Sep
28
2009
28
2009
Sep
24
2009
24
2009
news weird Jedi Claims Discrimination at Grocery Store
- by Jim Iovino
According to the Jedi code, there is no emotion, there is peace; there is no ignorance, there is knowledge; and there is no death, there is the force.
Oh, and if you’re shopping for some Wookiee Cookies at your local supermarket, there is no hood.
So says one Tesco grocery store in Wales, which busted a Jedi for shopping while cloaked. And the Jedi is striking back with a charge of religious discrimination.
Daniel Jones, founder of the International Church of Jediism, was told he couldn’t wear a hood while shopping in the Tesco, according to the Guardian.
He claimed that his religion, which allegedly has 500,000 followers worldwide and could be the fourth most-popular religion in England, states that he should wear the hood in public. So he’s thinking about taking legal action, the Guardian reported.
Now, we’re all for religious expression, and we’re all about Star Wars geekdom, but we’re siding with Tesco on this one. Why? Because they’re taking on this potential lawsuit with a great deal of professionalism and respect.
OK, OK … so they’re just making fun of the dude. And we’re eating it up.
Tesco said they’re not sorry for making Obi-Wannabe Kenobi remove his lid in their store because they said the “real” Obi-Wan, Yoda and Luke never wore their hoods inside.
They said Jones, also known by his Jedi name Morda Hehol, isn’t banned from their store, but that “Jedis are very welcome to shop in our stores, although we would ask them to remove their hoods.”
And the kicker from Tesco, which should make everyone want to shop there the next time they’re in Wales:
“If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they’ll miss lots of special offers.”
Come on, Morda, even a young Padawan knows that!
Sep
16
2009
16
2009
Star Wars @ DisneyLand Gets Major Upgrade
If you’re a Disneyland or Star Wars aficionado, you may have already known it was in the works, but at the D23 Expo this weekend, Disney officially announced the long-awaited overhaul to their Star Tours attraction.
Disney’s Jay Rasulo revealed that the original Star Tours — located at both Disneyland in Anaheim, CA and the Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL — would close in October 2010, but that the new version of the ride would be open sometime in 2011.
The original ride, which opened in 1987, is a flight simulator in which guests headed for Endor instead end up facing comets and then the Death Star itself. While Rasulo didn’t go into detail on what the new ride will consist of, it was revealed the ride would now be in 3D, and guests donned 3D glasses to watch a trailer that stated, “In a galaxy far, far away… every world holds adventure. ”
In-ride visuals were then shown that were set within a pod race, a la The Phantom Menace. When the trailer ended, Rasulo said, “That’s just a taste of the excitement that we’ve got in store.”
Sep
14
2009
14
2009
TFN’s The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes Q&A
Posted By Mike on August 26, 2009
If you’re a fan of Star Wars and The Clone Wars in particular, then you should be aware of the upcoming video game Star Wars: The Clone Wars Republic Heroes that is coming to virtually every gaming console on October 6, 2009. Set between Seasons 1 and 2 of the animated series, the game offers a unique story line which ties in to the series, as well as offers the ability for gamers to play with numerous Jedi and Clone Troopers. Visit the game’s official site (or see the related links below) for more details, pictures and trailers of the highly anticipated game. In the meantime, enjoy our Q&A and be sure to click on the (mostly) new screenshots for full views.
Thank you very much to LucasArts for taking the time to answer our questions regarding Republic Heroes. We’re pretty excited for the game and it should only fuel our Clone Wars fire as Season 2 of the series kicks off.
The idea of a Star Wars game in which you can play as various Jedi or Clone Troopers is fantastic and should appeal to a wide variety of fans. How did you choose who was included and what kind of fun weapons can we expect to see the Clone Troopers wield?
The choice was actually pretty easy! We’ve got 8 playable Jedi, including favorites from the series like Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Mace and even new Jedi like Aayla Secura and Luminra Unduli. We’ve also got 9 clone characters, six favorites from the show, and four of which are being introduced for the first time in Republic Heroes. We’ve also included everyone’s favorite season one bounty hunter, Cad Bane, as a playable character.
The clone troopers, naturally, are tactical so they will have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal. Besides their trusty blasters, they come outfitted with EMP grenades and can pick up secondary weapons throughout each level, including thermal detonators, Rotary Blaster Cannons and even rocket launchers. Some clones will have their signature weapons like Captain Rex and his iconic dual pistols.
Much has been talked about the use of droid – jaking which enables Jedi characters to control droids. Would you mind elaborating on the ability? Is this utilized for fun new ways of taking out enemies, as a problem solving method, or both? Do Clone Troopers have any unique skills as well?
At anytime in the game, any droid in the game can be “droid jak’d,” wherein the Jedi can jump on top of it, jam their lighsaber into it, and take control of it. Enemies like Super Battle Droids can be turned into deadly moving turrets. Also, each droid reacts and operates differently when jak’d and can be used in both combat as well as puzzle solving. Clone troopers operate slightly different, instead of droid jaking they have the ability to hack or “slice” consoles. Often throughout the game you’ll reach areas where you’ll need to hack a console to progress further. The puzzles are pretty simple when you first start the game, but get progressively more difficulty the further you get in the game. But, the general premise is usually the same – line up a series of green power plates to get the power successfully re-routed. It sounds easy, but once in game you’ll have to contend with enemies firing on you while you’re trying to hack these consoles so you could be at the mercy of your squad or companion trooper to help you out.
Can you fill us in on any details regarding mini-games? Are they un-lockable? Are they accessed from the main menu or do they pop up within the regular story game play?
As you play through the game, “Instant Challenge” icons will pop up now and then. These “Instant Challenges” give players that extra dose of competitive gameplay, and break up the overall co-operative campaign. Instant Challenges are entirely optional so you can play them as often as you like or skip them altogether and progress with the story. Instant Challenges, for a short time, let you face off against the AI or another player in short, timed battles where the winner is rewarded with medals and bragging rights. There are quite a few different types, including droid destruction, collecting Force Orbs and even racing.
We know the game is set between seasons 1 and 2. Who created the game’s story and were those who work on the show involved (besides voice work)?
LucasArts has really tried to make Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes the most authentic Clone Wars video game experience out there. As such, we’ve worked closely with LucasFilm Animation and our partners at Krome Studios to make sure the characters and environments look just like they do in the show. We’ve also used all of the television series’ voice actors in the game, so you won’t be hearing any sound-alikes. Lastly, we enlisted one of the show writers to actually pen the story for the game. The story bridges the gap between season one and two of the show, giving fans and players a chance to play through a sort of virtual equivalent of what I’d call season 1.5.
I remember when The Force Unleashed was initially announced as not coming out on PC, there were one or two disappointed gamers out there. Was there a conscious effort from the beginning to include PC gamers in Republic Heroes or was that particular “console” added after the fact?
The PC version wasn’t an after thought or a late addition. We want to make sure Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes reaches the widest audience possible and we’re really excited that it will be releasing for the PC.
Continuing in parallels with TFU, can we expect any fun downloadable content down the road for various consoles? Anything that you can tease if not tell us outright? Maybe online multiplayer if the game takes off? (Had to try)
Right now we don’t have any plans for any DLC. But, don’t forget that a bit ago we did launch some very cool Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes-related Avatar Marketplace items. If you’ve been itching to outfit your Avatar with a clone helmet or lighsaber, now is your chance! We also have some specific Clone Wars Republic Heroes Premium Themes coming via Marketplace.
One last question, if I may (Ok it’s kind of 2): Anything you can let us know as to the future of The Clone Wars video games? If Republic Heroes is considered a success, can we expect more games along the same lines as companion pieces/tie-ins to future seasons of the series?
I can’t predict for certain what the future of Clone Wars videos games holds, but I can say that so far The Clone Wars has proven to be an enormous success for not only LucasFilm, but also LucasArts. Being the number one show on Cartoon Network last year, as well as being the overall number one boys’ brand of 2008, has really shown us that The Clone Wars is really finding a huge audience. And, this audience isn’t just kids. For many kids, The Clone Wars is really their first introduction to the Star Wars universe and parents who grew up loving those classic films are now introducing the franchise to their kids every Friday on Cartoon Network.
*Screenshots above, within the interview, are from the Xbox 360*
Screenshots from the Nintendo DS:
Screenshots from the Nintendo Wii:
Thanks again to the folks at LucasArts for their time as we eagerly await the release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes. Stay tuned to TFN for any new information that pops up between now and then!
Remember, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes hits stores on October 6, 2009 and will be available on the following gaming platforms:Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 2, Playstation Portable (PSP), Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, & PC.
Sep
11
2009
11
2009
Second Season of Clone Wars to Debut in October
By Kristin Brzoznowski
Published: August 26, 2009
ATLANTA: Coming off a record-setting first season, Star Wars: The Clone Wars returns with 22 all-new episodes on October 2 on Cartoon Network.
The CG-animated series from creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation will launch into its second season with a special one-hour event at 8 p.m. During its first season, premiere episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was number one on all TV with boys 6 to 11. Season two will introduce a host of new characters, locations and creatures, all set against the backdrop of the Star Wars universe.
