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Archived News
December 2004
Week 2
Saturday
December 11, 2004 |
Make
Star Wars Marble Magnets |
Want
to make an Admiral Ackbar shrine on your fridge? Feel like turning
your locker over to the dark side?
Now you can make one-of-a-kind cool Star Wars
magnets by following the simple instructions provided at the
Official Site. Just gather up your favorite Star Wars images and
get ready to have some crafty fun. Head over to the Official
Site to see just what you need, and how to make these awesome
magnets!
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Friday
December 10, 2004 |
Stormtrooper
Helmet Up For Auction |
A Star Wars stormtrooper helmet made for the film's creator George
Lucas goes under the hammer on Tuesday at Christie's auction house
in London.
The helmet was bought for £7 at a car boot sale
12 years ago but is expected to fetch up to £7,000.
The helmet was one of six used as props by Lucas
to pitch his original film idea to movie executives.
Thanks to BBC News for this info. Click
here to read the full article.
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Friday
December 10, 2004 |
Star
Wars Artist Series: Chris Trevas |
If
you've ever read the "Set Piece" section of the Star
Wars Insider magazine, or came across an elaborate Artist Sketch
card from Topps, you may recognize the work from Star Wars artist
Chris Trevas.
His Star Wars illustrations can be spotted in
various roleplaying games, card games, collector cards, book
covers and numerous magazines. But surprisingly enough, it wasn't
the films that initially inspired Trevas to become an artist who
drew Wookiees and droids as a career, but in fact the toys.
"In 1977 my dad and uncle took me to see Star
Wars at the age of three," Trevas remembers. "My early
childhood Star Wars memories are more of the toys, than the films
themselves. I loved the Death Star playset. It had a trash
compactor with the foam cubes and green rubber dianoga. The
compactor was bright orange with a blue crank to turn and crush
the action figures inside. I remember one winter we lost a
Chewbacca figure in the deep snow of my friend's backyard. When he
turned up after the thaw he had turned green!"
As a young child, when Trevas wasn't busy playing
with his toy Millennium Falcon, he could be found drawing it.
Be sure to head
over to the Offical Site and read the full article.
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Friday
December 10, 2004 |
Homing
Beacon #125 |
The
latest Homing Beacon has arrived and today we get to talk about
the benefits of using props (contains mild
spoilers). Despite being filled with cutting edge digital
characters and environments, the Star Wars films still benefit
greatly from the physical filmmaking arts. "I think you
always need props," says Prop Master Ty Teiger. "At the
end of the day, you'll always need interaction between an actor
and something physical. If everything is bluescreen, and there're
no actors, then fair enough. But an actor will always need a prop
-- something to handle, something to work with, whether it's a gun
or a walking stick or staff or whatever, you'll always need
that."
Even things that are wholly generated in a
computer will benefit from a practical prop. Witness the tenacious
bodyguards that flank General Grievous. The tall MagnaGuard droids
wield a special electrostaff pole coursing with energy, allowing
them to parry lightsaber attacks.
"I actually made the staff which they'll
photograph on the set, so you can have all the shadows and the
lightings correct for that sequence," explains Teiger.
"And then we'll send that to ILM for them to use. So that was
a prop that we never physically see on the film and will be
recreated by ILM. That happens quite a bit."
The one prop that will always remain a hybrid of
visual effects and physical model is the iconic lightsaber. Sure,
the handles are real enough, "but we don't actually have them
working properly," says Teiger. "Not yet anyhow. Still
working on that one."
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Wednesday
December 08, 2004 |
Ash
Song 'Clone' To Appear In Republic Commando |
Ash's
song 'Clones' has been chosen as the theme song for the
forthcoming Star Wars video game Republic Commando.
The inclusion of the Ash song in a Star Wars game
is a real coup for the band. This is the first time ever Lucas
Arts has included any act's song in one of their video games.
The song was featured on the last Ash album
Meltdown which was released in the UK and Australia and now
because of the Star Wars connection will finally be released in
the USA.
Click
here to read the full article from Undercover.
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Tuesday
December 07, 2004 |
Now
Available: KOTOR II |
The
highly anticipated sequel to the 2003 Game of the Year is now
available for Xbox. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The
Sith Lords is a compelling, epic roleplaying game filled with a
rich story of action, suspense, and an unprecedented freedom to
affect the galaxy through the choices of the player.
The game takes place five years after the
conclusion of the first KOTOR.Darkness reigns over the galaxy. The
Jedi order was nearly brought to an end by the Sith in Darth
Malak's malicious bid to conquer the Republic. What few Jedi
remain have scattered, vanishing into the deepest reaches of
space. Jedi Temples and learning centers across the galaxy lie
still or are crumbling. Without her champions, the Galactic
Republic is beginning to collapse. Already, the worlds on the
fringe have been gobbled up by criminal interests.
The Sith have not been idle since Malak's
campaign. The remaining Sith Lords plot to wage war not like Malak
-- who wielded power like a heavy cudgel -- but instead like Revan
-- who corrupted and weakened an enemy from within. Cloaked by the
dark side and secrecy, thousands of dark side acolytes have been
preying upon the Jedi, diminishing their numbers.
The Republic's only hope is a Jedi Knight
struggling to reconnect with the Force, and faced with the
galaxy's most dire decision: to follow the light or succumb to the
dark side...
Like its predecessor, KOTOR II is set in the
ancient Star Wars galaxy, about 4,000 years before the events of
the Star Wars films. The game features all-new Force powers,
weapons, locations, characters and classes, adding to the richness
of the galaxy. Choose from three different classes of Jedi to
start the game with access to specific Jedi abilities.
Players can choose the light or dark side of the
Force based on character actions throughout the story. The choices
made not only affect the main character, but also the surrounding
characters in the party, as well as others who may join in the
quest.
For more information about this game, visit
LucasArts' official
KOTOR 2 website here. You can purchase KOTOR II from the
StarWarsShop.com by clicking
here.
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Tuesday
December 07, 2004 |
Star
Wars Fanatic Plans Giant Sandcrawler Model |
Not
so long ago in a galaxy five miles southeast of Philadelphia, Mike
Degirolamo had a plan. But the authority in his sector sought to
suppress it.
The plan was to build a 20-by-12-foot model of a
Jawa Sandcrawler, a relatively obscure icon from the original
"Star Wars" film, before the next installment of the
saga "Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" opens
in May.
To get the project done, he doesn't need the
Force, but rather the power to persuade the township council it's
a worthy project. The council is planning a special meeting to
discuss whether Degirolamo will be allowed to erect the ode to the
movies he loves on the property of a local business.
It sounds like a fantastic goal, to be sure! Let's
all hope that the city will allow him to construct such a
monument. Be sure to click
here and read the rest of the fascinating article from
Newsday.
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Tuesday
December 07, 2004 |
Lego
Star Wars Video Game |
This
is pretty much just a follow-up to what Jedi Power posted on
November 22, but with some extended information. When you get sick
of wasting the Sith in KOTR 2, Eidos has got your back. Lego Star
Wars will be bursting out of the box in the Spring, ready to take
on Lego bad-dudes. X-Box fans can play the most memorable scenes
from The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and the forthcoming
Episode III Revenge of the Sith including pod racing on Mos Espa..
I always knew the acting was wooden...
Besides controlling the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi,
Yoda, Anakin Skywalker and R2-D2, notorious dark side enemies such
as Jango Fett, Darth Maul and Count Dooku appear in thrilling boss
showdowns. As you progress through the game you unlock many new
characters including the defeated bosses, and you must switch
between them to solve puzzles using their special abilities.
In addition to a single-player mode, there is a
'drop in, drop out' two-player co-operative mode allowing a second
player to enter or leave the action whenever they want. There is
also a free-play mode where unlocked characters can be played in
different scenarios to those of the films. This adds immeasurably
to the game's replayability and there are further incentives to
complete the game for budding Jedi Knights in the form of hidden
levels and vehicles.
Features:
- - Play the most memorable and exciting scenes from The
Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and the forthcoming
Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
- - Massive array of vehicles including Naboo fighters, pod
racers, speeder bikes, and yet-to-be-unveiled vehicles from
Revenge of the Sith.
- - Over 30 playable characters.
- - Two–player 'drop in, drop out' mode.
- - Free-play mode where unlocked characters can be played
in different scenarios to the films.
- - Use 'The Force' to manipulate environments and objects
in order to solve puzzles.
- - Collectables that can be used to unlock hidden levels
and vehicles.
- - Authentic sounds from the films provided by Skywalker
Studio.
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Tuesday
December 07, 2004 |
Clone
Wars DVD: Volume I |
The
Official Star
Wars Site has announced that the Emmy Award-winning and
critically acclaimed Star Wars: Clone Wars micro-series is coming
to DVD on March 22, 2005.
Obi-Wan Kenobi fights a messy battle with an alien bounty
hunter; Anakin Skywalker engages in an epic lightsaber duel in the
decrepit ruins of Yavin 4; Mace Windu single-handedly takes on an
entire droid army -- these are some of the unshakable images of
micro-series, enjoyed by viewers of the Cartoon Network as well as
members of Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club.
All 19 three-minute chapters and the five-minute long Chapter
20 of the first round of Star Wars: Clone Wars are gathered
together in this release. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky with Art
Direction by Paul Rudish, the Clone Wars series are a fresh,
stylized take on Star Wars that remains true to the spirit of the
saga. They chronicle some of the epic battles that occur between
Episodes II and III as the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1 debuts on DVD on March 22, 2005.
Cartoon Network will host the premiere of the all-new Star Wars:
Clone Wars Volume 2 on March 21, one day before the DVD's release.
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Monday
December 06, 2004 |
The
Force Is With Your Phone |
THQ
Wireless, developer of applications and games for mobile phones,
clinched a deal Monday to create and sell wireless products based
on the "Star Wars" epic.
The multiyear agreement with "Star Wars"
producer Lucasfilm will also cover the upcoming "Star Wars:
Episode III Revenge of the Sith."
Financial details of the deal were not released.
THQ Wireless will produce mobile games, ring
tones, video clips, screen savers and wallpaper based on
characters, images and tracks in the films.
"Our primary focus is to create a quality
'Star Wars' experience for a fan base that is unlike any
other," THQ Wireless President Tim Walsh said in a statement.
To read the rest of the article from ZDNet (which
doesn't cover any other important information) click
here.
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Monday
December 06, 2004 |
KOTOR
II: IGN Review |
IGN
reviewed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - Sith Lords,
and gave it a whopping score of 9.4 out of 10:
KOTOR II takes place
roughly five years after the events of the original. It won't be a
problem following the storyline if you're new to the series, but
certain characters and events will have a bit more meaning to
those who've played the first Knights. Your created character
awakens in the medical bay of a mining station with no
recollection of recent events. Don't worry, you're not
playing the standard amnesiac who wields unknown power. Instead,
your character has vivid recollections of her (or his) past and of
the power she once wielded, which has been mysteriously stripped
away.
Your 45-hour journey
across the galaxy is about much more than just discovering your
character's true nature. Believing you to be the last of the Jedi,
the Sith pursue you tenaciously. But the Sith are not your only
enemy. Something is threatening the galaxy. What it is, how it is
to be stopped, and your own role in shaping the future of the
Republic won't be answered until the very end of your adventure.
The original KOTOR had a
spectacular twist near the end of the game that dropped jaws
around the globe. The Sith Lords doesn't have that single big
Sixth Sense-type twist, instead choosing to fill the entire game
with the unexpected. Your party, which can hold up to ten other
characters, is filled with unreliable members. Almost everyone in
your crew has an ulterior motive and more than a few have good
reason to hate rather than honor you. Even your droids do some
suspicious things. Who can you trust? You may be guessing until
the very end.
Click
here to read the full article and view plenty of screenshots.
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Monday
December 06, 2004 |
Jump
to Lightspeed: NWA Review |
The
Arkansas
Democrat Gazette has posted an article on Jump to
Lightspeed, the expansion pack to the ever-popular Star Wars
massively-multiplayer-online-roleplaying-game (MMORPG) Star
Wars: Galaxies:
In essence, Jump to
Lightspeed isn't that different from An Empire Divided. The
graphics are the same, many of the controls are the same, and the
general feel of the game isn't too different. On a basic level,
all that was done — over a nine-month period — was to replace
the combat system used in the ground game with a twitch-based
system familiar to players of older Star Warsgames like X-Wing vs.
TIE Fighter, which served as the model for JTL.
Hit the link above if you wish to read the entire
article. Thanks to Twitchface for the alert.
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