unexpected popularity of its products tucked into a corner of South Hall at CES, has come up with a 2.1 speaker system shaped like a pair of Tie-Fighters. Scheduled to launch at CeBIT, not much is known about this unique setup other than the fact that bass comes courtesy of a dedicated subwoofer emblazoned with the classic Star Wars logo. Check out a few different angles in the gallery below, and stay tuned as we attempt to once again track down Nikko's booth for more in-depth coverage of what will likely be the sleeper hit of this year's show.%Gallery-2109%
USPS goes postal with R2D2 mailboxes
Who knew the United States Postal Service could feel the Force? In honor of Star Wars' 30th anniversary, these kick-ass R2D2-wrapped mailboxes will be replacing the old boring ones in post offices across the nation. Star Wars lovers / haters can say whatever they like -- we're just glad this has nothing to do with Jar Jar Binks.[Via Boing Boing]
