Today, LucasArts released the first info on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The next chapter in the Star Wars saga, which casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice” and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game will be release in November, 2007. Below you can find the product description and first concept art images:

The Star Wars saga continues this November in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, 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 Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

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 (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics™ system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.

Features

• During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
  
• Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
  
• Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:
  o The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
  o The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
  
• In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
  
• Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility.
  
• Decisions made by players throughout the game will determine the path of the story, including multiple endings that will rock Star Wars continuity as they know it.
  
• The Force Unleashed is LucasArts' first internally developed title for next-generation consoles, and it represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic, two companies now finally under one roof at the new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco's Presidio district.
  
• The Force Unleashed debuts Digital Molecular Matter from Pixelux and euphoria behavioral simulation from NaturalMotion Ltd.
  
• LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of 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.

FIFA 07 has 42 teams in its international division. Some of the more notable exclusions are Japan (who made it into the round of 16 in the 2002 World Cup, but whose licensing rights currently belong to Konami. Althrough the team is only playable in the Xbox 360 version), the Netherlands (which also has their national league featured in the game and is also only playable in the Xbox 360 version), and Ghana which has made it to the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup. The following international teams are playable in the current generation consoles (list does not currently note differences in the Xbox 360 version).

Ahh man, ever since I saw a video of what the next gen systems meant for star wars games I've been excited to see when the next game would come out. Well, it's here:

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12781/Star-W...ashed-Revealed/
[/list](check out the video I'm talking about here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WDUQYc_OeVg )

The New Technology of The Force Unleashed

With The Force Unleashed, LucasArts not only introduces a new chapter in the Star Wars saga, but also two completely new and innovative technologies -- Digital Molecular Matter by Pixelux Entertainment and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. These groundbreaking technologies combine with Havoc physics to create true next-gen gameplay and the Force like it's never been seen or experienced before.

Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) by Pixelux Entertainment
What is DMM? DMM -- exclusive to LucasArts for any game releases through September 2008 -- brings an unprecedented level of realism to the new generation of consoles by making completely interactive environments that react as they would in real life. From crumbling walls to shattering glass and even swaying organic plant life, in-game objects have material properties that behave realistically all in real time and without using a single frame of animation.

If a structure exists -- big or small, dense or thin, floppy or rigid -- DMM causes it to react in the same way dictated by reality. For example, unlike what you'd see in games of the previous generation, wood doesn't simply break apart along a predetermined seam every time -- rather, it splinters into countless pieces from the exact point of impact, also taking into account the amount of sheer force exerted. The same rules apply to any substance imaginable: Rubber bends and snaps back into place. Glass shatters. Crystal fractures. Stone crumbles. Carbonite (yes, the very alloy that encased Han Solo) dents.

How does it benefit The Force Unleashed? With DMM in action, a Jedi unleashes the Force like never before. His violent Force push hurtles a helpless stormtrooper through a stone column, blasting it apart. Moments later, the sudden lack of support causes the building to smash to the ground, piece by piece. Meanwhile, a virtual Jabba the Hutt presides over his court, as rolls of gelatinous fat bounce and jiggle thanks to a body composed of DMM.

euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd.
What is euphoria? A revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria simulates the unpredictability of real life where no two experiences are ever the same. For the first time ever, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff ever single time.

How does it benefit The Force Unleashed? Imagine a simple Force push aimed at stormtroopers on a narrow bridge. With euphoria in action, characters visibly attempt to balance themselves: Their feet stumble, their arms flail, and their hands reach for security as the force exuded toward them threatens to send them plummeting to their doom. Perhaps they all survive. Perhaps they all fall. The use of euphoria means the action isn't scripted -- it's simulated -- so you'll never be able to predict exactly what will happen, no matter how many times you've experienced a certain scenario.

Here's a video for examples of how DMM works: http://youtube.com/watch?v=m4EF9IkhAOo&mode=related&search=
Here's a video for example of how euphria works: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lVpLWnF3MWA&mode=related&search=

a couple of games i'm really looking forward to are Bioshock and Battlefield Bad Company

That is absolutely insane. The game looks like its going to be incredible. Would it be like most of the other Star Wars games that have been made, in that you choose whether you are good or evil or is the story line set?

All I know is basically what I posted, but most games do the 'good or evil' thing, so I imagine this one will too considering it is based completely off of that. That being said, you are the secret prodigy of Darth Vader between the 3rd and 4th movie, so it would seem you are supposed to be on the dark side, but I would imagine you can choose.

This is not good news for me. I'm too old to become a complete video game addict, again.

(Playing Ranbow Six: Vegas right now, and loving it. Love the multi-player games. Little kids are kicking my [censored] all over the place, though. )

Production Diary: A Tale of Many Storylines
March 01, 2007

[ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Production Diaries ] Get an Insider's look at the making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed every week from Assistant Producer Brett Rector. Formerly editor-in-chief of Star Wars Insider magazine, Brett's been a collector and fan of Star Wars since 1977.

In the last diary, I wrote about how the team solidified the vision for The Force Unleashed -- the over-the-top Force powers that make up the core of the game. In this installment, I want to discuss how the team arrived at the main character and the time period.

One of the filters we have at LucasArts is that in addition to great gameplay there must be a great story to accompany the title we're making. And while we have an exceptionally compelling storyline for The Force Unleashed fully developed, it wasn't the first idea the team had for the game. In fact, the idea of playing Darth Vader's secret apprentice during the era between Episodes III and IV wasn't even among the first concepts the team came up with.

[ Production Diary: A Tale of Many Storylines ] At the beginning of development -- the pre-production phase -- the team was presented with the challenge of generating many ideas for the next great Star Wars game. The goal was to develop several concepts that could be presented to the executive team, George Lucas, Star Wars fans, and gamers for feedback. Some ideas never made it past the brainstorming phase, while others received a healthy bit of attention, including detailed concept art, story overviews, and even pre-vis animations. Some of the concepts that survived long enough to be discussed with George Lucas included a story about the early heroes of the Rebellion, a game centered on a superheroic Wookiee character, and a game featuring a gadget-wielding mercenary. George provided a ton of insightful and helpful feedback, helping the team to pick and choose features and story elements from a variety of the concepts. Some of the ideas were also tempered by George because they either didn't fit his vision for Star Wars or were in line with things he has considered for the future (perhaps dealing with the animated series, or possibly the live-action show -- you'll have to wait a little while for that information).

One of the most exciting things to come out of these early meetings was the era in which the game would take place. George fully supported setting the game in the time period between Episodes III and IV. This was a huge boon for the project because this was an era that was previously untouchable by any licensed Star Wars projects -- no books, comics, or games had ever really explored this fertile time period. We were excited about it because it gave us an opportunity to craft a story that could truly be seen as the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, show events that had only been referenced (such as Darth Vader's hunt for the last of the Jedi), and include some familiar characters in key roles. Once the team was able to hone in on this historical point in time, it was up to the group to collaborate on what story we would tell and how we would tell it.

The next big milestone in the development of the story was the creation of the main character. At George's prompting, the team was motivated to develop a brand new protagonist. Based upon feedback from him, focus test respondents, the executive team at LucasArts, and others, the development team eventually rallied around the character of Darth Vader's secret apprentice. Over time, his backstory, personality, and motivations were solidified by the design team. The Apprentice has since become the perfect vehicle for a game all about the Force Unleashed -- wielding Force powers that are amped up and in some cases totally out of control.

Developing the Apprentice's appearance took many months of hard work by the talented concept artists on the team. Stay tuned for my next diary installment, where I'll go inside the concept art process and introduce you to some of the talented people who helped bring the vision for the game to life.

I sold my old Nintendo (The first one that ever came out..) It had the Mario Bros 1, and 3. I had the Ninja game (Forget the name?) And a baseball one for it. Decent stuff, they weren't easy to beat back than either. Mario bros are classic either way.

I have a huge collection of consoles and games.
-NES (3 of these)
-SNES (2 of these)
-Genesis (+32X)
-N64
-PS2
-GameCube

...and somewhere around 300 games in all.
I bust 'em out now and again, I love classic gaming.
Older games were able to focus on things other than graphics.
(my TV needs more inputs lol)

Oh and for the oldies here, I still have my Intellivision, Atari 2600, and C64

^^^
You got that right,
I'm considering replaying it soon.

(I love having a huge NES collection)

Wasn't this the first Nintendo? Or was the Atari?

Atari 2600 came out in 1977 (originally called the VCS)
Intellivision in 1980
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) came out in 1985

So, while the NES was the first Nintendo machine,
Atari 2600 was out 8 years previous

Atari 2600 came out in 1977 (originally called the VCS)
Intellivision in 1980
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) came out in 1985

So, while the NES was the first Nintendo machine,
Atari 2600 was out 8 years previous

Btw, anyone here play NFS:Carbon? I'm thinking of getting that game for PS2 (It's out for Ps2 right?) but I'm not sure if it's worth it. I've almost beaten Underground (Yeah, I'm 4 years behind) so I'll need a new racing game in case I'm bored.

You forgot Coleco Vision in between that. A personal favourite of mine

IIRC Colecovision was just a repackaged Intellivision.

Did Intellivision have the Atari adapter ??

yup

and all Intellivision and Colecovision games are interchangeable.

edit:
just did some research, and they were NOT the same system,
but the cartridges were interchangeable.

Wii (only wii sports so far)
.

Our amigos from Spanish site Consolas.com, have obtained eleven images of the unannounced Xbox 360 Elite Edition, previously known as Zephyr. For those living under a rock, this new Xbox 360 is rumored to have a built-in HDMI port and comes with a larger, 120 GB HD, and HDMI cable and a sexy black finish. It has been rumored too that all the new black accessories will be available separately.

The pictures posted by Consolas.com show the Elite as well as all the accessories. Turning the white Xbox 360 into a black one is an easy task for someone with basic Photoshop skills, so we are quite doubtful about the authenticity of these images.

Fake or real? You decide:

London PS3 Launch Gives Out TVs to All


How's this for nice?

The BBC is reporting that everyone who purchased a PS3 at the London launch of the console received a free 46-inch HD television and a taxi ride home.

Holy!

That's About GBP 250,000 worth of televisions and cab rides to more than 100 gamers. The guy at the front of the line waited a whopping 36 hours.

So let me get this straight. Wait two days in the U.S. for a PS3 and you get a gut full of shot. Wait two days in the UK for a PS3 and you get a free cab ride and television.

OK, no more whining about how you guys had to wait longer. Brian Crecente

Not sure how many of you heard, but rumor has it that there is a new Xbox 360 coming out. IMO they are doing this so that they have everything the Sony has, like hdmi output. Anyways, feeding the rumor is this link:

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/13078/Xbox-3...eal-You-Decide/
Go check out the pics for yourself.

Hopefully it is real, because it'll be at the time I want to get an xbox that it comes out, and then I will get this one.

The Internet has been a-swirl this past week with rumors—and somewhat confirming images of varying quality—that Microsoft would be introducing an “Elite” Xbox 360 system. Earlier today, Microsoft called TeamXbox to say that it was an imminent reality…and that not everything you heard was correct.

Before all the Elite details were passed along, John Rodman, Microsoft’s group product manager for the Xbox platform and Xbox Live, offered up some recent highlights to show the strength of the Xbox 360 console over its competitors. For instance, he noted that sales charts released by The NPD Group have had an Xbox 360 titles in the number one position in each of the last four months: Gears of War in November and December, Lost Planet in January and Crackdown in February.

Additionally, the system has had five titles that have sold more than one million units. In addition to Call of Duty 2, Gears of War, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Madden NFL 07, Rodman stated that the Xbox Live Arcade release of Uno has had more than one million copies purchased.

Rodman also pointed out some Xbox Live Marketplace stats: The service has had over 135 million downloads with more than 70% of the Xbox 360’s “connected customers” downloading content. He also revealed that more than 40% of the time that an Xbox 360 is being used is devoted to non-gaming content, such as viewing photos, watching TV programs and movies, and listening to music.

He also noted that the Video Marketplace service currently has over 1500 hours of content available, with more than 25% offered in high definition. In the way of activity, Rodman indicated that there were over 380,000 downloads of the free “South Park” episode that Microsoft and Comedy Central offered earlier this month; and that there were about 470,000 downloads of the trailer for the movie “300.”

This kind of activity is an indication of how popular Video Marketplace has been since its introduction: Rodman claimed it’s first in online distribution of TV and film content to the living room, first in high-definition downloadable content and second (next to Apple’s iTunes service) in the number of online TV and film downloads. Those stats, Rodman told TeamXbox, are why more content providers are looking at Xbox Live with interest and contacting Microsoft about becoming partners.

Then Rodman shifted to what he called “the worst-kept secret ever.” The Xbox 360 Elite System will debut in stores on April 29 with a $479.99 price tag. This bundle will include a black Xbox 360 with a 120GB hard drive, a black wireless Xbox 360 controller, a black Xbox 360 headset and a one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold. In addition to the composite/component video output cable, the Elite will also offer a separate port for HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) output (compatible with v1.2) and include an HDMI cable for combined HD video and surround sound from the single connector.

Microsoft will also be selling standalone components in black starting the same date, including the wireless controller, battery and charge kit. For those wanting to keep their current system, but take advantage of the new, bigger hard drive that’s coming to market, the 120GB drive will be sold separately for $179.99. In addition to the drive, it will include a “migration cable” and software to enable the porting of existing data—both game saves and downloaded content—from your existing hard drive to the new drive.

For those owners of a Pro or Core system with a 20GB hard drive who’d like to buy a full Elite system and shift their data over to the bigger drive, Rodman didn’t have all the details on what Microsoft will be able to do for them. He did give the indication that Microsoft was looking at offering current Xbox 360 owners a way to request the migration package, and that it’d be provided for free or perhaps just for the cost of shipping and handling. Rodman said that this will be decided upon well ahead of the April 29 release, and TeamXbox will certainly pass that on once we get the details.

Finally, Rodman shifted back to Marketplace with information on new partners that have joined the growing list of companies working with Microsoft to offer content. These include:

* A&E Network, which will offer such series as “Criss Angel Mindfreak,” “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and “King of Cars.”

* ADV Films, a producer and distributor of anime content.

* National Geographic, which will provide its “21 Days to Baghdad” and “Taboo” TV series, among others.

* New Line Cinema, which will list a mix of downloadable films, including “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” “Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny” and (yes!) “Snakes on a Plane.”

* TotalVid, which has a variety of extreme-sports videos.

Additionally, Microsoft said that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will start releasing its direct-to-video films in high definition exclusively on Xbox Live as the same time as their DVD releases, beginning with Sublime and which will include Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.

just got a ps2 , usb adapter from the source for 10 bucks. Lets you use your ps2 controller on your pc. Been playing marvel ultimate alliance for pc and I gotta say, it feels pretty much like playing a console (minus force feedback)

just got a ps2 , usb adapter from the source for 10 bucks. Lets you use your ps2 controller on your pc. Been playing marvel ultimate alliance for pc and I gotta say, it feels pretty much like playing a console (minus force feedback)

have you guys heard of fast break college basketball? i think it has the most realistic sim engine i've ever tinkered with. it has a 3 day trial full functional.

http://www.fbbgames.com/fbcb/

ah ye who lack faith... ps3 is gonna blow the 360 out of the water with one game... grand theft auto 4

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/trailer_splash.html