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EA expecting two million subscribers for Star Wars: The Old Republic

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 18th 2010 at 1:30PM }

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia recently visited EA to check in on the progress of the company's upcoming, cutscene-driven MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. He reported that "earnings are somewhat depressed" due to the development costs for the game, but EA management is hopeful that they'll recoup this cash when the title brings in over two million subscribers. He added that, at the very least, the game needs over one million players in order for EA to break even.

We think they might be setting the bar a little too high for themselves. Why not make the monthly subscription fee cost $20,000, and then just hope that 500 outrageously wealthy, rabid Star Wars fans hop on board? There have got to be at least 500 successful venture capitalists out there who own a baker's dozen of collectible Millennium Falcon models.

Infinite Space puts two launch videos into orbit

by Mike Schramm { Mar 18th 2010 at 12:37PM }

Did you pick up Infinite Space yet? The DS spaceventure was released from its docking station by Platinum Games yesterday, and so far the reviews are actually better than we expected. We've got two more launch trailers to share with you: one above which seems to be the intro to the game (complete with Star Wars-style crawl and the weird narration we've come to expect from this game); and another after the break which will walk you through the game's battle tutorial.

If you've tried the game out, let us know what you think below. The battle system seems different and the story isn't supposed to be too bad, either. You wouldn't think that an infinite void of open space would have that much going on, but maybe it's worth a shot.

Continued →

SWTOR is EA's most expensive project yet

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 11th 2010 at 1:40AM }

Surprise! Major MMOs cost batty-bonkers-cuckoo amounts of money to produce. Eurogamer reports that Electronic Arts CFO Eric Brown said as much today, describing Star Wars: The Old Republic as the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company." EA is apparently betting big on having something like Activision Blizzard's World of Warcraft with The Old Republic. Brown guesstimates that WoW cost about $100 million to launch back in 2004 -- the game makes something like that now in a month.

The executive explained that the average game costs about $30 million to produce, but that "any MMO costs significantly more than that." With an expected spring 2011 release, hopefully EA will start making a return at that time on its investment in a galaxy far, far away. Otherwise, the gaping maw of the Rancor would be preferable to what investors will do.

Star Wars The Old Republic dev diary: Returning to Taris

by Xav de Matos { Feb 27th 2010 at 11:30AM }

The sixth developer diary for Star Wars: The Old Republic has been released and it features a new (yet familiar) location players will be able to visit when the MMO finally goes live. Devastated by the sinister Sith Lord Darth Malak in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the post-apocalyptic world of Taris will be a "major world" in the upcoming Bioware MMO. While the original vision for the ruined planet was to be a giant swamp-like crater, Bioware smartly decided to shape the environment as a vertical wasteland that both the Republic and Imperial factions are attempting to reshape.

Force Unleashed Avatar gear unleashed on XBLM

by Richard Mitchell { Feb 25th 2010 at 2:45PM }

Comm scan has detected that new Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Avatar items are now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Yes, even more Star Wars stuff for your digital self. Normally, we would scoff at things like this, but hey ... there's a Stormtrooper outfit. Oh sure, you could get a clone trooper outfit before, but why waste money on that when the obviously superior Stormtrooper armor is available?

Check out the full collection of gear, including the Starkiller lightsaber, on Xbox Live Marketplace.

A Spartan and a Stormtrooper find love

by David Hinkle { Feb 24th 2010 at 8:00AM }

Here's the thing about being trapped inside of a suit all day: you crave connections. The tender embrace of another carbon-based life-form becomes a precious commodity -- a feeling we're far too familiar with, being the encased blogging machines that we are. But we digress.

This video (available past the break) from Austin-based Adam Grumbo shows us that both Spartans and Stormtroopers should periodically take a pause from their respective Covenant and Jedi murderin' to enjoy the finer things in life -- like fist-bumping and repping the cul de sac on a bitching BMX bike or a pair of sweet rollerblades. It's one of those things that just brings a tear to your eye, you know?

[Via The Escapist]

Continued →

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has sold seven million copies

by Christopher Grant { Feb 23rd 2010 at 9:00PM }

Well, this is nice to hear. LucasArts' big gamble – moving development of its signature properties back to its internal teams – continues to pay off with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The latest figure out of the House That Luke Built for what's already been billed as the "fastest-selling Star Wars game ever" is that Force Unleashed has "sold seven million units worldwide" since its September 2008 release. Seven million!

While strong sales figures are hardly rare for the Star Wars franchise, good games are. Lucky for all of us, LucasArts is busy continuing its wild experiment with a (get this!) sequel, due for release later this year, as well as "other unannounced products." Perhaps another stab at that next-gen Indiana Jones game?

Star Wars: Force Unleashed Hoth DLC out on PSN, coming to Xbox Feb. 23

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 19th 2010 at 2:00PM }

Looking to get a little more mileage out of your copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed before the sequel arrives? As we knew from yesterday's PSN update, PS3 owners can now download the Hoth mission which came bundled with the "Ultimate Sith Edition" re-release of the game -- however, 360 owners will be able to follow suit on Tuesday, February 23. The DLC is going for $9.99 on the PSN, leading us to assume it'll cost Xbox Live Marketplace browsers a cool 800

.

The mission on Hoth follows the events of the Tatooine sidequest, and tasks the Secret Apprentice with shutting down the Rebellion and squaring off against Luke Skywalker. Remember, these extra missions are non-canonical -- meaning the fate of the aforementioned frostbitten Force-wielder is up in the air.

Star Wars & Indiana Jones items hit Home

by David Hinkle { Feb 18th 2010 at 1:29PM }

If you click this image, it shall become more embiggened than you could possibly imagine

LucasArts has invaded PlayStation Home today with a bunch of new virtual goods and a space to hang out in. Without all of the crime and sudden de-limbing that goes on in the Mos Eisley Cantina, the LucasArts storefront will offer patrons a safe environment to purchase virtual goods -- sorry, no power converters available.

Here's the list of goodies:

Yoda shirt (for male avatars)
Obi-Wan Kenobi shirt (for male and female avatars)
Jedi Order shirt (for male and female avatars)
Indiana Jones costume – torso, pants, shoes
Indiana Jones costume – hat, hair
Stormtrooper costume (for male and female avatars)
Imperial Officer costume (for male and female avatars)
Blue Lightsaber (for male and female avatars)
Jedi banner (for avatar personal space)
Sith banner (for avatar personal space)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed poster (for avatar personal space)

LucasArts promises more updates to come. In the meanwhile, feel free to peruse select avatar items in our gallery below, but there may be a slight chance these aren't the images you're looking for.

Gallery: LucasArts PlayStation Home Space (and goods)

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars marching to multiple platforms this fall

by David Hinkle { Feb 8th 2010 at 11:00AM }

And here we thought the well of Lego Star Wars material had dried up. Perhaps we've underestimated TT Games, which has revealed that it's constructing a new armed and fully operational entry in the series: Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. Destined for an Autumn 2010 release on the Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, the game will focus on the events of the Cartoon Network animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Expect "brand new battle modes, giving players unique, head-to-head combat" and an expanded level editor, allowing potential Padawans and Seperatists the chance to construct their own "customized bases and in-game battlefields." You'll also be able to employ new tactics throughout the game, such as "Squad command, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber jumps, long distance Jedi attacks and Grapple Tie-Ups."

Wait, lightsaber slicing? Does that mean the obvious, or the radical ability to slice through lightsabers?

Farm moisture on Tatooine in these Star Wars: The Old Republic screens

by David Hinkle { Dec 18th 2009 at 7:30PM }

Click image to force your way into our gallery

Hey, Star Wars: The Old Republic, you know what other MMOs are doing right now? They're helping with the harvest and aren't hanging out on Tatooine down at Toshi Station, wasting time with their friends and checking out all of the power converters for sale. They're adult MMOs who understand the need for a few helpful hands to repair the units in the South Ridge. They aren't zooming around in their landspeeder, checking out the scummy alleys of Mos Eisley or stopping by Uncle Owen's farm for a friendly chat about that crazy coot Old Ben Kenobi -- not like you.

So go ahead, have fun zipping around the dunes and avoiding the Sarlacc Pits, while we're over here wearing the big boy pants, behaving like adults.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic -- Tatooine

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Hoth DLC coming to XBLM after all

by Ben Gilbert { Dec 17th 2009 at 10:30AM }

As luck would have it, that one missing piece of content for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed that was "exclusive" to the "Ultimate Sith Edition" of the game -- the obligatory Hoth level -- seems to be heading to Xbox Live Marketplace. Spotted by Joystiq reader Andy in the "Coming Soon" section of the XBLM (and seen above), the "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Hoth Bonus Level" certainly appears to be heading to, at very least, Xbox 360 users. We've contacted LucasArts to find out how much the content will cost, when we can expect to see it arrive on Xbox Live for download, and if it will be coming to PlayStation 3 and PC users as well.

[Thanks Andy!]

LucasArts developing The Force Unleashed 2 internally, hiring for 'other unannounced products'

by Randy Nelson { Dec 16th 2009 at 9:25PM }

It didn't take a Jedi Master to conclude that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed would be getting a sequel -- after all, it met with tremendous success, ranking as the fastest-selling Star Wars video game of all time and moving more than six million copies to date. Still, LucasArts laid off a majority of the team that developed it before the game even hit shelves, so many that our source at the time told Joystiq that the remaining group would be insufficient to produce a sequel should one be ordered.

So, now that The Force Unleashed 2 is officially happening, we naturally began to wonder: who's making the game? When asked for comment on the topic, LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez told Joystiq, "Our internal team here in San Francisco will be focused on the game in addition to other development partners. The San Francisco team is made up of TFU veterans who are all bringing their hard earned muscle memory to the development process." Rodriguez didn't elaborate on who these "development partners" are, but it's clear that a core team at the company's Northern California HQ is only part of the development effort.

Rodriguez did not remark on whether any new staff is being hired to work on the title internally, but did reveal to us that LucasArts is "also currently hiring for some other unannounced products that we are internally developing as well." We're just going to assume that none of the staff who received pink slips last summer will be sending in resumes.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 revealed, intense [update]

by Xav de Matos { Dec 12th 2009 at 8:44PM }

The world's coolest Jedi, Samuel L. Jackson (suck it, Yoda) has just taken the stage at the 2009 Video Game Awards to reveal Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. In the announcement trailer -- Darth Vader's once apprentice -- codenamed "Starkiller" steps into a dark arena only to be faced with a creature hellbent on his destruction. Thankfully, Starkiller -- armed with two light sabers -- pounces to attack the gargantuan foe. Sadly, it was all CG, but we'll take any new Force Unleashed we can get.

Update: Trailer's out! Check ~~past the jump~~ above to see the blue saber-wielding Starkiller's epic strategy for Rancor euthanasia.

Battlefront 3 still in development, casting director claims

by Ben Gilbert { Dec 12th 2009 at 7:30PM }

We haven't heard anything on the subject of Star Wars: Battlefront 3 in quite some time -- so long, in fact, that we had nearly forgotten all about it. But when a forumgoer pointed out to Battlefront3.net that a casting director named Chris Marazzo noted on his personal website that, "After casting over 200 commercials and various projects in NY and LA, including most recently Star Wars: Battlefront 3 with Lucas Arts," the rumor popped right back up onto our radar. The folks at BF3.net asked Marazzo about his involvement with the title and got a somewhat straightforward, if not partially confusing, response. "The original title was Battlefront 3, but it evolved into Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption ... however, Battlefront 3 is also in development. "

There's a possibility we'll find out more about a new entry in the Battlefront series this evening when the Spike VGAs premiere information on what's next for the Star Wars gaming franchise. In the meantime, we've contacted LucasArts for comment and will update this post if we hear more.

[Via VG247]