Star Wars fan will be delighted to know that along with the release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II comes another game. Lucas Arts and Activision join the world of Facebook game applications with Escape from Kamino. A retro-styled game that bring players further into the world of Star Wars. Lucas Arts and Activision are proud to announce the launch of the official Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Facebook application. This new retro styled game called “Escape from Kamino” follows the opening sequence that many TFU fans have played already in the TFU2 demo, at the same time tapping into the viral nature of Facebook by allowing you to challenge your friends and other players internationally. Within the game you can choose to play as lead character Starkiller and attempt to escape the clutches of the Evil Empire, or become Boba Fett and hunt for the cloned Jedi…
Author: Soeren Kamper
BioWare Asks for Star Wars Costume Pictures
BioWare is currently asking fans to share pictures of their Star Wars themed Halloween costumes for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Fan Friday post on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site. Players have until Nov. 8 to submit photos, so there’s still time to work on your costume. Considering today is Halloween, it’s the perfect time to browse through the thread and check out some of the costumes that forum members are wearing this year. Have you ever dressed as a Star Wars character for Halloween?
Retro ( and new) Star Wars Advertising
The world would be a different place today if it weren’t for Star Wars. Check out this selection of Star Wars Retro Videos: Kellogg’s C-3PO’s I remember when I was a kid, and saw C3PO’s cereal in the grocery store. I rolled my eyes, wondering what ELSE they were going to slap my friends on. By that time, I was well over the hyper-marketed licensing, though I still loved the films. It’s over two decades later, and I now look at C3PO’s with quite a lot of fondness. Perhaps they seem innocent, in a time when any film marketed at kids gets it’s own cereal (though with the new laws and such, for how much longer). George Lucas Japanese TV Commercial I am fairly sure that George Lucas would never do a TV commercial like this in U.S. So be warned, this video represents the funniest use of stormtroopers since…
Friday Update: Imperial Agent Details!
It’s time for BioWare’s regular Friday update on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site, and this one’s pretty massive. BioWare took pity on the many fans who have been clamoring for gameplay information and released an All Imperial Agent Extravaganza including a new class gameplay video: The update gives a little more detail on the Agent’s advanced classes: Healing skills are confirmed for the Operative just as his specialization on close-range combat. In contrast to the Sniper, who’s more into stealth and ranged combat. He frequently makes use of his long range blaster rifle, although it seems that one needs “extensive training” to make use of this weapon. Combining the expertise of multiple disciplines, Operatives adapt to any environment and any circumstance to ensure the Empire’s agenda is achieved. Whether emerging from stealth to ambush and eliminate enemies in close-range combat or using advanced medical technologies to keep colleagues in…
May the schwartz be with you: Vintage Star Wars travel posters
Steve Thomas Has made some pretty amazing Star Wars mash up travel posters. They are very much inspired by some of the vintage travel posters of the early 20th century. These were done in association with a website in order to have them printed. That website is still working on making that a reality. There are eight in all and you can see all of them together here.
New EA Layoffs
Earlier this month an anonymous blogger referred to as EA Louse posted an inflammatory blog claiming that they were part of a planned layoff at EA scheduled to take place later this year. While many have speculated that there was no credibility to the bloggers words because there was no way to confirm whether or not EA indeed had layoffs planned. However, earlier today Shacknews reported something that could confirm at least some of what EA Louse posted. A source told Shacknews that as many as 100 people at EA may have been laid off just in time for the holidays. Joystick later confirmed the layoffs through EA corporate communication spokesperson Jeff Brown, who explained that the “seasonal roll-offs” (aka layoffs) are a common thing following game launches. Despite that, I will call it what it is, layoffs, and not that attempt to fluff the word with “seasonal roll-offs.” This…
Return of the Ewok
Young Warwick Davis decides he wants to be in pictures, so he gets himself an agent. The agent gives him an Ewok outfit and points him towards Elstree Studios. There Warwick wanders from set to set looking to find the other Ewoks. Return of the Ewok is a 24-minute mockumentary starring Warwick Davis, the actor who played the Ewok, Wicket W. Warrick in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Ewok spin-off films. Davis and David Tomblin, Return of the Jedi’s first assistant director, created it, with Tomblin directing. Lucasfilm planned to use the movie as a promotional film for Return of the Jedi, but post-production on the film was never completed. The film is set in both the “real world” and the fictional locations of the Star Wars universe. Real world locations include an airport, Elstree Studios and the actors’ dressing rooms, while the fictional locations…
James Ohlen reveals a few secrets in the new Star Wars Insider
In the Recent Star Wars Insider Magazine #121, James Ohlen revealed a lot about almost every aspect of Star Wars: The Old republic. For hard-core followers of the game, there isn’t much new information, but there is a few interesting statement, concerning casual content: “A lot of people are scared of massively multiplayer games because a lot of MMOs can become a grind… We’ve chosen to avoid that. We always give the player a story to drive the game forward. One of the more Interesting part of the Article is where Ohlen is speaking about the Sith Storyline. He explains about one of the first tasks that need to be done will be to kill your master. When that is done you need to locate a jedi and corrupt him. Furthermore he is outlining how the decisions you make affect the story you experience but also effect your character customization….
Know your Lore: Nomi Sunrider
Nomi Sunrider was a Human Jedi Knight from the days of the Old Republic, about 4,000 years prior to the Battle of Yavin. She was married to Jedi Knight Andur Sunrider, with whom she had a daughter, Vima. She later became a great Master of the Jedi and was seen as one of the key leaders of her time. Biography On the way to Ambria to bring Adegan crystals to Master Thon and ask to become his apprentice, Andur was confronted by agents of Bogga the Hutt on the Stenness Hyperspace Terminal. They demanded he hand over the crystals. When he refused, one of the agents sicced his pet (a poisonous lizard-like creature called a gorm-worm) on Andur, killing him instantly. When his spirit spoke to his wife, she took up his lightsaber and slew most of his attackers. After this, Nomi vowed to never to use a lightsaber again,…
GameTrailersTV’s Science Of Lightsabers
“This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary.” -― Obi-Wan Kenobi Can we be Jedi yet? The Force is with Dr. Kaku as he explains whether Humanity will ever wield the Lightsaber:
Star Wars Rarities: The Directors – The Films of George Lucas
Most of this program was divided into discussing two films: American Graffiti and Star Wars. The latter actually encompasses six films over the years but the first one is talked about by far the most in this Biography episode. The rest of the show is mainly other Hollywood people discussing George Lucas’s ideas and personality. Lucas, himself, is kind of boring, speaking in a monotone with a lot of “uhs” between words. Thankfully, his movies are far more interesting than him. Later, Liam Neeson and Harrison Ford – two dynamic actors on screen – demonstrate they are even more awkward than Lewis is being interviewed. However, it was interesting to see and hear all the main actors from American Graffiti, and they had interesting tales about the film and how Lucas had to really struggle to get it released. Those actors included Cindy Williams, Ron Howard, Charles Martin-Smith, Candy Clark,…
Mysterious Transmission From Faint Old Republic Signal
Few days ago I got a mail about a Incoming Transmission from a faint signal. I deleted it as I thought it was random spam, but apparently I was wrong. It seems like many people on the official forums plus some of the other Swtor fan sites also got the same mail The message reads as follows: Subject: ## Incoming Transmission from a faint signal… Message Body: ## Incoming Transmission from an old Republic signal… ## Initiating trace ## Signal cannot be located! ## Receiving transmission burst… “where it all began…in a Violent display, lIght meets dark…GrEat power still remaiNs hERE” YMESCJMFXZWTGYEUSGMUHLWTARYVIEMFKLSBGC ## End Transmission ## Signal lost! ## Attempting reconnect… ## Searching… ## Searching… ## Would you like to continue searching for the signal…?_ swtor-life wrote the following about it: There is a cipher that decodes the upper cryptic sequence of characters. To help you out right away, the…
May the schwartz be with you: Star Wars Rage…
For some reason whenever I see that scene I always think Obi-Wan is going to break out into song about “A Certain Point of View.” I’m glad he doesn’t. Did you notice in Jedi at the rebel’s briefing when Luke volunteers for the mission, and they hug, and he was like, “we need to talk… but not now.” I think it wen’t down like this: Lucas: “we need a way to make it so that Luke and Leia can’t be together”” Other guy working on the film: “maybe we should show that Leia and Solo are truly in love, and so Luke graciously bows out of the love triangle”” Lucas: “I’ll make them brother and sister! I am such a good writer!”
Fan Friday
This week’s update have arrived! After two amazing weeks with a new planet and a Timeline holorecord, it’s now time for Fan Friday and new biographies. First up, Fan Friday. As the name says, we’re not suprised that BioWare was able to dig out some treasures from the official forum grounds. The interactive TOR Paint Adventures and KariaVen’s animations are only two examples of the great creativity of Star Wars fans. It wouldn’t be Fan Friday without a couple more polls! The first asks, “Who is your favorite character in the Blood of the Empire webcomic series?” The second poll asks, “Which class are you planning on trying out first?” This time the development corner look at the creation of Kaas City, the Empire’s capital. Senior Concept Artist Ryan Dening gives us another step-by-step demonstration of taking a concept and turning it into a finished piece of artwork. The purpose…
Friday update: New biographies added
Meet more of the compelling characters you’ll interact with in Star Wars: The Old Republic. New additions have been added to the Biographies section of the HoloNet! This update includes profiles of some of the most enigmatic characters in The Old Republic Era: Bouris Ulgo is the self-proclaimed king of Alderaan. From his bio, it seems he made a lot of political enemies, and will probably be at the center of much turmoil. He has a vast military background and declared martial law on the planet. He is also mad, which is always a plus in my book. Diab Duin is the Republic envoy to Aeten II, a small mining outpost which became very important for the war effort. The man is said to be of few words and with an independent personality. There are few hints as to how he will be involved in the actual story lines, but it’s…
BioWare hits high on Canada’s top 100 Employers list
BioWare has been named as one of the top employers in Canada. The studio was compared with over 75,000 employers to be recognized as one of the leading places to work at in Canada. The Canadian Top 100 Employers is a list compiled annually by Mediacrop Canada Inc. The winners are selected based on a number of criteria including outstanding human resource practices, exceptional training and development opportunity for employees. Via Digital Journal BioWare Corp. is honoured to announce that it has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. “This acknowledgment is a great honour, and we are thrilled to receive this award. It is important to BioWare because it reflects our core value of Quality in our Workplace, and it also demonstrates that BioWare is an employer of choice for prospective employees not only in Canada, but world-wide,” said Joint CEO Dr. Ray Muzyka. The future for…
Star Wars Rarities: The Legacy Revealed
Thirty years ago, an unheralded film known as Star Wars opened in theaters and took audiences on a groundbreaking journey to a galaxy far, far away. It instantly seized the public’s imagination, and three decades later still claims that grasp. Through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics — all of whom weigh in on the enduring appeal of George Lucas’s creations — the special demonstrates that Star Wars isn’t just a high-action adventure in space. It’s a remarkably complex and sophisticated story about power, politics, sin, spirituality and redemption–almost Shakespearean in its power, humor, presentation and influence. The special makes the argument that Star Wars‘ intensely compelling stories — borrowed from diverse traditions, from Greek mythology and American westerns to the Bible and even Vaudeville — compel us to explore some of the biggest questions of our time. Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed explores that view through interviews with…
Playable Species of SW:TOR – Sith Pureblood
Yesterday we reported about Daniel Erickson clarification about the Sith Pure-bloods. We also promised to look deeper into this race, so here you go: The Sith were a species of red-skinned humanoids that evolved on Korriban. They also had tentacle “beards” and all pure blooded Sith were almost always left-handed, and thus their signature weapon, the lanvarok, was adapted purely for left-handed use. Society and Culture Though they engaged in supposedly primitive practices such as sentient sacrifice, held a strong caste system, and were in an almost constant state of war, their civilization was quite sophisticated; they saw these acts not as cruel or barbaric, but simply basic aspects of existence. Their caste system included a meek and lowly slave class, a skilled and intelligent engineer class, the priestly Kissai class, and the warlike Massassi class. In later years, the offspring of Sith and the exiled Dark Jedi formed another class, from which…
Science of Star Wars Wars: Space Cowboys
How soon will we all be driving our own hovercrafts to work? Various vehicles that use air as a cushion to glide over ground or water are still in prototype stages. HyWire cars (hydrogen and by wire) that use a skateboard chassis are here today, complete with technology that allows the car to “sense” traffic patterns or danger ahead. Electromagnetic force charges a train that can go faster than 250 miles per hour without touching the track. What will be the new hot rods of the future? And will they have gonzo paint schemes? Hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2.
James Ohlen Interview
Danish gaming site Gamereactor had the chance to speak with Bioware’s creative director James Ohlen at this years gamescon. I know it’s abit late to post more stuff from this event, but it was just published yesterday. The interview gives us some more info about the end game, as well as some info about how it it’s like to work with a game this big. We have already been told this before, but once again it’s explain how this is not only the biggest game Bioware have ever made, but also the biggest game EA have aver made. James Ohlen got a team with more then 70 people alone. If you are little into this kind of stuff, you would know it is allot of people.
Daniel Erickson on Sith Pureblood
Daniel Erickson made another post on the official forums, giving a bit more explanation on the meaning of “Pureblood” in “Sith Pureblood”: Quote: Originally Posted by Hawnk So… if the Sith species was extinct during the first KOTOR (or so says the loading screen that I just saw) then how are they justifying Sith Pureblood as a playable race in SWTOR? Hey folks, Happy to clarify. In the time of KOTOR, the Republic believed all of the original Sith Empire had been destroyed. Those who had not been killed were chased far into deep space where nobody had ever returned from. Thus Revan’s surprise when coming upon them and his dedication to going back to stop the threat when his memory returned. That said, the Sith “Pureblood” in SWTOR are anything but pure Sith (from a species point of view). The name is a vanity. In the last 1000 years…
Updated: EA Louse Blog Prompts Response from Industry Insiders
Last week a blogger referred to by the name of EA Louse posted a rather inflammatory blog slamming EA and BioWare Mythic after claiming to have learned that they will be part of a layoff coming to the company next month. The blog went into detail about why the author felt Warhammer Online had failed and why Star Wars: The Old Republic was on the same path. EA Louse went on to state that the company was, “Rewarding the incompetent. Firing the competent.” But EA Louse has sparked a response from a couple of posters. Jeff Preston, a freelance artist in the gaming industry, has posted a response to EA Louse’s blog simply titles, “Anonymity is for cowards” in which he slams EA Louse for being an anonymous poster and defends those targeted by EA Louse’s blog. Short of being shot at, poisoned, stabbed or otherwise given a bad case…
Science of Star Wars: Weapons, and the Force
We haven’t yet made a clone army, but we’re getting there. From the Future Force Warrior, FFW-Army, to the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, BLEEX, we are equipping our fighters with clone trooper-like gear. Laser blasters being tested by the U.S. military are directed-energy weapons that use a laser beam to send an electric charge to the object of our disaffections. If that doesn’t do the job, the Close Quarters Shock Rifle projects ionized gas or plasma at the subject, neutralizing a whole group of mobile attackers and killing their electronic ignition getaway systems at the same time. Hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2.
Science of Star Wars: Man and Machine
Droids, bots, and artificial intelligence — coming soon to rule the world. Right now, robots can clean the house, walk the dog, and identify lifesigns in the rubble of an earthquake. Soon, droids will replace astronauts on dangerous spacewalks and may even act as flying astromech droids to people living in space. How soon will it be before your mother has an unmanned drone to figure out what you’re doing all day? Forget about Big Brother — can the school principal use probe droids to patrol the hallways? Hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2.