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 TROOPS and the most surreal Star Wars footage since the Holiday Special.

Star Wars at Burger Chef
Hollywood tie-ins to soft drink and fast food merchandising began here. This is the legendary commercial from 1977 that started it all. It features R2-D2, C-3PO, Darth Vader, Stormtroopers and other classic Star Wars creatures all vying for free Star Wars posters at Burger Chef. The posters were given away with the purchase of a large Coca-Cola product.

STAR WARS Drunk Driving PSA Commercial
PSA featuring the creatures of the Star Wars Cantina in the famous "Friends don't let friends drive drunk" campaign. This was produced for the US Dept of Transportation in 1979.

NES - Star Wars Commercial
Here's an interesting NES ad if I ever saw one. In this spot a pair of normal parents are enjoying a quiet evening with their daughter while upstairs, their two sons are engaged in the Star Wars NES game. Suddenly the house is invaded by Stormtroopers, led by Darth Vader. Apparently Darth isn't too happy about the Star Wars game so he's come to put an end to it. While the boys continue on, their mom tries to keep Vader from entering their room. Soon the kids beat the game and Darth Vader blows up, and all Mom gets is a sarcastic remark from her ungrateful sons.

You have to admit that's one gutsy mother, standing up to the Lord of the Sith himself.

Star Wars Anti Smoking Ad
I don't quite remember when this commercial was shown, but my suspicions are that it aired around 1983 or 1984. By far the funniest of the Star Wars commercials, C-3PO enters a control room and finds R2-D2 smoking a cigarette. C-3PO tells Artoo how bad smoking really is, and that he wouldn't be a good example for others, upon which Artoo rids himself of it, and agrees upon it.

According to Anthony Daniels, this commercial was supposed to be revived on television in 1997. At the last moment, the organization decided that it promoted the Star Wars Special Editions, so unfortunately the entire idea was scrapped.

Currys & PC World Megastores TV Ad
C-3PO and R2-D2 have returned to our screens to promote Dixon Retail's chain of Currys & PC World Megastores - "the greatest electrical store in the galaxy," apparently.

In the full-length 'director's cut' of the new TV advert, you can watch the robotic duo explore the floor of a megastore, marvelling at flatscreen televisions, washing machines and digital cameras, among other products.

Predictably, C-3PO gets in a camp tizzy when he briefly loses his companion, and the ad even manages to squeeze in mentions of the forthcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 DVD and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game.

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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 the fight, the Operative is able to identify the needs of any situation and react accordingly.

Agents will also have access to an X-70B Phantom-Class Prototype starship

The starships of the Imperial Navy are the product of centuries of military research and development. The Empire designed its fleet to destroy the Republic as quickly and efficiently as possible. During the years of the Great War, however, the Empire refined its design strategies. Co-opting newly discovered technologies and revising blueprints according to lessons learned, Imperial engineers built a new generation of starships. First among these, Imperial Intelligence commissioned the X70B-Phantom—the most low-profile, high-tech starship the galaxy has ever known. From its radar-resistant sleek exterior paneling to the next-generation navigation systems, the Phantom is so far ahead of its time that mass production would never be possible. More likely, the experimental prototypes built so far will be designated for critical Intelligence missions, and entrusted only to the most professional and responsible Imperial Agents.

I must say that I'm really liking the sound of the Imperial Agent class. It's definitely going to be my class if I play Empire. In fact, I'm considering switching my main to it (though the lure of the lightsaber is strong). I mean, I just love the sleek design of that ship, just look at it:

Last but not least, the Imperial Agent get's a deadly Rattataki companion named Kaliyo Djannis. For at least a decade, she's worked as a freelance enforcer and assassin for a half-dozen criminal syndicates, served time in prison, and kept close ties to a violent anarchist cell. Whether she's genuinely political or just in it for the thrills, nobody seems to know.

The CorSec criminal report for Kaliyo Djannis contains a pixelated holoimage showing a top Exchange gangster with his arm draped affectionately around a tiny Rattataki woman. In one hand, the woman is triumphantly hoisting an assault rifle; with the other, she's lifting a wine bottle to her associate's lips.

The image is labeled "Kaliyo Djannis and Vanus Cruor--First Meeting."

Thanks to contradictory accounts, Kaliyo's personal history is murky at best. For at least a decade, she's worked as a freelance enforcer and assassin for a half-dozen criminal syndicates, served time in prison, and kept close ties to a violent anarchist cell. Whether she's genuinely political or just in it for the thrills, nobody seems to know.

Only when firepower fails Kaliyo does she fall back on her charm--and the underworld does seem to find her dangerously charming. Jilted associates describe her as manipulative, while other colleagues remain infatuated long after her departure. Regardless, anyone working with or against Kaliyo should be extremely cautious--no one walks away from the Rattataki unscathed.

Oh, and George Zoeller had a quite note on the forums about the Agent's healing ability compared to the Smuggler's:

Agents and smugglers are equally capable on the healing front.

And that's it. Have a happy Halloween. 

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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.

 

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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 marks the third year in a row that layoffs have hit EA near the holiday season. EA would not confirm which studios have been affected, but according to Shacknews's source, EA Canada and EA Black Box were named and the teams behind NBA Elite 11 and Skate 3 as well as employees from the EA Sports Active teams were also impacted. Stay tuned and we'll update when we have more and if any of the MMOG teams have been cut by the layoffs.

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While we wait : 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 include Dagobah, the Death Star II, Jabba's Palace, and Endor. Throughout the film, these two realities are intermixed to produce an alternate reality.

Versions
For many years, the only confirmed copy of Return of the Ewok lay in Warwick Davis' own home entertainment center. This copy has been said by Davis to have been frequently shown to only close family, friends, and colleagues. Despite viewings of the film by those close to him, he had never shown the film publicly, and many fans had never even heard of it until 1996, when Davis mentioned it in an interview for the Star Wars Insider magazine. Davis publicly screened the film at the first Star Wars Celebration in 1999, and was also screened at Celebration II in 2002, and at Celebration III in 2005.

The original 16 mm print was said to be lost; according to Davis, his VHS copy is the only one in existence. However, a copy of the print, or even the original print, may actually reside in the Lucasfilm archives. Evidence of this was shown on the 2004 DVD release of the Star Wars Original Trilogy. A clip from the film of Wicket being chased by Boba Fett on the Death Star was included as part of the Easter egg of bloopers from the trilogy. It appeared in a widescreen format in good quality, suggesting that it had been preserved.

In April 2005, approximately four minutes of the film was made available on the official Star Wars website for members of Hyperspace, the official fan club, to download and view after the film was shown at Celebration III. Davis said at the convention that he loaned his VHS tape to Lucasfilm, who made a digital copy of it, and since it was the best known copy, that it was the source for the Hyperspace clip. The copy online at StarWars.com shows minimal amount of cleanup, and the soundtrack has been altered in several places. Where the original film used Supertramp's "Take The Long Way Home," the online version substitutes incidental music to avoid copyright clearance issues. Dialogue has also been changed - in one example, Wicket's cry of "Crikey, it's Lord Vader!" near the end of the film has been excised.

Unlike its counterpart mockumentary, R2-D2: Beneath the Dome, Return of the Ewok has not yet been officially released on DVD or any other format. Davis has reportedly stated that a future release is "possible."

Bootlegs
In 2004, a recording of the entire film was put on eBay by someone who attended a screening, but the auction was pulled because the copy was reportedly given to the seller under strict agreement that it was not to be copied or sold. At least two people are alleged to have filmed it at Celebration II, but their copies have yet to surface. Although the film was also screened in the Pop Culture room at 2005's Celebration III, no illicit recordings have yet surfaced.

The best known quality bootleg of the entire movie is a fan preservation project created in May 2005, a collaboration between Garrett Gilchrist of California and SKot Kirkwood [sic] of Texas. Their DVD version combines footage taken from the clip on StarWars.com, combined with a camcorder recording of the movie from one of its public showings, as well as clips culled from other sources, such as a brief excerpt shown on VH1. Gilchrist digitally cleaned up portions of the video and audio, then combined and edited the footage from different sources together to reconstruct the film. At 25 minutes, this version is slightly longer than the original, with Gilchrist adding his own opening and ending credits.

The first UK screening of this movie was at Empire Day 3 in Watford, England in 1996. A later showing was at the National Space Centre in Leicester for the Star Wars day convention on November 12 2005. It was presented by Warwick Davis and also included a question-and-answer session afterward.

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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.

If you’re familiar Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, one of the things that we showed was how the dark side started to corrupt you. Your appearance started to change, your flesh started to age and become more like Palpatine from the movies, and your abilities started to change as well. This also occurs in The Old Republic.

Another thing that I found interesting was his comments about combat:

It’s a rule-based system, so you don’t have to have good hand-eye coordination or anything like that.

I really hope it won't be as bad as World of Warcraft, but it is not a major issue for me.

You can also pick up the new issue digitally over at Zinio.com.

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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, much like how Ikrit did in a similar situation, thousands of years later. Andur's spirit then instructed Nomi to continue to Ambria and take his place as Master Thon's apprentice. Though she had no intention of becoming a Jedi she followed her husband's last instructions. She flew to Ambria and after searching found the humble ranch of the Jedi Master

Despite her original wishes and fear of the imposing Thon, she finally accepted her destiny as a Jedi and the training of the Tchuukthai Jedi Master. She was joined in her training by Oss Wilum, who had already been training with Thon for five years. Shortly after Nomi arrived Oss was called to Onderon to aid Arca Jeth in keeping peace there. Nomi and Vima were left alone with Thon on desolate Ambria. He gave her his lightsaber as a gift and she used it to defend her master's home when Bogga's men arrived and once again demanded the Adegan crystals. She spent many months with him on Ambria and progressed in her training at an astonishing rate especially given her age, which was much older than the typical age of a padawan. Thon then brought Nomi to the Jedi world of Ossus where Vodo-Siosk Baas instructed her in lightsaber construction. On Ossus, she met and became friends with fellow Jedi Shoaneb Culu, Kith Kark, Qrrrl Toq, and Dace Diath. She and her new friends were sent to Onderon shortly after meeting to aid in the suppression of the Freedon Nadd Uprising and there, Nomi was reunited with Oss.

It was on this mission that she met Arca Jeth and his apprentices, Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, and Tott Doneeta. After putting down the uprising, Nomi studied Battle meditation with Arca, an ability she had already shown great talent with. She was able to not only control troops' morale and coordination but also who the troops attacked. On many occasions she was able to avoid using her lightsaber by using Battle Meditation to cause her enemies to fight each other rather than her. When she returned to Ossus she furthered her studies of this power with Odan-Urr, who would soon be murdered by Exar Kun, and her previous lightsaber instructor Vodo-Siosk Baas. She also continued her basic training with Thon who was by this time a father figure for not only her but also her daughter, Vima.

There was not a great deal of time for study, however. The Krath began to rise in the Empress Teta system and Nomi was again called into battle. She was paired with Ulic Qel-Droma, whom she had met on Onderon. The two grew close and soon realized that they were in love. Since it was not looked down upon for two Jedi to love and marry at that time, they openly announced their love and their masters were pleased with the match. Before they could be married, however, Ulic defected to the Krath and when the Krath allied with the Sith, he became apprenticed to Exar Kun. Nomi also saw Oss join Exar Kun and try to murder Thon. Thon was able to save his former pupil, but Ulic seemed out of reach of the help of his fellow Jedi. With the friends she had made at Ossus and Onderon, as well as Vodo-Siosk Baas's apprentice, Sylvar, whose mate Crado had also joined Exar Kun, Nomi fought to protect the Republic.

When Ulic killed his brother, Nomi severed his connection with the Force and was convinced that his love for her was severed. He ended up turning on Exar Kun, and helped the Jedi defeat him and win the Great Sith War. During the course of this terrible conflict, Nomi met and became good friends with Jolee Bindo and his wife, Nayama, experiencing a number of battles together.

In the years following the end of the Sith War, Nomi lived on Coruscant. She became a well-known Jedi Master, becoming a spokesperson and de facto leader of them while becoming embroiled in Republic politics on the capital. Holding the title of councillor, she presumably sat on the Jedi Council.

As Vima grew, she became somewhat rebellious and impatient. When she ran away to find Ulic to train her as a Jedi, Nomi searched and found her with the help of Sylvar. Although the meeting between her and her ex-lover was rather awkward, Nomi realized, after discovering the statues Ulic had carved, that he was finally beginning to find peace; however, Sylvar was far from peace. She blamed Ulic for the death of Crado and viciously attacked him with all the rage of her Cathar predatory instincts. At first, Ulic defended himself but then refused to fight and made her realize that she herself was going down the path of the dark side. Calmed of her rage, Sylvar deactivated her lightsaber, but Hoggon, the guide she had brought with her, shot Ulic in the chest and died in Nomi's arms. After this, Nomi concentrated on training her daughter.

Her final fate is, as of now, unknown. She was a great Jedi Master of her age, and through her daughter, Vima, she was a multiple-great-grandmother of Vima Da-Boda. The starship Sunrider was named after her.


Cool Stuff
According to Chris Avellone, Jolee Bindo's story in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic where he discusses Nomi was an oversight: for legal reasons, the developers could not use the name "sunrider", to the point of having to invent a new character, Bastila Shan, instead of reusing Nomi's daughter Vima Sunrider for the game.

In the sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, there is an item called "Nomi's Robe", but its description only mentions "Nomi" and "Andur", without the last name "Sunrider".

In the game "Star Wars Galaxies", there is a lightsaber crystal tagged with the name "Sunrider's Destiny".

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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:

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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, Paul LeMat and Richard Dreyfuss.

This film "set his (Lucas) career in high gear," its said on this show, which is why it got so much attention. That was in 1973. Four years later, Star Wars was released and Lucas became a big name in films after that. He was smart enough to get "the sequel rights" to this film and Lord knows how many millions of dollars he's made off of them. Perhaps this is one reason VHS and DVD collectors have seen so many editions come out on the Star Wars series. Lucas makes a ton of money each time.

Carrie Fisher, one of the co-stars of Star Wars, said Lucas "has the most amazing imagination of anybody I've ever worked with and is almost childlike with it, but he's very adult with his technical information and what to do with it. He really knows how to create different worlds."

Along the way, we also get Lucas's early history and how an auto accident in his late teens changed him dramatically. Then, after success at the University of Southern California, he later hooks up with Francis Ford Capolla and becomes great friends and partners with him. Finally, they go their separate ways, film- wise, and don't do too badly: Lucas makes American Graffiti and Cappolla does "The Godfather!"

When this program was aired, Lucas discussed that he had just finished the last installment of Star Wars and thought it might be too dark to be a hit with the public.....but I believe it was a hit, just like the others.

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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 key you need to start deciphering is tython. This will lead you on a great adventure with a lot of puzzles and brain breakers. The most intriguing part for me was the use of a cipher seen in KOTOR, which shows great knowledge of the creators of this puzzle.

May you be warned that this is not something created by Bioware and there is no beta access as reward at the end of the path (and that is why everyone spent hours on this trying to solve it). Nevertheless it is a great experience and I suggest you test your intelligence by this great game. If you get stuck you can ask in the comments and we’ll give tips, or you can visit the thread started on the official forums and browse through 50+ pages for solutions  .

You should  check it out. I'm still stuck at the button puzzle game.

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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!"

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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 of this concept was to revisit Kaas City. A lot of the work had been done earlier on, and we felt there were things we could do to make it so much cooler.

We already had a view of the city since it had been built in-game, but we wanted to integrate it into the surrounding landscape better and give the Imperial city its own architectural style. Also, we wanted to establish a stronger mood and define the Citadel better (main central building). I started with screenshots from the game to make sure I wasn't moving anything important and to make sure I captured the player’s view.

For inspiration I looked to the sketches of Coruscant by Ralph McQuarrie. Some of them have a dark gothic feel and I wanted to portray that in the Sith Empire's capital city. Clint Young had done an earlier concept of the Citadel, and I wanted to re-incorporate some elements from his design. Our style for the Empire is very angular so I felt that should be reflected in their architecture, as well.

I went into the game and took screenshots of the view I wanted to capture looking out towards the Citadel.

I kept the front platform and the building to the left as I knew they were going to stay. I added in some perspective guides to help me keep everything in-line, and then I loosely blocked in some shapes and colors to get the overall composition.

In order to refine the shapes and designs, I began building up forms with highlights and shadows. I cut in some details for the foreground building on the left from an existing concept Clint had done, and started adding some finer details like windows for scale.

The finished concept. I filled out the lighting and continued to refine details. From here, individual elements can be broken out in more detail for the environment artists to build.

If you don't like planets that much, but are more into delving into deep space, you should download one of the four new wallpapers, which all deal with spaceships in some way or another. Visit the media section to download the resolution that best fits your monitor.

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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 clear that if the Empire wants to sabotage or capture the mine, they would have to go through him.

The last entry is known only as Keeper, the ultimate Imperial spymaster. Since he oversees all infiltration operations, it's fair to say he will be of central importance to those playing Imperial Agents. Because of his illusive nature, those who deal with him may want to remain on their guard.

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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 BioWare continues to look bright. The recently announced Mass Effect™, an Xbox™ 360 title to be published by Microsoft®, marks BioWare's third creation of an entirely new, proprietary intellectual property since the company's inception. "BioWare is very excited to be in a position where we have the experience, maturity and confidence to undertake the huge task of creating a compelling new game property. Many BioWare employees have been interested in this type of creative challenge for quite some time, and we're very pleased to be able to provide this opportunity," commented Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Joint CEO, BioWare Corp.
Data for Canada's Top 100 Employers award is compiled and analyzed by Mediacorp Canada Inc. who received a staggering 55,000 applicants from across Canada. The Top 100 Employers provided information based on outstanding Human Resource practices, exceptional growing success and contribution to the community.

About BioWare

BioWare develops computer, console, handheld and online video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's best-selling titles including the award-winning Baldur's Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™. Original BioWare-created IPs include Jade Empire™ and the 2007 Game of the Year, Mass Effect™. With studios in Edmonton, Canada, and Austin, Texas, BioWare is hard at work on the epic fantasy RPG, Dragon Age™: Origins as well as several unannounced projects including a massively multiplayer online game. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by the world’s leading electronic entertainment publisher, Electronic Arts. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com.

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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 politicians, academics, journalists and critics, who all weigh in on the creations of George Lucas. The special shows how seldom a movie can make us laugh and think about our role in the universe -- which may be why it has stood the test of time.

"The enduring appeal of Star Wars," says Tom Brokaw, "is that it's this vastly entertaining piece of cinema that also leaves you ... with the idea that there are some real issues out there that we ought to be thinking about -- good and evil, and right and wrong, and heroism. Generations of people a long time from now will be enthralled by it, just as we are enthralled by the story of Robin Hood or King Arthur's Court or any of the Shakespearean tales."

The special unites a diverse group of high-profile Star Wars fans, from filmmakers to politicians to journalists. "The idea of the underdog who's on the right side defeating the overdog who's on the wrong side is a deeply American mythology," says former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who climbed a high political fence to agree with current Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the movies' impact. Says Pelosi: "The legacy of George Lucas fits very comfortably among the classics of all time, whether ancient or modern. "
Adds Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson: "You don't even have to ask, 'Will it stand the test of time?' It has and it will."

This action-adventure film with lighthearted moments and touching purity, demands that we focus on current fundamental themes, including environmentalism, racism and the temptations of power and greed. As author Carl Silvio notes, at times the movies seem prophetic: "In Revenge of the Sith, when we hear Anakin say, 'You're either with me or against me,' it's almost impossible not to hear that quote and think of another very famous quote," a point the special underscores with a clip of President George W. Bush's November 2001 news-conference quote: "You are either with us or you are against us in the fight against terror."

The dichotomies of good vs. evil and mechanism vs. humanity is apparent throughout the movies, which carry themes of politics and power. In the Star Wars universe, dictators are ruthless yet charismatic, and while some politicians are well-meaning, as Princess Leia Organa demonstrates, leaders are born from courage and conviction, not from gender.

With regard to other kinds of power, C-3PO and R2-D2 demonstrate that machines can be beneficial, while the feared Death Star shows us their danger. The Ewoks, instrumental in the eventual defeat of the Empire, remind us that natural, environmental solutions have as much as (or more) power than man-made ones. That the movies are fun only gives their central questions and observations more credence.

How long will that endure? "A hundred years from now," says Joan Breton Connelly, an associate professor of fine arts at New York University, "someone will be sitting here discussing the impact of Star Wars and they will be seeing different things in it than we are seeing today, just as today we have classes in the university on Homer."

Filmmaker Kevin Smith: "It is bad guys versus good guys and everyone wants to see that story. That story will never grow tired, never grow old."

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed is produced by Prometheus Entertainment in association with Lucasfilm Ltd. Executive Producer is Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Burns (Empire of Dreams, Look, Up in the Sky!). Executive Producer for The History Channel is Beth Dietrich Segarra.

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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 most of the Sith Lords of the time came from.

Native Sith culture included the Sith language, the consumption of bloodsoup, a rigid and stratified caste-based society and live sentient sacrifices to the Sith deities. For the Sith, war and violence were just as much a part of the natural order of life as peace or serenity. Their social order was very rigid, and while many rose to the title of Sith Lord, only one, King Adas, attained the position of monarch. Another aspect of Sith culture, the creation of Sith holocrons to record knowledge, originates from their first contact with the Rakata of the Infinite Empire.

History
Sith society lasted as such for hundreds of millenia - from roughly 130,000 BBY to 7,000 BBY. Except for the brief unification of their species under King Adas, Sith society was fragmented, with many individual Sith Lords ruling indepedent fiefdoms, most of them attempting to claim Adas' title of Sith'ari and unite their kind. The Sith species originated on the planet Korriban.
Circa 28,000 BBY, Adas, marked as a chosen one from a young age by his unusual black skin, united the nations of Korriban in violent warfare. He took the title of Sith'ari, meaning "overlord", and was seen by his people as an immortal being who would rule forever.

Eventually the Rakata arrived on Korriban. Pretending to ally themselves with Adas at first and giving him the technology of holocrons, they soon revealed their intentions and attempted to conquer the Sith. Adas and the Sith fought back and drove off the forces of the Infinite Empire, with the king giving his life in the process. Without Adas's strong hand, Korriban soon collapsed into civil war, with many claiming themselves Sith'ari. The massive infighting eventually forced the Sith to relocate their capital to Ziost.

Around 7,000 BBY, Dark Jedi exiles fleeing from the Galactic Republic after their defeat in the Hundred Year Darkness, established themselves as "divine" rulers over their native Sith, uniting the world once again, this time under the rulership of a Dark Lord of the Sith. Over the generations, the Sith interbred with the Human Dark Jedi through a practice of the intermixing of human and Sith bloodlines which became known as Sith Alchemy. Eventually, the Sith species in its original form was almost extinct.

During the Great Hyperspace War in 5,000 BBY, the Dark Lord Naga Sadow fled to the jungle moon of Yavin 4 along with a contingent of Massassi followers to escape the pursuing Jedi and the Galactic Republic. There, Naga Sadow committed cruel experiments on his own Massassi warriors which resulted in them becoming Dark Side wielding savages.

Due to their history of association with Dark Side Force users, the word 'Sith' went on to be used by many dark side organizations not connected with the original Sith species.

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Give Up Your Bus Seat to Yoda you will

While riding the bus you should always give up your seat to pregnant women, moms with babies, the elderly and Yoda.

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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.

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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.

Source

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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 it has become clear that there is a direct correlation between those with enough of the old Sith blood in them to still be born with original Sith species traits (red skin, etc) and Force Sensitivity. While not any stronger in the Force than the more human Sith, it is extremely rare to find a "Pureblood" who is completely without Force Sensitivity. Thus those with the marks of the old Sith have come to call themselves "Purebloods" with the obvious insinuation that they are superior to those without. The more Sith species features (face tendrils, etc) one has, the more superior they can claim to be.

All of this is, of course, purely the realm of fashion and societal politics. While no non-Pureblood would stand up and say the entire claim was foolish (the Pureblood rate of Force Sensitivity is exponentially higher than those without and besides many of the Emperor's inner circle bear the red skin) the majority of the Dark Council are not Purebloods. Showing that, in the end, talent and a lightsaber win out over bloodlines and a haughty pedigree.

Hope that helps!

We will go into more details about this race in our next species update.

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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 of death, hiding behind a facade of internet anonymity is for cowards. Could you lose your job? Probably. So get another one. I can guarantee that some place will hire you simply for being forthright, honest and not a pu*** when it comes to doing the right thing.

EA Louse has even prompted a brief response from God of War designer David Jaffe. But Louse is back with a new blog and offering a new post from another anonymous dev, who delves more into life at Mythic after being acquired by EA. The author simply referred to as Insider, posts a less inflammatory statement, one more of disappointment and a hope for change.

We saw management being promoted beyond need. Anyone who challenged their newfound authority and “EA managment” status, debunked. You have to understand this was on all fronts in departments.

It's unlikely that we've heard the end of this saga, so stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

Update: Jeff Preston's blog seems to have been set to private, so you'll just have to settle for the snippets.

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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.

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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.

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Star Wars Rarities: Star Tours

In an effort to update their image, the Disney Theme Parks, with permission from George Lucas, produced the world's first motion simulator ride, Star Tours, which has been often copied, but never topped.

As opposed to a ride that goes somewhere or follows a track, Star Tours is a small theater that is bounced and jostled around in synch with a P.O.V. special effects film made by ILM where the craft flies through maintenance bays, meteors, and the famous death star trench. The effect is far more believable than it sounds.

The story is that guests are a commercial spaceport, boarding a flight to the moons of Endor, the que goes past several robots, including R2-D2 and C3-P0, repairing one of the shuttles.

The Shuttle is piloted by a first-time pilot robot, Rex who is physically there in front of the screen/window. The ship takes off to a rocky start, taking a wrong turn at the launch tunnels and flying through the maintenance bay, followed by light speed and a detour through a crystalline meteor shower. Then the craft stumbles into the middle of a battle between the Empire and the Rebellion, including Star Destroyers and the trench flight of the Death Star, then quickly returns home so the guests can be herded into the nearest souvenir shop to buy things.

In this video from 1987 Groups of visitors are taken on "Star Tours", Thanks to an inexperienced and thoroughly incompetent robot pilot, what is billed as a leisurely tour to the Endor Moon becomes a wild ride as the tour gets caught up in a battle between the Empire and the rebels. We also get to see behind the scene footage, and an interview with the man him self Georg Lucas.

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May the schwartz be with you: C3PO RAP

While going through some old VHS tapes I found at my parents house, I came across this little gem. It's an old compilation of behind-the-scens, media info, and hype about the Star Tours attraction.  The video is from around 1987 and as that, it isn't perfect. It has some Tracking issues at times, and the audio has some static too it. But, its still very watchable.

Haha, some of the content was a little painful to watch. C3PO rapping is hilarious, and really shows the era of the footage, and the fact that Anthony Daniels will do anything in that golden costume. I think if Lucas told him "OK Tony, in this scene C3PO needs to pleasure the other droids...." ... he would do it. Also, each time I see Lucas in an interview ( this time without his beard!! ) its so transparent the little Star Wars cloud he is on.

Watch the whole movie here

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