Star Wars Wii Game Revealed:

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Sept. 18, 2007 – “LucasArts today revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed™ will come to the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo next spring, offering owners the unique chance to live out their Jedi fan tasies by wielding the Wii Remote™ as a lightsaber while using the Nunchuk™ controller to torment foes with their Force™ powers.

The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice” and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game’s expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jed i – and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

The Wii version, in development by Krome Studios, will also add an exclusive duel mode in which players can compete head-to-head with their friends to determine the ultimate Jedi Master.

“The Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because t he console’s motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life,” said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. “We’ ve worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force.”

More About Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The Force Unleashed is the first next-generation game developed internally at LucasArts, and will be available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter, by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd.

“The combination of our great story, memorable characters, and the revolutionary new technology that we ‘re introducing will deliver something Star Wars fans have never seen before, in addition to attracting newcomers to gaming, something that is very important to us,” added Ward.

LucasArts and developer Krome Studios are creating an equally enthralling version of The Force Unleashed on the Wii, PlayStation®2 computer enter tainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and n-Space, Inc., is developing a version for the Nintendo DS™. All will feature the same storyline, with opportunities to unleash the Force in devastating new ways.

Working with Lucas Licensing, LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey and Palace Press.

More information about the game can be found at the official website, www.theforceunleashed.com, which will continue to release deta ils throughout the year.

About LucasArts

LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems, computers and the Internet. Based in San Francisco, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com , LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multifaceted entertainment company.

LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2007 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or TM as indicated. All rights reserved.

Wii, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo.

“PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, “PS” Family logo and “PSP ” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PSP(R) system - Memory Stick Duo(TM) may be required (sold separately).

Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United Stat es and/or other countries.”

More About: Star Wars Wii, LucasArts, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

An excerpt from a San Jose Mercury News interview with Jim Ward, President of LucasArts:

Q: Has the Wii changed the thinking in any way at LucasArts?

A: No, it hasn’t changed thinking. I’m excited by it. The Wii came out of nowhere. And by the way, with all due respect to Nintendo, they’re not the greatest at third-party relationships because they’re kind of focused on their own games. So we didn’t really know a whole lot about this thing, and they weren’t out there trumpeting, “We’re going to broaden the industry.” They just kind of let it happen. But that direction and that effort - I’m on a mountaintop cheering that on. And so . . . for us, there was a bit of a wait-and-see in terms of “Well, what in the hell is this thing even?” and “Is it going to take off?” But the minute we understood what it was, we began development.

More About: LucasArts

Thrillville: Off the Rails heads to Wii, DS

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – July 3, 2007 – LucasArts today announced that Thrillville, the videogame where players create and experience the theme park of their dreams, will open its gates for a whole new season in Thrillville: Off the Rails. Featuring some of the most outlandish roller-coaster concepts ever imagined, as well as new ways to talk to park guests and a wider array of carnival games, this October release amps up the family-friendly mix of gameplay that made the original Thrillville such a hit. Frontier Developments returns to create Off the Rails, which will scream onto the Xbox 360™ videogame system from Microsoft, Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Games for Windows and, with the help of developer DC Studios, Nintendo DS™.

Off the Rails lives up to its name with 20 death-defying rides so outrageous, they inspire the same word from every park visitor who sees them: “WHOA!” Players build these incredible “WHOA Coasters” to leap from one track to another, launch through the air like cannonballs, blast through burning rings of fire and more.

A new lighthearted story ties together more than 100 missions, complete with 34 playable multiplayer theme-park games and improved social interaction with park guests. The in-depth conversations both advance the plot and suggest better ways to manage the park. But is every guest to be trusted? One never knows when a rival from the nefarious Globo-Joy might attempt to sabotage Thrillville parks with deceptive information…

“Between its amazing new WHOA Coasters, improved socialization, and a huge selection of minigames, Thrillville: Off the Rails is practically three great games in one, and it offers a fantastic bang for the buck,” said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. “We’re also excited to introduce the franchise to four new platforms so that even more families can enjoy the Thrillville experience together.”

“Together, LucasArts and Frontier challenged ourselves to improve upon everything that made the original Thrillville such a success,” said David Braben, chairman and founder of Frontier. “I believe that we have more than met this challenge, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Thrillville achieves some ‘record attendance’ with Off the Rails.”

Meanwhile, “attendance” of the original Thrillville should soon rise even higher, as it has achieved Greatest Hits status for the PlayStation 2 and PSP systems, as well as joined the new Platinum Family Hits line for the Xbox® videogame system from Microsoft. Now, families can experience the No. 1 original children’s franchise of 2006 for only $19.99 at participating locations.

For more information on Thrillville: Off the Rails, please visit the official website at www.lucasarts.com.

More About: Thrillville: Off the Rails, Wii

Thi is the Wii games lineup for the E3 (minus Nintendo made titles):
Atari:

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
Godzilla Unleashed

Capcom:

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure

Crave:

Brunswick Pro Bowling
Dave Mirra BMX Challenge
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

D3 Publisher:

Ben 10: Protector of Earth
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution

Disney Interactive Studios:

High School Musical: Sing It!

Electronic Arts:

Boogie
NBA Live 08
Madden NFL 08
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
Need for Speed ProStreet

Gamecock:

Mushroom Men

LucasArts:

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Natsume:

Harvest Moon Wii

Sierra Entertainment:

Crash of the Titans
Geometry Wars: Galaxies

Warner Bros. Interactive:

Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal

An excerpt from a Fin24 article:

The head of the LucasArts, the game division for “Star Wars” series creator George Lucas, told AFP a Wii game that lets players wield virtual light sabers is on the horizon.

“The Wii opens up a range of creative possibilities for new and innovative game design,” said Disney Interactive Studios vice president Craig Relyea.

“Our Pirates of the Caribbean game for the Wii lets you slash and thrust with the Wii remote just as someone would do using a sword for combat. We wouldn’t have been able to offer those controls on any other platform.”

Source

More About: Star Wars, light sabers

Nintendo Wii won the “breakthough award” at the Spike TV Video Game Awards held last night.

A full list of winners is included below:

GAME OF THE YEAR
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Tony Hawk Project 8 (Activision/Neversoft)

BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
NBA2K7 (2K Sports/Visual Concepts)

BEST SONG
“Lights and Sounds” by YellowCard in Burnout Revenge-XBOX 360 (Electronic
Arts/Criterion Games)

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Guitar Hero II (Red Octane/Harmonix)

STUDIO OF THE YEAR
Epic Games (Gears of War)

BEST WIRELESS GAME
SWAT Force (Vivendi/KAOLink)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN - MALE
Patrick Stewart in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN - FEMALE
Vida Guerra in Scarface: The World is Yours (Vivendi/Radical
Entertainment)

BEST CAST
Family Guy (2K Games/High Voltage Software)

MOST ADDICTIVE
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

CRITIC’S CHOICE
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo/Nintendo EAD)

BEST DRIVING GAME AWARD
Burnout Revenge-XBOX 360 (Electronic Arts/Criterion Games)

BEST ACTION GAME
Dead Rising (Capcom)

CYBER VIXEN OF THE YEAR
Alyx Vance - Half-Life 2: Episode 1 (Valve)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST FIGHTING GAME
Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Midway Games)

BEST PC GAME
Company of Heroes (THQ/Relic)

BEST RPG
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST SHOOTER
Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games)

BEST MILITARY GAME
Company of Heroes (THQ/Relic)

BEST GRAPHICS
Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games)

BEST HANDHELD GAME
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo/Nintendo EAD)

BEST MULTI-PLAYER GAME
Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games)

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY
WII (Nintendo)

BEST GAME BASED ON A MOVIE OR TV SHOW
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller’s Tales)

BEST SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE
James Gandolfini in The Sopranos: Road to Respect (THQ/7 Studios)

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Rachel Leigh Cook in Kingdom Hearts II (Square Enix)

GAMERS CHOICE: BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Rosario Dawson in Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
(Atari/The Collective)

GAMERS CHOICE: CHARACTER OF THE YEAR
“Jack Sparrow” portrayed by Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Legend of Jack Sparrow (Bethesda Softworks/7Studios/Buena Vista Games)

More About: Nintendo, Wii, breakthough award, Spike TV Video Game Awards

Codaname Revolution has gotten their hands on the November issue of Nintendo Power and has done a summary of whats in it:

• UPDATE 1: One of the first Wii game ads: Trauma Center: Second Opinion. It shows an appointment note and at the bottom it states “General Surgeon’s Warning: Trauma Center and Wii are an addictive combination that may result in prolonged fun for everyone. Early detection and preordering are key to achieving all the possible entertainment that these items can provide.” Another ad appears which has been seen before for Red Steel.

• UPDATE 2: [I almost had the “big one” when I saw Star Wars: New Alliance right on top of the Prepare for (Wii) Launch and realized it was for handhelds, oh well] Most of the Prepare for Launch feature is already known. Also info on Strikers and BWii, but nothing new. However a list of 33 launch window games are listed! They are the following:

1. The Ant Bully
2. Avatar: The Last Airbender
3. Barnyard
4. Blazing Angels
5. Call of Duty 3
6. Cars
7. Chicken Little: Ace in Action
8. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
9. Elebits
10. Excite Truck
11. Far Cry: Vengeance
12. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
13. GT Pro Series
14. Happy Feet
15. Ice Age 2
16. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
17. Madden NFL 07
18. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
19. Metal Slug Anthology
20. Monster 4×4 World Circuit
21. Need for Speed: Carbon
22. Open Season
23. Rampage
24. Rapala Tournament Fishing
25. Rayman Raving Rabbids
26. Red Steel
27. Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
28. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
29. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent
30. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam
31. Trauma Center: Second Opinion
32. Wii Sports
33. World Series of Poker

• UPDATE 3: We should see more Commodore Games from Epyx on the Virtual Console which are confirmed to be in the works.

• UPDATE 4: News we have already heard about but it’s interesting that Nintendo Power points it out such as Spore possibly making it to the Wii and Lucasarts & Radical working on next-gen Game.

• UPDATE 5: Here comes the Wii previews. First is Elebits with new screens, it’ll have over 15 stages and a multi-player mode. Monster 4×4, not much new except that it will look better than its predecessor and that is good to know! Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, two new screens and the game will have areas like Chicago shopping mall, Edinburgh castle, Hong Kong waterfront and the game will have 100 events from 30sec-4min sprints/marathons. Far Cry: Vengeance, three new screens and the graphics are horrible, (N64-1.5 horrible) but it is obvious the game is in an early build. Avatar, three new screens and the game plays similar to X-men Legends. Rayman isn’t necessarily a Wario-ware like title as all the mini-games are part of the story. Barnyard will utlize the Wii-mote and you can do things like break boxes, shake jugs of milk to turn them into cream and in one screenshot it looks like a Golf mini-game feature as well.

• UPDATE 6: A four-page Madden NFL 07 feature. Most of it is known but the screenshots made me think of DS. Of course the graphics shown in video previews are a million times better than what is shown here. Game has as 2on2 Minigame where four athletes face off in a narrowed field and each team has four downs to make it to the end zone. Next mini-game is a Kicking Combine in which the player has to kick the ball and it has to land on what is displayed on the screen. Next is Y.A.C. Attack Minigame which rotates players into the quarterback position so you can pass and run. Defenders get points for stopping his own man and another. The game will look much better, it will have double the textures the GCN version had, more-realistic lighing/shadows and a higher polygon count. Grass is a great example which shows off a realistic treatment.

• UPDATE 7: Next is a three-page feature on Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. A Banana Blitz poster is included in this issue! Few new screens. Game has eight themed worlds and additional worlds to be unlocked and each world consists of eight puzzle stages plus a boss. Bosses like a pirate-like ape and a sasquatch. The rest of the feature shows off mini-games we may have already seen, except perhaps Squash mini-game where you wield the Wii-mote like a tennis racket and the great part is it is not on rails! Meaning you can control the character with the analog stick while playing Squash.

• UPDATE 8: Next up is a three-page feature on Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Many new screens. Game has 17 locations and Dr. Doom seems to be the main baddy. Rhino, Scropion, Shocker, Thunderball, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Mysterio and Dragon Man are some of the villains in the game. Galactus is in the game. Stan Lee interview reveals that The Watcher is in the game. Ultimate Alliance is Stan’s favorite game and a sequel will eventually happen. Nick Fury and Silver Surfer are two unlockable characters. Marvel Ultimate Comic Book fans will recognize some of the storylines and battles in the game.

• UPDATE 9: The Stuff of Legends (Zelda) Part 2 (continued from October Issue): Top 5 Minigames - Money Making, Fishing, Scenic Photo Spots, Private Oasis Puzzle and Tingle Tower Games. Top 5 Items/Weapons - Hookshot, Ocarina of Time, Mirror Shield, Master Sword and Bombs. Top 5 Dungeons - Death Mountain, Dark Palace, Forest Temple, Stone Tower Temple and Forsaken Fotress. Nintendo Power Playback features Ducktales (released September 1989) for the NES (definitely one of the greats). Mini-previews of Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck and Ducktales 2. Capcom is confirmed to support the VC, hopefully Ducktales will make it.

• UPDATE 10: Nintendo Power interviews Hawthorne Heights who are heading for the Fusion Tour. Matt from the group says “We already held the controller..it makes me happy that it’s not $8,000 like the other systems are going to be.“ JT (who is looking foward to Zelda) says “We were pretty impressed. I didn’t know that that’s what it was going to be like. I just thought it would just be, you know, the next Nintendo system. But it looks like it’s going to be something totally different than anybody’s done before.”

• UPDATE 11: Next Month - Countdown to Launch - “The Wii-volution is about to begin, and Nintendo Power is on the front lines. We’ll have complete coverage of launch plans, titles, and reasons why Wii will change gaming as we know it.”

During the Comic-Con event in San Diego, representatives from LucasArts confirmed that all three next-gen systems are part of their upcoming line-up, Nintendo Wii included.

According to IGN, when questioned about a possible Star Wars Wii title, a likeness between the Wii-mote and a lightsaber were made, as well as reaffirming all systems will be covered. Could this allow for a Wii Star Wars exclusive?

source: Cubed3

More About: LucasArts, Nintendo Wii, Star Wars Wii, Wii-mote, ightsaber

The last publication of EGM entrusts to us two rumours in connection with our liked well Wii. If rumours well are said, it is known however that EGM is a highly reliable source which is seldom mistaken.

On the one hand, it seems that following E3, much of third editors are transforming their projects for the PS3 into projects for Wii. (And thus in future Wii plays.) It is obviously thanks or because of the high price of the PS3 and to the very good reception reserved for Wii at the time of the demonstration.

Second rumour, LucasArts entrust that they wish to answer waitings of the many fans of Wii. A play Star Wars would be exclusive in Wii and would include engagements with the sabre laser thanks to Wiimote and its vibration modes and sound!
Imagine already the sound of the sabre when you split the air, the vibrations when you entrechoquez it with another sabre!

May the Wii Be with you!

More About: EGM, Wii, LucasArts, Star Wars, sabre laser, Wiimote

LucasArts has announced it’s E3 software lineup.No game for the nintendo Wii is Announced in the list but we think that nintendo wants to keep it secret until his conference.

This is the announced line up:

• Indiana Jones (360/PS3)
  Featuring an entirely new story and being directed by George Lucas himself, this Jones title promises next generation combat as our hero travels the world of 1939.
• Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
  Appearing on current generation consoles and the Xbox 360, this followup to the successful Lego Star Wars promises over 50 characters, vehicular combat, and a new Create-A-LEGO-character feature.
• Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (PC)
  This expansion pack to Star Wars Empire at War allows gamers to play not only both sides of the Force, but work inside the Light side with the goal of corruption.
• Thrillville (PS2, Xbox, PSP)
  This brand new series puts gamers in charge of creating their own amusement park in which they can overlook go-kart tracks, bumper cars, and “amazing” rollercoasters.
• Traxion (PSP)
  Exclusive to PSP, Traxion features various minigames that change according to what song is playing from the user’s MP3 library.