Since the announcement of the next Star Wars Battlefront game, many have been wondering if it will tie in to Episode VII and in what ways. We now have a new report Star Wars Underworld has this to say: Executive Vice President of EA Studios Patrick Soderlund recently spoke about how the game may or may not be connected the the upcoming film: “We’ve shown parts of the game to date. You know what were building is more rooted in the traditional Star Wars universe, not so much linked to the movie being made.” He continues, “We wanted to make a game that celebrates the history of Star Wars. We don’t have a particular tie to the movie, but obviously we would prefer to launch Battlefront sometime close to when the movie launches,” This is not a definite shut down of the idea but it looks like we won’t be seeing any maps, characters…
other starwars games
Video Game Franchises and a Star Wars Legacy
While recording a podcast for my gaming community tonight, we were discussing E3 this year and the announcements that were made. An interesting topic came up; one that I think could use a little more exploration. Basically, we were talking about video game franchises and in particular, franchises that include more than just a line of video games. We have many popular game franchises that started off as movies, comics or books. And there are some that were later turned into movies and books and even TV shows. When a title takes off like this, we are looking at much more than just a series of games. What we’re really looking at is a brand. And the developers who create these games want to keep the fans interested in their brand. They want to take those loyal gamers and turn them into lifelong fans. However, this tactic is not as…
Worst Star Wars Gaming Experiences
We’ve talked about the best Star Wars games here lately but let’s take some time to look at some of the worst. Here are some Star Wars games that were considered flops: Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing – Arcane-style karting game but it wasn’t what fans were looking for Star Wars Kinect – A good idea gone horribly wrong? Star Wars: Force Commander – Star Wars RTS, what can go wrong? This one just wasn’t developed enough before release Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi – Remains at the top of nearly every list of “Worst Star Wars games ever Star Wars Demolition- Star Wars skinned “Twisted Metal” knockoff that didn’t quite work out Do you have any you’d add to the list? It’s important when talking about our worst Star Wars gaming experiences that we remember that without the worst, we would not have the best. It takes failures,…
DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront – Something for the Fans to Really Look Forward to
Star Wars gamers and fans of the movies/universe are certainly living in exciting times these days. While they do not currently have much available to them gaming-wise, they certainly have great things to look forward to and to be excited about. There’s a lot on the horizon for fans of the cult classic, and even though it is now certain 2014 won’t bring them the fulfillment and joy only a well-put together Star Wars game of movie can deliver, 2015 looks promising, at least according to EA’s Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen, who said at the annual shareholders’ meeting of the company that Star Wars: Battlefront would indeed be released during the second or third quarter of 2015. The stormy history of the title and the speculation sparked by the game’s introduction at E3 in June, 2013 (trough a ~30-second intro), don’t exactly paint a clear or even relevant picture…
The History of Star Wars Games
If you are a gamer fan and a Star Wars fan then there is a good chance you have seen and heard many things about the history of Star Wars games. You’ve probably played quite a few of these games for yourself. Perhaps you even have a hard time deciding which of these new Star Wars games you should try and which ones are just not worth your time. You won’t be the first person to wonder this since there are so many new titles being tossed around today. But we talk of Star Wars games, we have to take a look back at the history of this franchise and the games that have sprung from it and for that, we go back to 1982. Gamespot really gives us a good breakdown of the history of Star Wars games in this first part of a 2-part feature on the subject. Here…
EA Should Use These Star Wars Games as Inspiration
We all know that EA is a big leader in Star Wars video games. With the new canon, we know that they can also do pretty much anything they want in terms of story and put a Star Wars spin on it. But is this really the best way to do it? Are we steering too far away from what made us all fans in the first place- the original story and movies? What if new Star Wars games complemented the new movies coming out? cinelinx tells us what they think EA should use as inspiration for future Star Wars games: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Star Wars Starfighter for the PS2 Star Wars Republic Commando Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (no complaints from us on this one) They go on in their article to explain why they think these games are the best representation…
Disney Cancels Star Wars: Attack Squadrons
And another Star Wars game bites the dust. If you were planning to suit up for your X-wing, you might be disappointed at this news. Unfortunately, Disney has cancelled Star Wars: Attack Squadrons and fans everyone are left wondering why. Disney Interactive has halted development and testing on its new PC-only, combat sim game, Star Wars: Attack Squadrons. They have this to say: We want to thank all of the fans who participated in the closed beta of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons,” Disney Interactive posted this week on its Facebook page and official site. “After much consideration, we have decided to cease development so that we can focus on other Star Wars game experiences. We truly appreciate the time you spent engaging in the beta.” We first heard about the game in Dec of 2013 and while it has seemed like slow going, it was supposed to feature ships that users could mod,…
Star Wars Battlefront Confirmed For E3 2014
Electronic Arts plans to showcase Star Wars: Battlefront, at this years E3. EA CEO Andrew Wilson broke the news during an investor call last week. In response to a request for an update on EA’s slate of Star Wars titles, Wilson said it expects to reveal more about the new Battlefront “and other new projects in development” at the annual game expo. EA announced the new Frostbite-powered Star Wars: Battlefront at last year’s E3, in the form a brief teaser trailer seemingly set on Hoth. The company expects to release the game, one of the first in its exclusive publishing agreement with Disney, next year. Other Star Wars titles are in development at EA-owned studios Visceral Games and BioWare. Star Wars: Battlefront will most likely come out around the same time the Star Wars movies start to come out, probably in the last quarter of 2015, just around the same…
May the 4th: iTunes Star Wars Games Sale 66% Off
What is one of the best things about May the 4th? Well, there are usually some great deals on Star Wars stuff. This time, we have a great deal to share with you. Aspyr and the Mac App Store are celebrating this holiday (for Star Wars fans) of May the 4th by discounting the five top Mac Star Wars game titles for Mac users. So come celebrate May the 4th and Star Wars with these great sales: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, $3.40 (9.99) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition, $6.80 (19.99) Star Wars: Empire at War, $7.99 (19.99) Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, $3.40 (9.99) Star Wars: Jedi Knight Academy, $3.40 (9.99) Those are some incredible prices for some fantastic games. You can get each one for under $10, a couple of them under $5. It doesn’t get any better than that. You…
Todd Stashwick Co-Writing Visceral’s Star Wars Game
Writer and actor Todd Stashwick will co-write Visceral Games’ Star Wars project alongside ex-Naughty Dog creative director Amy Hennig. Hennig tweeted yesterday, “Thrilled to announce that my friend @ToddStashwick will be joining me as co-writer on the Star Wars project for @VisceralGames @EA!” Thrilled to announce that my friend @ToddStashwick will be joining me as co-writer on the Star Wars project for @VisceralGames @EA ! — Amy Hennig (@amy_hennig) April 11, 2014 You might know Stashwik’s voice, if anything because he narrated the teaser trailer of the upcoming Uncharted for PS4. Visceral announced Hennig as creative director and writer of its Star Wars game earlier in April. The idea itself is already exciting. Merging two opposite but cooperative minds could be the best for the Star Wars Game. All those who have been living with Luke Skywalker and the rest of the cast will have more ways to be with…
Footage from cancelled Star Wars game shows Darth Maul in action
Video game developer Red Fly Studios and publisher LucasArts were working on a new Star Wars based Darth Maul video game experience in 2010, which was supposed to expand the gameplay mechanics that were introduced in The Force Unleashed. Footage of the game has emerged online and sources are saying that the game was designed to initially be launched only on the Wii U by the same team that handled the port for Star Wars: The Force Unleashes II. LucasArts was impressed with the initial development work done by Red Fly Studios and decided to also greenlight the title for the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Prototypes were being created in late 2010 using Darth Maul and his unique double-sided lightsaber as the core feature, but it seems that George Lucas intervened in order to add a cooperative element to the title, with the inclusion of Darth…
Electronic Arts Names Amy Hennig Creative Director For ‘Star Wars’ Project
Steve Papoutsis, the Vice President and General Manager at Visceral Games had some important news to share recently. Amy Hennig was named creative director for their upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Project. Here is some of what he had to say about the announcement:
New Star Wars Video Game out Today: Star Wars: Assault Team
Disney Mobile has just launched Star Wars: Assault Team, a brand new collectable card game (CCG) set in the “Star Wars” universe, on the App Store. You can pick up the new application free of charge now and it’s optimized for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Developed in parntership with LucasArts, the game allows iOS device users to build up a deck of cards featuring their favorite characters from the popular space opera franchise, and to do battle against the Galactic Empire. The app’s storyline is set between “Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope” and “Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back,” and in its release notes, Disney explains: Infiltrate enemy fleets and outsmart your opponents in exciting, face-to-face combat. Embark on epic missions to escape from enemy ships, find the Wookiee resistance, survive ambushes on the streets of Mos Espa, and much more! Fight for ultimate…
EA Plans to Model Star Wars Games after Batman Arkham Series
Reports and interviews coming out say EA plans to model their Star Wars games after the Batman Arkham series. “We’re not trying to build a game that replicates the storyline of any particular film,” says EA boss. EA is telling the fans we shouldn’t expect the upcoming Star Wars games to be based directly on the Star Wars films themselves. Instead, EA will approach it in the same way that Warner Bros. did with the Batman Arkham series. Basically they are not planning to build a game that copies any particular storyline of the films. Instead, they are going to take the core roots of the IP and create an additional interactive experience that fans can enjoy. This is interesting because it also gives the more flexibility with what they do with the games. Remember EA acquired the Star Wars license exclusively last May and it will last for at…
DICE Stockholm Continues Development on Star Wars Battlefront
We have some good news regarding Star Wars Battlefront 3! The latest news on the release date is positive and after the past few quiet months, this is an exciting turn for the game. DICE developers have been deep in it working n BF4 issues and bugs but after the LA and Stockholm studios came together to get it all under control, we might see them focusing their efforts back on Star Wars Battlefront 3. The worst seems to be over and staff are back to working on the Star Wars: Battlefront 3 release date, which is expected sometime in 2015. Sounds like they may be intentionally planning it around the same time the new Star Wars movies will start coming out. iDigital Times tells us more: The news about DICE Stockholm’s renewed focus on Star Wars: Battlefront 3came by way of Reddit. During a discussion on Battlefield 4 DLC, a DICE rep told fans that the…
Star Wars Retro games: Force Commander
Force Commander is LucasArts second attempt at creating a Star Wars based strategy game for the PC, their first attempt was Rebellion. In Force Commander you play as Brenn Tantor a young Imperial field commander. The game starts with 3 training missions followed by a further ten mission for the Imperials. You then see the light and in the next thirteen missions you play for the Rebels. The training missions take you through the basics of the game system, and this is very important since they are quite hard to get to grips with. You need to learn how to work the BHCI (Battlefield Holographic Control Interface), this consists of the control panel at the bottom of the screen and the view of the battlefield above it. The view is in full 3D and you can see the units making their way across the terrain. The 3D view is one…
KOTOR 3 Fan Game In Development
KOTOR is still today one of the most popular Star Wars games ever made and the irony of it is that when it was first announced, many people questioned the fact that Star Wars would make an RPG and that it would be any good. Imagine the surprise once fans got to check out this amazing game?
Star Wars Retro games: Yoda Stories
They don’t make games like these anymore. It isn’t overly complicated or terribly pretty by today’s standards, but that’s the source of it’s charm. It is exactly now what it was then: a desktop game, a way to fill an hour or so between work projects or homework. The adventures are randomly generated, the dialogue is humorous, and the game itself brings an innocence and nostalgia back to a period that has otherwise largely lost it. For a Star Wars game, it captures the feel of the movies in a way that many modern games with the same license don’t. Why? Because the material, too, evokes a more innocent time, back before special editions or blu ray edits. It’s Star Wars as it used to be, as so many of us grew up with. As part of Lucasarts’ Desktop Adventure Series, players take control of Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker, as he…
George Lucas Wanted Boba Fett to Lead Star Wars 1313
I Think most people agree with me that Star Wars 1313 could have been an awesome game. Everything about it just looked so cool. But unfortunately we all know the game will never happened. Mainly due to poor management by Lucasarts. Today we learned some more about what happened behind the scenes. Just a few weeks before Star Wars 1313 was official announced, George Lucas himself told the developers he wanted the game to be about Boba Fett and not the protagonist we saw at E3. This of course created some what of a dilemma, as there were no Boba Fess assets ready before the public got a first glimpse of the game. Check out this great write-up over at Game Informer the downfall of “Star Wars 1313″ and LucasArts, headlined “Fall Of The Empire: How Inner Turmoil Brought Down LucasArts.” Here’s an excerpt about Boba Fett in particular being…
Star Wars Retro games: Masters of Teras Kasi
The concept of a Star Wars fighting game is definitely an exciting one. Even less-than-rabid fans of the series have to agree that the thought of conducting epic light saber battles definitely sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, Masters of Teras Kasi fails on many levels, resulting in a game that could have been incredible but instead is filled with disappointment. The storyline takes place after the destruction of the first Death Star. The Emperor’s growing annoyance at having been unable to crush the Rebel forces that are responsible, presses Darth Vader to enlist the aid of Arden Lyn, Master of the ancient fighting art, Teräs Käsi. Teräs Käsi draws its energy from the Force, which increases the powers of the Jedi. However, those who dismiss the Force as a “hokey religion”, are able to pick basic combatants (Such as Han Solo or Boba Fett) and fight alongside their allies….
Star Wars Retro games: Star Was Monopoly
Hasbro Interactive’s Star Wars Monopoly is a fully animated interactive PC version of Parker Brothers’ 1997 Monopoly board game, albeit with the 20th Anniversary “Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition” twist. Although the rules remain the same as the classic Monopoly game and the goal still is to buy up as many properties as possible and not becoming bankrupt, the setting is no longer Earthbound (as in Atlantic City) but the Star Wars galaxy from the Classic trilogy. In Star Wars Monopoly, one can either play solo against the computer’s artificial intelligence (AI), other human players (the “hot seat” option), or on the Internet through such portals as the MSN Game Zone. (Players who install this game will notice it will later show up on their MSN or Windows Messenger as an additional option.) While it’s always more fun to play against other people, the solo player game can be very…
Limited Early Access To Star Wars Assault Team Mobile Device Game
Disney Interactive posted an update regarding Star Wars Assault Team – A new Mobile Device Game. The game will have a limited early release in select international on iOs and Android devices. They also revealed that the game is a “turn-based combat game for mobile devices with strategy and card-battle elements. Disney Interactive, in partnership with LucasArts, has announced limited early access to Star Wars™: Assault Team, a new turn-based combat game for mobile devices with strategy and card-battle elements. Collect classic characters from the Rebel Alliance and more to defeat enemies and players across the galaxy. Strategically deploy the team’s special tactics to battle through new graphically enhanced missions set throughout Star Wars™planets and locations from the original trilogy. Star Wars: Assault Team’s limited early access is being offered in select international markets on iOS and Android with the game rolling out globally this spring for iOS, Android and…
New Star Wars Assault Team Mobile Device Game announced
Lucasfilm just announced via the official Star Wars Twitter account, a new Star Wars video game coming to iOS, Android, and Windows 8 devices. The game will be titled ‘Star Wars: Assault team, and is due for a release sometime this spring. Prepare your mobile devices! Star Wars: Assault Team is rolling out for #iOS, @Android & #Win8 devices this spring. pic.twitter.com/UoW9yHYH5P — Star Wars (@starwars) January 28, 2014 It’s unknown who the developer of this game is, but this is the second game Lucasfilm and Disney announced since Lucasarts was shut down. The fist game was Star Wars: Attack Squadrons that was announced back in December. While EA have the rights to all Star Wars video games for console and computers Disney can develop own Star Wars games or licencing them out on other platform.
Sony to Shut Down Free Realm, Vanguard and Clone Wars
Sony Online Entertainment announced that they be closing down four ongoing MMORPGs: Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Wizardry Online. Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures servers will shut down on March 31, while Vanguard and Wizardry servers will stop on July 31 Lack of interest is the reason for the Free Realms, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes closures. A Sony representative told Kotaku that all three no longer have the pull they once did. The player population has been decreasing over the years, and it’s just a case of these things happening. However, Sony did not offer a reason for the shutting down of Wizardry Online, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it was for similar reasons. Wizardry isn’t exactly the most popular series around. Michele Cagle wrote in a statement: At Sony Online Entertainment, we are always evaluating our portfolio to ensure…