When a site like The Atlantic starts talking about Star Wars films, you know it’s serious. In what many are calling a lukewarm year for film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens just might be the one true hit of the year. In fact, it could have the potential to be the biggest movie ever. That’s a pretty tall order, but can The Force Awakens really measure up? The movie is already setting records for pre-opening ticket sales. It’s causing quite a stir in all circles and it seems like everywhere you go, someone is talking about it. You can read the full article to see what The Atlantic has to say about The Force Awakens as an Oscar contender but here is a snippet: It says something about 2015 that Spotlight, Thomas McCarthy’s small, powerful drama about journalism done right, is a perceived frontrunner to win the big prize, despite its lack of any epic visual flair. Spotlight would be…
SWTOR Black Friday Cartel market Sale Nov 26 to Nov 28
BioWare is having a Black Friday Cartel market Sale starting today on 12 pm CDT Nov 26 to 11 am CDT and run until Nov 28! All existing packs are 25% OFF. It’s that time of year, folks! #SWTOR’s Black Friday Cartel Market Sale begins tomorrow at 12pm CDT, and runs until 11am CDT Saturday. Get 25% off all existing Packs while you can! Posted by Star Wars: The Old Republic on Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Yoda could have been the main character in the force unleashed 2
When The Force Unleashed 2 brought back the character that is Starkiller, most fans were confused, even more so when the story turned out to be quite short. This story was not always the plan and the original ideas for the game would have had new characters and a completely different story. When a writer for Cinelinx had a conversation with the former LucasArts creative director, Haden Blackman, they became enlightened. The ending to the first Force Unleashed game, we saw Starkiller kill himself on Death Star during the battle against Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. His sacrifice allowed his friends to have a chance to escape and they went on to become the Rebellion as we know it today, until this was wiped out by the new canon. Once LucasArts let everyone know that Starkiller would be coming back for the sequel, many fans where very confused. The game…
Star Wars Battlefront Has More Players Online on PS4 Than PC and Xbox One Combined
Star Wars Battlefront has not been out very long and it looks like the PlayStation 4 is doing better than both the PC and Xbox One, when you look at current online players in Star Wars Battlefront. Surprisingly, the amount of current online players on PlayStation 4 is more than PC and Xbox One combined. Star Wars Battlefront Online Players PC: 19,889 (24h peak: 49,871) Xbox One: 50,573 (24h peak: 110,817) PlayStation 4: 98,254 (24h peak: 187,286) There are a possibility of a couple of reasons why the PlayStation 4 has more players than the Xbox One. PlayStation 4 has the biggest market share at the moment and EA had an exclusive deal with Sony. What is the most surprising is that PC players don’t seem to be as interested in Star Wars Battlefront. Maybe PC gamers aren’t very big fans of games that come from EA. The accuracy of…
BIG announcement during next Tuesday’s Producer Livestream (Dec. 1)
BioWare just announced that there will be a BIG announcement during next Tuesday’s Producer Livestream. We have no clue what it is yet, but I’m guessing it’ll be talk of a new pvp map or some sort of followup to the subscriber rewards survey thing where they tease some stuff that they’ll be giving out. What do you think it will be? Attention #SWTOR Subscribers! Prepare yourselves for a BIG announcement during next Tuesday’s Producer Livestream: http://bit.ly/1NPiUPT Posted by Star Wars: The Old Republic on Wednesday, 25 November 2015
First Shot from a Revan & Satele Shan Cosplay Shoot Done this Weekend
We love bringing you great Star Wars/ SWTOR cosplay and art so here we are with something awesome from So Say We All. The photographer is a fan of cosplay and has many great photos on his fanpage that we think you will like. For this one, however, we want to highlight a Revan and Satele Shan cosplay done recently. Wasn’t certain I could do this hand effect perfect but looks pretty good to me in the end 😛 .. this is a variation of… Posted by So Say We All on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 This is pretty awesome if you ask us. Here’s the description from the poster: Wasn’t certain I could do this hand effect perfect but looks pretty good to me in the end tongue emoticon .. this is a variation of the point in the cinematic where Satele stops a saber with the force, Bam. Cosplayers:…
PSA: Companion Healing Getting You Down? This Solution Will Amaze You
Do you play a healer in SWTOR? Whether you are a healer man, someone who just rolled one to check it out, someone who made one to fill a need in your guild, or even someone who dislikes healer, you should give this lighthearted post a read. This post by wadewilsonmd might give you a chuckle. You can see the post made over on Reddit and if you read through the comments, you’ll also see where wage explains why the post was made: Obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I jokingly made this post because all I do is level healers (well I’ve got a few DPS that I’m leveling now that I’ve got my healers past the class stories) and never got caught up in the companion nerf hubbub. I find the experience to be a lot of fun, but in the same way healing isn’t for everyone, neither is leveling healing….
Changes to the Cartel Market — Tuesday November 24 2015
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of November 24 – december 1 2015. New Items Price Helpful links WETLAND DEWBACK 2200 Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links CAVERN VARACTYL 1100 2200 +100% 2200
New SWTOR Maintenance: Fix Dead Bodies — Wednesday November 25
BioWare have identified an issue with the fix for the “dead bodies lining the streets” issue, and will need to deploy a fix for it. This downtime will occur tomorrow (November 25th) morning, at the same time as today: 5AM PST – 7AM PST (1PM – 3PM GMT). There won’t be a patch associated with it, as it’s just a server-side fix, but here is your “Server Fix Note”: The galaxy is no longer (and can no longer become) littered with the corpses of those who have fallen in battle. For real this time. Timezone(s) Start Time End Time UTC Offset Wellington November 26, 2015 02:00 am November 26, 2015 04:00 am +13:00 Australia/Sydney November 26, 2015 12:00 am November 26, 2015 02:00 am +11:00 Australia/Adelaide November 25, 2015 11:30 pm November 26, 2015 01:30 am +10:30 Australia/Brisbane November 25, 2015 11:00 pm November 26, 2015 01:00 am +10:00 Tokyo…
SWTOR Patch Notes 4.0.2a
Below are hte Patch Notes for patch 4.0.2a General Players who had items in their Legacy Bank beyond the first tab that were not properly updated in 4.0 can now log in. The galaxy is no longer littered with the corpses of those who have fallen in battle, but there may still be occasional instances of the issue occurring. Missions + NPCs Companion healing, damage, and base stats have been increased. Character Level and Companion Influence Level will determine the exact amount: Companion healing has been increased by approximately 48%. Companion damage has been increased by approximately 15%. Companion base stats have been increased by approximately 15%. Players are now able to start Class-specific Missions on Rishi. The order you speak to NPCs in Chapter IX can no longer stop progression.
Star Wars Battlefront Review List
Are you wondering what others are saying about Star Wars: Battlefront? Were you waiting on the release to see what others had to say before shelling out your own hard-earned cash on the game? You’re not alone. In fact, some fans are saying they are waiting until it’s been out for a bit to see if the price comes down, to see if there are any holiday sales to lower the price, and also to see what others are saying about the gameplay and longevity before they invest in it themselves. When looking to reviewers and critics to help you form your own opinions of a game you might be interested in playing, it’s important that you look at more than one review. Reviews are always biased (that is the point of a review) and there are many different factors that can play into a reason behind someone does or does not…
Star Wars at the AMAs
Last night everyone was talking about the American Music Awards (AMAs). I have to admit that I don’t really follow them. I know who all the performers are so I recognize them when I see the highlights scroll past my feed on social media but I don’t actually sit down and watch the AMAs. I’m just not that interested. I also don’t care what kind of face Nicki Minaj was making during the JLo performance. What I did find interesting was that there was a Star Wars performance at the AMAs. I can’t say I am surprised, really, with the mainstream popularity soaring due to The Force Awakens. Pentatonix is an American a cappella group consisting of five vocalists originating from Arlington, Texas. They performed a tribute of the original Star Wars theme and we also got to see Harrison Ford himself. As for the performance, they were backed by John…
New ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Footage
We now have less than four weeks before The Force Awakens releases in theaters. This is truly the final countdown. Are you as excited as we are? It seems like the whole world is excited! As we get closer to the big movie premiere, we’re probably going to continue to see teasers and ad spots. While we were told there will be no more official trailers, we are seeing regular TV spots and Internet ads and you can probably expect to continue seeing them right up to release. This weekend we got two new TV spots to advertise the film. One was premiered during the American Music Awards (Nov 22nd) just before the performance by Pentatonix. Here it is if you missed it: This one contained some pieces of old footage with some new footage spliced in. We see Rey and how she is waiting for her family. We hear words of…
Google Invites You to Choose Your Side
The crew at Google are big fans of Star Wars just like the rest of us. VP of Product Management, Clay Bavor made a great post today on the Google Blog telling us his own personal story of becoming a Star Wars fan. He goes on to tell us a little about the Star Wars fans behind the scenes at Google offices, and then he tells us about something really cool from Google, teamed up with Lucasfilm and Disney. You can find it at google.com/starwars. It’s a place for fans, by fans, and starting today you can choose the light or the dark side, and then watch your favorite Google apps like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome and many more transform to reflect your path. Here’s a snippet from today’s blog: It probably isn’t a surprise that there are tons of Star Wars fans like me here at Google. You can…
SWTOR Companion Balance Changes
Lead Designer Michael Backus, posted a lengthy forum post that details the companion balance changes they plan to do based on feedback. Check it out: Companion Balance Changes | 11.23.2015, 05:28 PM Hello, everyone. My name is Michael Backus, and I’m the Lead Designer for Star Wars: The Old Republic. I wanted to take a minute to apologize for the recent Companion changes and address combat balance. I wanted to do so personally because as fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic and our customers, we cherish your feedback and value all of you, and I feel you deserve to hear this information directly. I would like to go over why the changes were made, what we’ve learned, and what’s going to happen going forward. There’s a short summary at the bottom if you want to skip the Why’s and get to the What’s. Why the changes were made Combat balance…
Get to Know the New Star Wars Stars with These Movies and Shows
In addition to the stars we know and love—Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew—The Force Awakens includes a number of new names that you may not be familiar with. Before the new movie comes out in just under a month, do yourself a favor and take some time to get to know them! Because the new actors in the movie don’t have illustrious careers behind them, you may not have seen them yet; but they all have at least some credentials. Here are 16 movies and shows that will help you get to know the new faces: Ex Machina: Domnhall Gleason (General Hux) and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) both have amazing performances in this AI thriller. Game of Thrones: Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma) plays Brienne of Tarth, a loyal knight and companion; Jessica Henwick (Jessika Pava) also makes an appearance as Nymeria Sand. Blue Season: Daisy Ridley (Rey)…
SWTOR Alliance Missions Silenced Hurts Companion Reunions
Many fans of SWTOR are of the opinion that silent alliance missions are hurting companion reunions. Most agree that any class meeting a former companion should be fully voiced. Other classes can have the text options but it takes away from the overall experience of the companion reunion and for many, it makes them feel so emotionally unattached that it ruins the experience. Imagine meeting with a companion after a long absence. You express how much you miss them and how happy you are to see them again and he/she just stands there blank-faced. Yeah… it’s kind of a let-down. For many players, one huge appeal to SWTOR was the voice acting. The live scripting really brings the game to life and enhances the story. For many fans, it is the one thing at the top of the list when we tell friends why they should be playing this game….
EA Ups Sales Estimate for Battlefront
While The Force Awakens does not release until December, many fans awaiting something new Star Wars themed have jumped onto Star Wars: Battlefront to hold them over and help pass the time. One of the most eagerly awaited games of the year, EA had predicted sales of 9 to 10 million but have since upped that estimate to 13 million. NY Times reports: “While “Star Wars” games have a checkered reputation for quality and sales, the new game, published by Electronic Arts, has created a buzz with its photorealistic graphics. The game allows players to engage in pivotal battle scenes depicted in the three original “Star Wars” movies. Electronic Arts, emboldened by demand for Star Wars Battlefront, recently bumped up its sales estimate for the game during its current fiscal year to 13 million units, from a previous estimate of 9 million to 10 million. —Nick Wingfield” While this may be what EA…
Treek DPS at Influence 50
There has been much discussion about companion stats and whether or not they are too overpowered at level 50. Before we heard a lot of players asking not to ad level-sync. They wanted to be able to clear mobs with their companion, operate on “easy mode” and plow through things. But then we heard people complain, “It’s too easy” and ask for companions to be nerfed. Let’s take a look at level 50 Treek for some perspective. Treek Influence 50 What do you think? Is it overpowered? Should players be able to use their companions to essentially farm through content? They’d still have to level up the companion and gear them out to max for it to even work anyway. Yet some people are saying the comp stats are way too high. In some cases, the companion could have as much as 700% more health than the player character. Player…
Bespin Is Finally Unlocked in Star Wars: Uprising
Ever since Star Wars: Uprising was released on Android and iOS electronics around two months ago, it’s certainly gotten a loyal fan base of people who just want to free the Galaxy from Imperial enslavement. Of course they also want to collect all of the items, upgrade their crew and characters, and earn a ton of credits while they play. When the game was released it had five playable planets and they are Burnin Konn, Hoth, Anoat, Mataou, and Bespin. However, the fifth planet, Bespin, stayed out of every players reach. The game lets players have the chance to push the boundaries of where the story will go next. Every player has the opportunity to play five assault missions every day. When you repeatedly attack imperial settlements for a few days, the bar for “sector battles” will rise on each planet that is being attacked. Once the bar reaches its…
BioWare will announce changes to SWTOR companions on monday.
The BioWare devs have been going through the companion feedback, and will announce upcoming changes on Monday. Eric Musco just announced that BioWare have Hey folks, First off, we want to thank all of you for your feedback about Companion balance following 4.0.2. As we go into the weekend, we wanted you to know that we have gone through this thread, the forums, Reddit, and social media to gather everyone’s perspectives. We have come out of this with quite a few action items that we are going to take, including buffs for Companions. On Monday, we are going to release a forum post highlighting our plans to address current Companion balance, along with the state of Heroic Missions and Star Fortress. Thank you all once again for your feedback. -eric
George Lucas Explains Why He Doesn’t Want to Direct Any More ‘Star Wars’ Movies
A very long time ago, George Lucas was just an experimental filmmaker. However, once Star Wars came along, it took over Hollywood and Lucas’ life. The filmmaker says there will be no more and he is done. “You go to make a movie and all you do is get criticized,” Lucas told Vanity Fair. “People try to make decisions about what you’re going to do before you do it. It’s not much fun. You can’t experiment. You have to do it a certain way.” He went into more detail on his remarks to CBS News. “The issue was ultimately, they looked at the stories, and they said, ‘We want to make something for the fans,’ ” Lucas said, presumably referring to Disney, which purchased Lucasfilm — including the “Star Wars” franchise — in 2012.”People don’t actually realize it’s actually a soap opera, and it’s all about family problems; it’s not…
Awesome Dad Builds 23-Foot Death Star
So we’re not sure how his neighbors felt about it but we think this father is pretty awesome. For Halloween 2015, and in preparation for the release of Star Wars: Episode VII, Colby Powell and his kids build a 23-foot death star and placed it on the roof of their house. He says he plans to leave it up for sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas and then he might store it or sell it on eBay. He said he is also considering sending it to Burning Man. All construction on the death star began as a family project until it grew to a point too large for the kids to complete and he had to bring in some bigger guns. he reports that he also had people driving by who would stop and ask if they needed help and that about two dozen people contributed to the assembly without even knowing just…
New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Warps Into Action in 2017
There’s good news for all the Trekkies out there. Star Trek is making a return to TV in 2017! CBS Television Studios announced on November 2nd that a new “Star Trek” series will launch in January 2017, with the premiere episode airing on CBS’s television network. The series is still unnamed at this time but the rest of the episodes are to air on CBS All Access first. This is the first new Trek TV series in 12 years. Since Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled in 2005, fans have been waiting for something new to come along. “The brand-new ‘Star Trek’ will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966,” CBS representatives wrote in today’s announcement. Who is behind this new Trek-venture? The executive producer is Alex Kurtzman, a co-writer and…