Force Unleashed: Downloadable Content Update…

Some new information pertaining to The Force Unleashed downloadable content has been posted by MTV.com (Via: TheForce.net).

“I spoke with “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” project lead Haden Blackman late last week about the game’s newly-announced autumn downloadable content of new player characters and a bonus Jedi Temple level.

A few things came up that hadn’t made the press release that I believe are important for gamers to know, since they show how LucasArts is handling its DLC differently than many other publishers and developers:

The New Level Stands Alone: Players will access the new Jedi Temple level through the game’s main menu and will not be able to use the character they controlled in the campaign. To compensate, the developers are giving players a pool of Force points, so they can spec a new character just for the extra mission. (This is a different approach than the one taken by BioWare, which required players to proceed a couple of hours into “Mass Effect” before being able to visit the new planets introduced in that game’s “Bring Down the Sky” DLC pack.)

The Game’s New Level Is Actually New: As publishers and developers have embraced the idea of DLC, we’ve also seen them embrace the idea of faking DLC by locking content on the discs we buy and charging people to download a key to access that content. That approach merely creates the illusion that new content is being downloaded after a game’s release, when it’s really being unlocked on something that shipped weeks earlier. Thankfully, that’s not the case with the new “Star Wars” Jedi Temple level being offered to Xbox 360 and PS3 owners. Blackman told me: “We waited until we were in submission [to the console manufacturers] on the core product…then we had the conversation internally about whether it made sense to downloadable content.”

That means that not only is the Jedi Temple level not already on gamers’ discs, but that it was designed in mid-Summer with the benefit of knowledge gained by making the full “Force Unleashed” game. “As we went through the development process on ‘The Force Unleashed’ we learned a lot of things, as we do with all games,” Blackman said. And were able to apply those to the Jedi Temple [level].” He said the team is actually trying “new things” with the Jedi Temple level. “We knew the two or three we want to try with something like this.”

Despite what you’ve heard, you haven’t seen the level before. The Jedi Temple level is not featured in “The Force Unleashed” novel or comic book. It’s also not the same as the Jedi Temple level in the Krome-developed PS2, PSP and Wii versions. It was one of three locations considered for a DLC level. An idea that almost made the cut was the Coruscant Senate Chamber. Throwing all those chairs would have been fun, Blackman noted. He described the new level as “highly destructive, very iconic and fun to build.”

The New Characters Are Skins: The announced DLC of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker and other characters — as well as bonus Dark Apprentice costumes — are all going to be skins for the existing player-protagonist. So when you play as Luke, he’ll hold his lightsaber the way the Dark Apprentice does. He’ll animate like the Dark Apprentice.

No ‘Soul Calibur’ Reciprocity: The DLC characters will all be from “Star Wars” lore. None will be from “Soul Calibur,” even though the Dark Apprentice, Yoda and Darth Vader all showed up in “Soul Calibur IV” earlier this year. Blackman said that there are still more “Star Wars” DLC characters to be announced: “We held back some that hopefully people will be excited about.”

This Is But A Grand Experiment: I asked Blackman why LucasArts would greenlight a downloadable level, offering motivations as disparate as creative freedom to discouraging new owners of the game from trading it in. His response highlighted an altogether different motivation: ‘From a company standpoint we’re really interested in downloadable content. We want to find ways to make that work for us and build games around it… This is one of the biggest things we’ve ever done in terms of downloadable content. It’s a chance for us to experiment a little bit, to see what works and what doesn’t and to be able to apply those learnings to future games.

“It’s also a chance for the team to hone their skills and … allows us to start gathering metrics in the event that we do a sequel or want to do more levels. It gives us the ability to really figure out those metrics and say okay. It’s really hard to take the data from working on the initial product whenever you’re building a game with a lot of tech and building it from the ground up, because so much of it is evolving together. So much of it is iterative. And with this particular process, because we know the tech, because we know how to design one of these levels and what it really works, it’s much easier to get clear metrics. How much time does it take for an artist to light a level? How much does it take to build geometry for a level? It’s a really good information-gathering tool. And this, quite frankly, was also something the team wanted to do.”

Force Unleashed: Now available on mobile handsets across the world…

Kotaku has made a post announcing that The Force Unleashed is now available on mobile handsets across the world. Included are: iPhone, Nokia’s N-Gage gaming platform, and more than 850 different cellular handsets.

THQ today announces that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is now available on mobile handsets the world over. This includes the iPhone, where it has been lurking for quite awhile, Nokia’s N-Gage gaming platform, and more than 850 different cellular handsets. Should you pick it up? Well Star Wars plus iPhone equals extra nerd chic of course, and Star Wars plus N-Gage equals you might as well, you obviously went out of your way for an N-Gage platform supporting phone.

As for the remaining 850 handsets, this is a good time to check and see if your phone needs upgrading. If yours isn’t one of the 850 you obviously need to step up to a newer model, unless that military field phone is part of your whole campy, retro vibe.

THQ WIRELESS UNLEASHES THE FORCE TO HANDSETS WORLDWIDE

Star Wars®: The Force UnleashedT available for download on iPhone, N-Gage and feature phone handsets

LightsaberT Unleashed now available to fans via the iTunes App Store

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - September 29, 2008 - THQ Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI), today announced Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is now available for download on more than 850 handsets globally, including the iPhoneTM, iPod® touch and N-Gage devices. The game casts players as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed offers truly cinematic action in breathtaking 3D visuals. Players will assist Darth Vader in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny. The game introduces the CellWeaverT mobile control system (created by THQ Wireless’ development studio, Universomo) where players can form sequence patterns through the phone’s keypad allowing them to feel and use the Force.

The LightsaberT Unleashed, available for free today on the iTunes® App Store, offers features directly from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, including: · Multiple lightsaber colors and hilts that correspond to the main characters in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, including Darth Vader, The Secret Apprentice and more · All-new music from the game · Hidden treats, including character dialogue directly from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed mobile game coincides with the worldwide debut of the LucasArts videogame which is now available on the Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo WiiT and Nintendo DST, PLAYSTATION®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems and PSP®.

THQ Wireless’ growing line of successful Star Wars titles span several genres including the side-scrolling Revenge of the Sith, space shooter Battle Above Coruscant, first person shooter Battlefront Mobile, and action titles like LEGO Star Wars Mobile and LEGO Star Wars II Mobile.

Force Unleashed: LucasArts announces downloadable content…

LucasArts made an announcement today that there will be additional content coming for The Force Unleashed. The new content will be made available for XBOX 360 owners via the XBOX marketplace and for Playstation 3 owners via the Playstation network. Unfortunately, they still haven’t addressed any of the game glitches or freezes.

The downloadable content is being created by LucasArts internal development team and as well as the downloadable content there will be additional themes and picture packs will also be released over time.
Pricing and availability for the downloadable content will be released on a later date.

The first of the downloadable content will consist of additional costumes and character models that can used while playing through the single-player campaign, including Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Kit Fisto.

The second of the downloadable content, which will be released later on this year, will include an entirely new single-player mission, set in the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant. Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice turns to the Jedi Temple to learn more about his father, and while searching through the rubble of the destroyed building he must confront his inner demons.

PrimaGames: Force Unleashed Game Guide Givaway!…

Courtesy of Prima Games, we’ll be giving out 3 Force Unleashed official Prima game guides over the next few weeks! All you have to do to be randomly entered in a weekly draw, is to stop over at our Force Unleashed forums, drop a friendly hello, along with your email address and just like that, be entered in a random draw for a free game guide!

Our forums are located here!

Of course there are a few requirements and rules.

1. Anybody with a valid email address can be entered. (Even internationally)
2. You have 24 hours to respond to our email or there will be another draw.
3. Don’t just leave your email address and run away, at least say a few words. Any posts with just an email address will be disqualified.
4. Be courteous and check out Prima Games Force Unleashed page located here, just to show your appreciation for a great promotion.

That’s it! You can also download a quick preview of Prima Games, game guide here!

Will ‘Force Unleashed’ be the next ‘Star Wars’ film?…

I was very intrigued to read this article posted by the LA.Times. Basically they are saying that it quite possible that this maybe the next Star Wars movies. This would definitely be a killer story as well as a great movie, at least there wouldn’t be as many glitches… Just kidding…

I thought that I did read somewhere though, that after The Revenge of the Sith, that would be the last real Star Wars movie, although I could be mistaken, if someone wants to let me know.

What do you guys think, should there be a Force Unleashed movie, or would it be a complete waste of time. I’m definitely interested to hear your comments.

I would like to thank everybody on behalf of forceunleashed.org for all their support, during our long wait for the release of the game, I appreciate it very much, with that note I have launched another site covering the news on the rumored, Knights of the Old Republic 3 - MMO. You can check it out here, I could use the support!

Here is the post from the LA.Times:

Haden Blackman, the project leader on “The Force Unleashed” video game, has a daydream: He strolls into the movie theater, buys some popcorn and then sits down and watches his game’s tale of Darth Vader and his secret apprentice flicker to life as cinema.

“Oh, that would be incredible,” said Blackman. “And it’s not impossible. Never say never. George [Lucas] has looked to tell new ‘Star Wars’ stories through the games and with the entire Star Wars Expanded Universe, and then he has also shown a willingness to let the characters come into the films. Look at Aayla Secura, a creation in the [Dark Horse] comic books who became part of the theatrical films.”

More than that, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” released in August, began as a television animated series (and still will be, with tie-in episodes premiering Oct. 3 on Cartoon Network), but when Lucas saw the work in progress he decided to take the tale to the cineplex. That film has gotten mixed reviews, to say the least, but Lucas doesn’t seem to care a bit about the opinion of any detractors when it comes to his historic entertainment enterprise and its directions.

Dark Horse has also released a graphic novel version of “The Force Unleashed” and, to my mind, it’s more satisfying than the game — although in full disclosure, that’s not saying much, because I am far more of a reader than a gamer. Blackman not only penned the story for the graphic novel, he also has a lavish 224-page book titled “The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” that celebrates the images and behind-the-scenes labor on the game as if it already were a major motion picture. An adapatation of the film in a traditional prose novel written by Australian sci-fi author Sean Williams also hit No. 1 on the New York Times list of hardcover fiction bestsellers and now, after four weeks, is at No. 14 on that tally.

Lucas is clearly pleased with this new entry to the broader “Star Wars” story and I would not be surprised for a moment to see it on a theater marquee at a CG-animated project in the next few years, especially with the intensifying Hollywood interest in video games and toys as film properties. There’s also the very real power of putting Darth Vader on a movie poster in the theater lobbies of America.

If the “The Force Unleashed” does become a movie, Blackman said it would be a testament to the priorities and sophisticated ideas of his team, who he says puts storytelling and game-play on equal footing and emphasized “the artistic nature” of the quickly changing video-game medium. “It’s an incredible time,” he said, “to be telling powerful stories in this fairly young medium.”

Perhaps, but like the most recent film addition to the Lucas universe, there was huge pre-release anticipation for “The Force Unleashed,” followed by widespread grumbling. It hit stores Sept. 16 and topped the 1-million units sales mark in its first five days, according to industry retail reports, but the reviews have been decidedly mixed.

Here’s the take, for instance, by Hero Complex contributor Pete Metzger, who reviewed the game for the Los Angeles Times and echoed many other underwhelmed gamers:

Most of the things that make up the “Star Wars” universe these days — movies, TV shows, toys and video games — are lacking the magic that made the original trilogy of films so incredible. Gone are the spectacle and awe. Instead, we get halfhearted disappointments (such as the current “Clone Wars” animated movie).

Sadly, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is no exception. It should be an amazing story bridge between Episodes 3 and 4 and one that boasts groundbreaking new artificial intelligence and gaming technology. But Unleashed fails to register the tremor in the Force we were hoping for.

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