I love to beta games. It’s been a hobby of mine since I was a young girl. As soon as I had my own gaming PC, I signed up for each and every beta I could get and I have found myself accepted to a great number of them. So when I heard that Pitchblack Games was seeking testers for a new HeroEngine MMO, I was intrigued. There’s really not a lot of information about the game yet, which as of now, has no title, but it seems like it’s really in the alpha-alpha stages of development and far from what you would call a beta test. Other than the potential Sci-Fi theme, it could be anything. They’re calling it an MMORPG and not an MMOFPS but that’s about all the hint we get as this stage in the game. So if you’re looking to get in on the ground…
The Best Alternative Star Wars Movie Posters
Last week or so, I mentioned in a post on Strong Stuff’s new retro Star Wars poster that the culture of fan-made alternate movie posters is one of my favourite developments of the internet era, and the article got me thinking. A while back, over at ObsessedWithFilm (where you can find my movie related ramblings) I compiled a list of the best alternative Pixar posters, and was surprised at the sheer number to be found online. That surprise was nothing compared with what I felt when I started getting down to the serious business of researching this column, as I uncovered and rediscovered hundreds (probably more like thousands in fact) of fan- and artist-made alternative Star Wars movie posters. This then, is the first fruit of that “research”. I plan this to be a regular column looking at the best in alternative Star Wars posters, some infamous, some we’ve seen…
Fan Site Summit screenshot collection.
At last weeks fan´site summit, all the attending websites was given there own unique screenshot to show on their website. Since it has been out for about a week I thought it was OK for us to post them here also. So for your viewing pleasure, I give you the complete collection of Fan site screens: ToR-Talks screenshot: Nikto on Nar Shaddaa SWTOR-UK got a screenshot of Coruscant TORWars shows off Balmorra SWTOR-Life shows of Nal Hutta? SWTOR-FR got a screenshot of Nar Shaddaa Torcast shows some Jedi vs. Sith combat SWTOR.eu got another screenshot of the same combat … And so did Darth Hater Old Rep.de got a nice screenshot of Nar Shaddaa … And so did Corellian Run Radio TORSyndicate got Trooper and Smuggler action … And so did Ask a Jedi And I think that’s it Via TorWars
Know your Lore: Queen Amanoa
Amanoa was the Queen of Onderon from 4,018 BBY until her death at the end of the Beast Wars between the rulers of Iziz and the Beast Riders from the planet’s wilderness. The wife of King Ommin and the mother of Galia, Amanoa’s reign saw drastic changes for Onderon’s role in the Galaxy. Together with her husband, Amanoa was beguiled by the specter of the long-dead Dark Lord Freedon Nadd, and became an apprentice of him in her final years. However, when she requested help from the Jedi Order in bringing the conflict on her planet to an end, Amanoa’s clandestine activities under Nadd’s tutelage came to light. Jedi Master Arca Jeth and his apprentices ultimately triumphed over the Dark Lord’s influence and helped to negotiate peace between the factions of the Beast Wars. The once-proud Queen of Onderon joined her Sith master in death and exile in a burial…
Countdown Begins For Star Wars Blu-ray Details
Proving that there’s somebody out there that can generate worse puns than me, Lucasfilm sent an e-mail message out over the weekend hinting that all the details of the Star Wars saga Blu-ray sets will be revealed on May fourth. The e-mail points to the “May the 4th Be With You – Star Wars Countdown page” on StarWars.com. Underneath the timer is the simple phrase “All Will Be Revealed.” To spare you the math, the exact day and time for the reveal is Wednesday, May 4 at 9am EST/6am PST. Thus far all we know about the Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray is all six films will be available in a single box set as well as the prequel and original trilogies in their own box sets. LucasFilm has also confirmed that all-new deleted scenes will be included and previewed one featuring Luke at the beginning of Return…
SWTOR Gets a Negative Preview from Bit-Tech
What’s that? A negative review for SWTOR? That’s right; you read it correctly. Who would dare such a thing? Bit-Tech has something to say about our beloved SWTOR. We’re all anxiously awaiting the game that promises to “keep players engaged” for hours on end. However, according to Bit-Tech, this may not be the case. In fact, they give SWTOR a negative preview and express disappointment in the game after forty-eight hours of solid play. You have to take notice with comments like “It’s plain and staid and deathly dull” and “it’s one of the most boring titles we’ve ever had to endure”. This is just two of the negative things that Bit-Tech had to say about Bioware’s new brainchild. It seems that one of the things that Bit-Tech believes makes it so bad is the fact that Bioware makes so many promises about how they have “infused a series of…
The User Interface of The Old Republic Explained
A few days ago we wrote a small post about what we know so far about the User interface of Star Wars: The old republic. Little did we know that BioWare will post a major update to the official blog of SWTOR, with new details on how the interface of the upcoming MMO has evolved during development. This new essay, penned by lead UI artist Michael Voigt, delves into how the dream-weavers at BioWare Austin strived to keep screen clutter to a minimum. We used the analogy of the cockpit of a steam locomotive compared to a modern sports car. The locomotive had indicators and dials jumbled in all corners of the cockpit and the sports car had a sleek driver dash containing all the necessary indicators in an organized layout… Our game features beautiful scenic vistas and we wanted the user interface to complement those and not take away…
Group Q&A Sessions with Developers Recaps
The embargo has been lifted from the Austin Fan Site Summit and people are talking! The Q&A session with developers is one of the most interesting pieces of revealed content so far. If you wanted to know more about SWTOR, then this is a don’t miss. The question and answer sessions covered a range of topics relevant to the developer answering questions at the time. Blaine Christine & Daniel Erickson are always fun to listen to and get you really excited about the game. Damion Schubert answers some other important questions but brings possible disappointment regarding some guild features. As part of a guild that is registered for SW:TOR I agree with others who were a little bummed that a guild leveling system (a-la WoW and LOTRO) doesn’t seem to be a top priority and instead is on the “board of cool things we’d like to…
SWTOR Sith Warrior Progression Trailer
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me. These are the emotions the Sith Warrior channels to purge weakness from his body and become a cold-blooded, Force-wielding wrecking machine. Check out the class progression overview for Sith Warriors below:
Existential Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope(Lessness)
A couple of days ago we received an email from YouTuber OneMinuteGalactica which was both unassuming and incredibly intriguing at the same time. Here, judge it yourself: Hi. I was just wondering if you’d be interested in linking to a new Star Wars video I posted. It’s sort of what Star Wars would be like if the dialogue had been written by the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Star Wars and Existentialism? I still can’t quite work out whether OMG is a genius or a wierdo, but his video certainly works, adding a typically Satrian darkness and bleakness to proceedings that fits quite well with the Dark Side’s overall ethos. OMG has re-dubbed a section of Episode IV: A New Hope in French, with Sartre’s philosophical musings appearing in English subtitles to accompany it. And the result is surprisingly fun for someone who mourns the pointless nature of existence. Obviously didn’t have…
The Guild Sphere: Jen’Jidai
This week I sat down with some of the members and leadership of Jen’Jidai” a hardcore RP guild covering PvP and PvE Where did your guilds name come from? Jen’jidai is Sithanese for “Dark Jedi” Can you give me a quick 2-3 sentence description of your guild? Jen’Jidai (Meaning Dark Jedi in ancient Sithanese) is a Sith based RP/PvP-PvE guild for the MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. This guild is a chapter of the multi-gaming network; Legend-Gaming. How did your guild come about? Due to the lack in choice of great MMORPG’s around the time of the MMO Darkfall’s inception, we were looking for the next big game. We then soon stumbled onto SW:ToR. What kind of play style do you focus on? PvE, PvP, RP? All three. What is your guild set up? How do you run your guild? Jen’jidai is a community first and foremost. With that…
BioWare Announces Jeff Hickman to be Executive Producer, Live Services
For those of you who have been wondering who will fill BioWare Austin’s Co-Studio General Manager Gordon Walton’s shoes, we now have an official answer. BioWare announced that Jeff Hickman will be Executive Producer of Live Services for SWTOR. During the Fan Site Summit event, Stephen Reid explained that Jeff Hickman joined BioWare to take on the role left open by Gordon Walton’s departure. Hickman is known for his roles in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and Dark Age of Camelot. However, some fans are concerned about his role in SWTOR after the somewhat flop of WAR and the early launch problems the game had. But maybe the skeptics are being just a little too tough on Hickman. I mean, WAR struggled for many more reasons than just that and Hickman was not solely responsible for the issues that happened anyway. He was just following orders on what he was…
First Embargo on the SWTOR Fan Site Summit Drops
This week could mean big news for SWTOR fans all over the globe as the first embargo on the SWTOR fan site summit drops this week. This means those site representatives who attended will be able to start posting information about what they experienced at the summit. Since there was a wide variety of people who attended, it should make for a good variety of opinions and viewpoints on the content from the summit and help all of us gain better insight into what we expect from the game. As we all anxiously await the release of SWTOR, any news is good news at this point and fans will scramble for even the tiniest bit of new information about the game. So what can we expect from the first embargo dropping? It sounds like we will see information on the content that was played at the event, which will include…
LucasArts licenses Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games
In a press release by GamaSutra, it was announces that LucasArts signs a multi-year, studio-wide Unreal Engine 3 Licensing Agreement from Epic Games. The press release states: LucasArts and Epic Games, Inc. announce a long-term, studio-wide agreement for LucasArts to develop multiple projects using Epic Games’ award-winning Unreal Engine 3 for the engine’s supported platforms. “”Unreal Engine 3 is a forward-looking solution that shortens the path between inspiration and execution on a wide variety of gaming platforms,” said Zak Phelps, director of technology at LucasArts. “We are thrilled to add another exceptional tool to our technology mix.” “”LucasArts is now primed to capitalize on Unreal Engine 3’s ability to scale across platforms, from mobile, through PC and console all the way up to the next generation of games,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “”We can’t wait to see what happens when LucasArts combines their talented workforce and…
May The Pork Be With You: Here Comes the Star Wars Porn Parody
The world of the Porn Parody has long held the distinction of featuring some of the greatest, and most creative titles in the entire movie industry landscape. Everyone knows the legend of such tongue-in-cheek (among other body parts) titles as Shaving Ryan’s Privates and Edward Penishands, and now something is even more exciting is happening in the world of filth. A couple of years back, Kevin Smith’s Zack & Miri Make A Porno focused on Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks’ attempt to make a Star Wars based porn flick, and now it seems that reality is about to mimic art with the release of a real XXX parody of George Lucas’ franchise. And it’s in lurid 3D no less! The news comes as star Kylie Ireland posted this photo of the construction of a landspeeder on the set – though to me it looks a lot like someone’s just stuck…
Will SW:TOR Release Be Announced at E3?
Stephen Reid, Senior Online Community Manager for SW:TOR answers a forum question regarding more release date debate. GamewizX was trying to locate a quote from Reid regarding the release date announcement and a possibility of a connection to E3. Who would then pop into the thread to clear up the confusion? Why, none other than Stephen Reid himself: “Or I could just say it for you right here. I seem to recall I was trying to address the idea that the ‘only’ time a release date would be announced would be at a major show (this was pre-PAX). I have no idea where this idea started, but it’s not a definitive suggestion. It’s just a possibility. That said, if we chose to announce a release date at any show, E3 would be a good choice, as it’s probably the most high-profile games industry show on the calendar. (It’s not the…
Facebook Image Of The Week #10
You know how I know that you know that it’s wednesday?? BioWare is updating the official Facebook page with a new screenshot of Star Wars: The old republic – That’s how! This time we get to see Han Solo and Chewbacca shoot down an Imperial probe droid on Hoth. Han diden’t hit it that hard, so it must have had a self destruct mechanism… Oh wait. That’s much later in the story. Here is the real description: This Jedi Knight silences yet another security Droid as he approaches a Separatist stronghold on Ord Mantell.
SWTOR Fan art by StandAlone-Complex
I like all things dark. Dark and stuff full of tension. I love it when I get an adrenaline kick watching a movie or a picture. Maby that’s also why I love Star Wars so much. So In todays column I would like to put the spotlight on StandAlone-Complex. This guys has it all. Darkness. Tension and incredible detail. Check out his deviantart profile here for some truly impressive work. Inevitable Death Ambush Twilek Sith Sar’Qeush Akla
Angry Star Birds: Episode II: Imperial Pigs
Here, as promised is Part 2 of the Angry Star Birds line-up (brought to you via the excellent Bite.ca), this time dedicated to the Dark Side of the Force, otherwise known as the Imperial Pigs. It is incredibly difficult to resist the charms of these mashed-up characters, or to admire the brains behind their creation. My personal favourite is the Boarba Fett variation, and I have to say I’m more than a little tempted to take up Bite.ca’s offer to purchase it on a T-shirt from RedBubble. Feast your eyes on these…
Angry Star Birds: Episode I: Angry Rebels
Considering the level of unprecedented success that Rovio Mobile’s iPhone App “Angry Birds” has had since flying into Apple App Stores in December 2009, it was only a matter of time before the art transcended the medium it was released to. Forget the 100,000,000 plus downloads and the lucrative related merchandise lines; the moment Angry Birds really became mainstream was earlier this month when Bite.ca created their own Star Wars/Angry Birds mash-up. Because everyone knows that success is only judged by proximity to the Star Wars universe. Anyway, without further ado, below is the first half of Bite.ca’s Angry Star Birds mash-up line-up (split in two because it originally came in two installments, and because doing it all in one go might devalue some of the images, and to do so would be criminal).
Unofficial Q&A with Damion Schubert
Many of us assumed the thread would go unanswered but much to our surprised, Damion Schubert decided to answer in full, thorough details what a typical day is like for him. In case you missed the thread, here are some highlights of the impromptu “interview”: So I was wondering, at this stage in development, what’s a typical day in the life at Bioware Studios? “The answer to this question is going to vary wildly and dramatically based on who you ask, so I’ll answer only for me – keep in mind that my role and position is pretty unique in the team, as I both manage a team of systems designers who do itemization, maps, crew skills and other features, as well as act as a primary liaison from design to several programming teams (yes, that’s plural). So for me, my day is usually a combination of: Meetings, and lots of…
One million subscribers are attainable for SWTOR says analyst
What do you think? Will SW:TOR make one million subscribers or are they counting their chickens before they hatch? Personally, I think the 1 mill mark is very attainable but the real question is whether or not they will hold that many subscribers over time. How many MMOs have launched with high expectations and then fallen flat on their faces? (Think Warhammer and Age of Conan) I’m not expecting SW:TOR to join this list of overhyped MMOs but maybe I’m just holding high hopes as a big fan. We’ll have to wait until Fall to know for certain. While there is no definitive release date of the game, it is announced that it will be complete and ready for launch later this year. (We hope!) At the Electronic Arts fourth-quarter shareholders’ conference earlier this year, CEO John Riccitiello stated this about his soon-to-be-released MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic: “At…
The Guild Sphere – Prime Defense
This week I sat down with some of the leadership from Prime Defense, a PvE focused Republic guild with close ties to their guildies. Hope you enjoy the Interview. Where did your guilds name come from? Our guild name consists of two words. Prime as in top quality, best or perfection and defense as in defenders of the galaxy. Can you give me a quick 2-3 sentance description of your guild? Prime Defense is an active and tight knit community filled with members from around the world. We strive to provide a relaxed environment where members can hang out and get to know each other while still retaining a serious attitude in game while running PVE instances or participating in tactics based PVP. How did your guild come about? Our guild was born from another community that went under the name The Royal Echani. During the summer of 09, the…
The Best Star Wars Twitterers: Empire Edition
Billions of people now use Twitter – sadly, most of them just to massage their own egos and pointlessly try and collect as many followers as possible without using their influence for any good or even for entertainment value, but look hard enough and there are some ripe choices in amongst there. And it seems that the Star Wars universe is as well represented in the land of tweets as the real world is, with an impressive array of characters from every time-period of the many-faceted franchise. A lot of those characters are humorous versions of those we see on screen, and it is my aim to introduce you lot to the cream of the crop of these fictional but very real Twitterers. So, to start with – Series One if you like – are a handful of malignant foes, either fully paid-up members of the Empire or at…