Aparently there have been a press event hosted in the UK over the last few days on Star Wars: The Old Republic class=”Apple-style-span”> ( Damn I would have liked to be invited).
Author: Soeren Kamper
SW:TOR not planned for fiscal year 2011
During EA’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call, CEO John Riccitiello made a reference to a “major new massively multiplayer online game” — probably Star Wars: The Old Republic. “”EA is incurring significant development costs for a major new massively multiplayer online game,” he said. “”However, this game is not expected to ship in fiscal ’11.” Later, CFO Eric Brown responded directly to a question about The Old Republic, saying that “It’s not included in our FY11 release slate.”” This all but confirms that Star Wars: The Old Republic is the game referred to by Riccitiello during a similar call in January, when he gave a “major MMO” a release date of spring 2011. If it’s in the spring, but not in EA’s fiscal 2011 (which ends March 31), that means we can look forward to some Jedi fellowship sometime between April and June of next year.
Darth Vader officially comes to TomTom
After a week of teasers and rumours, TomTom has finally announced its tie-in (or should that be Tie-fighter) with Lucasfilm, voiceskins.com and Star Wars. The satnav company has been sending unannounced Star Wars merchandise, including a natty Darth Vader lightsaber torch, to journalists along with emails from Vader himself in the build-up to its major unveiling: the officially-licensed voices of Darth Vader, Yoda, C3PO and Han Solo are coming to its range of navigation devices. The first to be available, Darth Vader, has been launched today for £7.95, with the others to follow shortly (one a month until August). And, not only are directions delivered by his surly tones, but a stack-load of Star Wars sound effects are included. Customers can also download, for free, official warning alert sounds voiced by Darth Vader, along with start up screen wallpaper and Lord Vader map icon. It’s enough to make a Star…
Know your lore: Forn Dodonna
Forn Dodonna was an admiral in the Republic Navy during the Jedi Civil War. She was one of the most senior of naval personnel during the War. Towards the end of the war, Dodonna was signaled by Carth Onasi, who informed her of the Star Forge, a massive factory-space station that was being used by the Sith. Dodanna herself led the assault on the Star Forge, with the help of Jedi Master Vandar Tokare. Helped by the battle meditation of Padawan Bastila Shan, Dodonna broke through the Sith blockade of the Star Forge and ordered her ships to destroy the space station’s main stabilizer. She later awarded the crew of the Ebon Hawk, including Carth, for their help during the battle. Biography As an admiral serving with the Republic Navy, Admiral Dodonna led Republic forces against the Sith Empire during the Jedi Civil War from her flagship. Towards the end…
What does Alganon and SWTOR have in common ?
The fine people over at Kill Ten Rats alerts us of press release for the upcoming fantasy MMORPG Alganon, that copies one of the first BioWare press releases almost word by word. Here you got Alganon press release. Note it is dated Wednesday, April 28, 2010. Traditionally, massively multiplier online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars – combat, exploration and character progression,” Derek Smart continued. “In Alganon, in addition to these we’ve added the fourth pillar to the equation; a story. We delivered a fun, immersive adventure that gamers expect in a top quality massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, we’re not done yet. A whole new adventure with new updates will follow soon, starting with a consignment house, new classes, PvP and much more. Read this before somewhere? That’s probably because it was posted a while back on The Old Republic’s official site – October 21, 2008 “Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three…
No Sarlacc Enforcer Class!
At the start of April BioWare announced that they were including a ninth class in Star Wars: The Old Republic, namely the Sarlacc Enforcer. And I’m sure that many of you were looking forward to playing the stealthy lurker. But now BioWare dashes all of your hopes and dreams by announcing that the Enforcer won’t be a class after all. As per Sean Dahlberg’s post: Hey everyone, We hope that you have enjoyed the Sarlacc Enforcer class reveal we made on April 1st. We just wanted to confirm that the Sarlacc Enforcer is not going to be a class and that it was just some fun we were having for April Fool’s day this year. We’ve had quite a bit of fun reading all the posts and threads that were created and we sure do hope you’ve had as much fun as we’ve had! While you can no longer post…
LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez has resigned
And for some real shocking news, that is if you’re shocked by that kind of thing, it seems that LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez has resigned from his position. It is uncertain why he resigned, but it seems that LucasFilm’s Jerry Bowerman will hold LucasArts‘ reigns until a full-time replacement can be found. It is said that a number of other top executives are leaving as well, though apparently it shouldn’t affect any games in development. According to a statement given to IGN: “”Darrell Rodriguez has resigned and we have initiated a search for a new leader,” the company said in a statement given to IGN. “”Jerry Bowerman – a member of the Lucasfilm Board of Directors and a games industry veteran – will be stepping in to lead the LucasArts executive team during this transition. Lucasfilm remains fully committed to making great games and we continue to invest in our…
Blood of the Empire, Issue #2
Sean Dahlberg already announced what kind of update we’re going to expect this week and next week on the official forums. Today there will be a new issue of Blood of the Empire, next week there’s going to be a Developer Blog. Here is the official news: The second issue of Blood of the Empire™ takes us to the Imperial capital of Dromund Kaas, as the young Sith Teneb Kel and his companion Maggot leave the war’s front lines–only to find new tensions awaiting them at home. Meanwhile, a mysterious Force-user sets her plans in motion on a distant, crime-ridden world. Intrigue and danger abound as the story of Imperial powers continues! Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!
How Stuff works: Mandalore
Mandalore—or Mand’alor in it’s truest rendering and which meant “sole ruler” in Mando’a—was the title of the leader of the Mandalorians. The title originated with the mythical figure Mandalore the First, whose warriors were said to have conquered the planet of Mandalore. Eventually, the term came to be applied to the Mandalorian leaders, with the first known bearer of the title being Mandalore the Indomitable, who reigned during the Great Sith War. The last known person to claim the title of Mand’alor was Yaga Auchs, who kept the Mandalorians on Mandalore during the Sith–Imperial War. The title was notable for surviving several thousand years, through considerable Mandalorian hardships. Despite several lost wars, infighting and the emergence of the “Mandalorian mercenary” phenomenon, at least seventeen Mandalorians declared themselves Mand’alor throughout the years, with varying degrees of success in their attempts to lead the Mandalorian clans. History When the Taung species were…
May The 4th Be With You
Happy Star Wars Day everyone! May the 4th, and the force, be with us all today. May 4 is called Star Wars Day (also sometimes known as Luke Skywalker Day) because of a pun on the similarity between “May the 4th be with you” and “May the Force be with you”, a phrase often spoken in the Star Wars movies. Despite efforts to start a Jedi Church with 4 May as its Star Wars Day, as of 4 May 2009 there is no religion-supporting organization that promotes 4 May as Star Wars Day. In 2005 German news TV channel N24 interviewed George Lucas and asked him to say his famous sentence, “May the Force be with you.” The translator simultaneously translated to German: “Am 4. Mai sind wir bei Ihnen”. (We are with you on May 4). This was captured by comedy show TV Total and aired on May 18, 2005….
Species of Starwars: Trandoshan
Bioware just released a bunch of new screenshots for their Inhabitants section. The first one that caught My Eye was the above screenshot of a Trandoshan. I personally used to play this race in Star Wars galaxies, so I thought it would be natural for us to cover this Species in this weeks “Species of Starwars“. Trandoshans (T’doshok in their language) were large, bipedal reptilian humanoids from the planet Trandosha (or Dosha). They had super-sensitive eyes that could see into the infrared range and the ability to regenerate lost limbs, although very slowly, and were anatomically built heavier and stronger than most humanoids, including Humans. They would also periodically shed their skin. Unlike some other reptilian humanoids such as the Barabels and the Ssi-ruuk, Trandoshans had no tails. The Trandoshans were a warlike species who allied early with the Empire, taking Wookiees as slaves. As a species, they were renowned…
Know your Lore: Vandar Tokare
Vandar Tokare was a male Jedi Master who was the head of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine during the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil War, holding a seat on both the Jedi High Council and the Council of the Jedi academy during this time span. He was friends with fellow Council member Vrook Lamar, usually having the last word in their frequent disagreements, most notably on the choice to train Revan once again in the ways of the Jedi after his fall to the dark side of the Force. One of the attendees of the Conclave on Katarr, Tokare was killed during an attack from the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus in which the entire Miraluka colony and many of the survivors of the First Jedi Purge were lost. Biography Tokare took Derrica Praji and another person as Jedi Padawans and trained them on Ossus. In 4,225 BBY Tokare and his…
May the schwartz be with you: Slave Leia Splashdown – Star Wars Charity Car Wash
Now here’s a trend that needs to catch on – and quickly. G4 hosted a car wash staffed by cute girls in Star Wars costumes, mostly Slave Leia. For a small price, a harem of Slave Leias acted extra slutty with each other, and may have even washed your car, if the below video is to be believed. The event benefited the Make-a-Wish Foundation and men throughout the world. I feel very dirty right now. Oops, I mean my car is very dirty right now. behind the scenes:
Star Wars: The old republic Revealing Darth Malgus
Today was a day where we got to know more about those living in the universe of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Next to a trio of new biographies, we also got a new section to the HoloNet. But let’s start with the biographies, as per the official news We’ve expanded the Biographies section of the HoloNet to include more of the exciting figures you will meet in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™! This update includes profiles of three of the most influential people in The Old Republic era: Galactic Republic Special Forces commander, General Garza; the fierce warrior and sole ruler of the Mandalorians, Mandalore; and the star of the “Deceived” cinematic trailer, the ruthless Darth Malgus! This is just the second in a series of regular updates to the Biographies section so be sure to check back regularly! For this “star of the “Deceived” cinematic trailer” they’ve got…
How Much Money Will Converting the Star Wars Films to 3D Make?
Apparently, LucasFilm has decided to covert the Star Wars Trilogies into 3D. This is not exactly a surprise, as Hollywood is an a rush to make every movie 3D. But how big of a money maker will it be for the franchise? The cost to convert a traditional 2-D movie into 3D can range between $50,000 and $100,000 per minute. If you split the difference, and say the cost would be $75,000 per minute, then the total price tag to convert all six films would be around $59 million. In 1997, George Lucas released the special editions of Episode IV, V and VI into theatres. Star Wars opened in January and sold $138 million worth of tickets. The Empire Strikes Back opened a month later, but only had $67.6 million in tickets sales. Finally, Return of the Jedi opened in March, and ended its run with $45.5 million in sales….
Species of Starwars – Ithorian
The above picture was one of the early pictures released by Bioware. The picture is of Ithorian witch became a playable race in Star Wars Galaxies in the “jump to lightspeed” expansion. Ithorians were a mammalian herbivorous sentient species from the planet Ithor. They were commonly called “Hammerheads” by less sensitive beings because of their long, curving neck and T-shaped head. They found this nickname offensive. Biology and appearance Ithorians had two mouths and four throats, allowing them to speak in stereo. Female Ithorians had two humps on the back of their head, while males had only one. They had glossy, usually brown flesh. They stood roughly between 1.8 to 2.3 meters (5ft 10in. to 7ft 6in.) from eyestalk to toe. Their reflexes and coordination were somewhat slower than that of average humanoids. In addition to allowing them to speak their unique stereophonic language, the Ithorians’ four throats also had the…
Know your Lore: Calo Nord
Calo Nord, a Human male, was an infamous bounty hunter who lived during the Jedi Civil War, a galaxy-spanning conflict initiated by the Sith Lords Darth Revan and Darth Malak. Nord was sold into slavery by his mother and father at a young age. On his sixteenth birthday, he killed his slave masters and tracked down his parents, murdering them as well. A bounty was placed on Nord, but he eliminated every mercenary that pursued him. Once the attempts on his life ended, Nord murdered those who had placed the bounty and became a bounty hunter by trade, taking assignments from any party that paid. Nord occasionally worked for the Exchange criminal syndicate boss Davik Kang but had been also contracted by the Galactic Republic for operations in the Core. During the final year of the Jedi Civil War, Nord was on the planet Taris for business with Kang while…
May the schwartz be with you: Aard Wars: Attack of the clay
This little video was mailed to me this morning. While it kind of break some happy childhood memories, couldn’t stop laughing. Wallace and Gromit will never bee the same again 🙂
Blood of the Empire
And here I thought that the combat video was awesome enough to carry this Friday on its own. But it seems that next to the video documentary on combat we get not one, not two, but three more updates this Friday. Of course none of them are quite as awesome as the video, but still. First there is the news that Threat of Peace has gone to print: Great news for comic book collectors! BioWare, LucasArts, and Dark Horse Comics are gearing up for the release of a three issue comic series of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Threat of Peace™. Each issue features 27 vibrant full-color story pages, and will be priced at $2.99. Experience the passions and convictions driven by a handful of Star Wars™ heroes and villains as they reignite a legendary war between dark and light in this comic series originally published entirely online. The story…
Dev Diary: Combat in STAR WARS: The Old Republic
We usually get our dose of Star Wars: The Old Republic news on Friday, but GameTrailers recently managed to get their hands on an exclusive developer diary featuring BioWare and LucasArt developers detailing combat in the game. What’s even better, there’s more in-game combat video. Ever wonder why anyone would want to play anything but a Sith or Jedi? Find out from the team creating the classes themselves. [UPDATE] And the official news is live: Whether you dream of beating the odds with just your luck and a blaster, or imagine restoring order to the galaxy with Force powers and a Lightsaber, you’ll have your chance in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. We’ve talked a lot about how The Old Republic is innovating on storytelling in MMOs, and now we want to share with you how combat in The Old Republic will deliver a new level of excitement for fans….
While we wait for The Old Republic: KOTOR the Movie part 1
Sooo you haven’t played the best game ever made, And you still want to play Star Wars: The old republic. Ohh well.. Over the next few weeks you get the chance to understand the full back story as we show you the games cut together as a movie. Sorry about the popups. It’s not our site, but the nice people hosting the movie having their way. Guess it’s a small price for watching a two hour long movie for free. Hopefully we will have part 2 up by the weekend. Enjoy! Update: From the comments section: Kevsmets said… I actually am the creator of this movie… Episode 2 is finished as well… we have a whole forum community if you want to check it out, plus a youtube page and even a streaming channel called KOTOR TV! Forums: http://z11.invisionfree.com/KOTOR_Movies/ Youtube home: http://www.youtube.com/user/kevinsocal2k6 KOTOR TV: http://www.livestream.com/kotortv Download linkDVD Torrent Creators youtubeForum link Star…
How stuff works: Pazaak
Pazaak, an ancient game dating back to Old Republic times, was a popular card game in which the goal was to reach 20 without going over, or at least come closer to it than the opponent. The player with the nearest sum to the number 20 won the round, and the player who won three rounds won the match. If in one round the scores of the two players were equal, the round was not counted at all. Gameplay There are three different decks in pazaak: the main (or “table”) deck, composed of cards numbered 1-10 (the total cards in this deck is unbound, though it tended to have four of each number). There was also one side deck for each player in the game. These decks would be assembled by the players themselves and had to have exactly ten cards.At the beginning of the game, each player would randomly…
Timeline 7: Peace for the Republic? – Developer comments
Since the Friday update there have been a couple of developer posts on the official forums related to the subject. First is one by Rob Chestney, who comments on KotOR2 in relation to SWTOR: Hey Folks, always nice to see the healthy debate sparked by the Timeline pieces. I love Star Wars history and particularly anything relating to KotOR. Even though KotOR 2 was developed by another developer, lots of folks at BioWare played and enjoyed it, including myself. If you look closely within the game, you will find several references to events or characters from KotOR 2, and we absolutely treat it as canon. I will also say that there have been discussions about the final fate of the Exile, who was indeed a woman according to the canon. When outlining the Timeline series, though, we skipped over the events of KotOR2 for a few reasons: (SPOILER ALERT if…
Know your lore: Brianna (The Last Handmaiden)
Brianna, also known as “The Last Handmaiden,” or simply “Handmaiden,” was a half-Echani fighter, and illegitimate daughter to the famous Echani General Yusanis and Jedi Master Arren Kae, who both fought in the Mandalorian Wars. She later served along with her five half-sisters as a handmaiden to Jedi Master Atris in the period following the Jedi Civil War. During her service to Atris at the Jedi Academy on Telos IV, Brianna met the Jedi Exile, and was subsequently tasked with accompanying her on her mission to seek out the Jedi Masters who survived the First Jedi Purge. As the Exile’s companion, Brianna helped battle against numerous adversaries, including the resurgent Sith. During the journey, Brianna trained the Exile in Echani techniques and eventually received Jedi training from the Exile in return, becoming one of first new members of the Jedi Order after the Purge. In accepting such training, however, she…