LucasArts' reasoning was that the variety of gaming PC setups out there, plus the limitations of lower-end configurations, would make it difficult to create a version of SW:TFU that everyone enjoyed. Stude, in an interview teased on Videogamer.com, called that an "uneducated" excuse and added "LucasArts hasn't made a good game in a long time."

Said Stude:

"In the last several years there have been at least 100 million PCs sold that have the capabilities or better of an Xbox 360. It's ridiculous to say that there's not enough audience for that game potentially and that it falls into this enthusiast extreme category when ported over to the PC. That's an uneducated response."

But wait, there's more:

"I think you probably got plenty of feedback and opinions from your readers and my personal opinion is if they're making games for the Wii, Xbox and PS3 they're scaling their experience to meet all three of those platforms. They're good on the Wii, better on the Xbox 360 and the best on the PS3. There's no argument that they could give not to be able to support good better and best on the PC."

Oh he's not done yet. Hey, what the fuck you looking at, Wii? Yeah, you. /gives titty-twister.

"LucasArts hasn't made a good PC game in a long time," he said. "That's my opinion. They make some pretty good games for the Wii, you know those little sticks you wave in the air, that seems like a natural fit for a lightsaber game, sure. But I think the last good PC game they made was probably Jedi Knight 2, and even their strategy games weren't that great. So I can understand why they would make that call."

And the coup de grace for the makers of Star Wars: STFU or GTFO or whatever your name is:

"They're not really creating product within LucasArts themselves. They're going at it job shopping their IP. That may be a little controversial for me to say, but that's what I see. There's no development team necessarily within LucasArts any more, they've basically turned into an intellectual property machine and supporting the PC, why should they? It really doesn't fit their property.

Damn. Tell us how you really feel, Randy.

LucasArts Slammed for No PC Force Unleashed [Videogamer.com, via GamerCenter Online]

On The Clone Wars issue, my take is I just feel like that would have been better represented on television. It was designed for television and it would have been seen in a completely different context if you saw a thirty minute story and then the next week a thirty minute story and if two weeks in a row are about Jabba the Hutt’s son, “that’s fine, let’s move on. Let’s get some more Clone War stories… What else happened?” I think when you put it in a theater, you’re not only up against people like Pixar, but you are up against all of the other Star Wars movies, so I feel like it was a little bit handicapped and I personally feel like people are going to come back to the cartoon and go “You know what? This is great. We were hard on this.” I understand why they were, because they put it in a different arena, a completely different playing field and again I don’t think that is where it was designed to be. Would you agree with that?

Well, would you?

Quint chats with Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice [Ain't It Cool News]

Lack of ambition to blame for previous Star Wars flops, admits LucasArts [Eurogamer] [Image]

[If we made the game for high-end PCs], someone with a low-end PC would have a watered down experience, they would have to turn all the settings down and it wouldn't be the same game. On the other hand if we made that game for as many people as possible then it's not taking advantage of what those $4,000 systems can do.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Interview [VideoGamer]

Ah the Wiimote. An elegant weapon, not as clumsy or as random like a blaster. Paired with the Nunchuk, it's pretty awesome too, according to this video from G4, which got an exclusive hands-on with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Wii's duel mode. (Man that was a mouthful).

G4's reporter went as Luke Skywalker, duking it out in a TIE Fighter bay with Asajj Ventress There's saber-slashing and Force-choking galore, all arising from a pretty shrewd use of combinations and reverse moves in both controllers. It's not all lightning bolts and throws, either. Check out that old-school kick to the grill Luke delivers at the end.

The video says you'll get 9 different arenas and 27 characters to choose from, classics to the expanded universe. I know that LucasArts is promising exclusive gameplay for all consoles. But I had the two Jedi Knight games on Xbox, where lightsaber combat was a lot of button mashing and getting lucky. Honestly, if the purpose of this is to at last swing a lightsaber in 1:1 combat, then this is your baseline version.

It's probably going to make me buy a Wii. The question, will it make others do the same?

X-Play Exclusive: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for Wii [G4]

[Star Wars Shop]

We wanted to let you know some exciting news about "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed." Tomorrow (Thursday) at 7 p.m. ET/PT, "Entertainment Tonight" is scheduled to host the world TV premiere of a special preview of "The Force Unleashed," including the very first look anywhere at the trailer for the next chapter of the "Star Wars" Saga, which debuts from LucasArts in Spring 2008. Be sure to check your local listings for the exact time and channel in your area, then tune in to "Entertainment Tonight" for this special preview of this exciting new "Star Wars" adventure!

There will also be a LEGO Indiana Jones game announced during the show and finally, Fracture, Lucas Arts earth warping video game, will get a July 2008 release date. The game, the tipster says, will take place in the middle of a second civil war, West Coast mutants against the East Coast cybers. The game will feature maps based in San Francisco (where global warming has dried up the bay), a desert in middle America, and Washington D.C. The gameplay will have defined mission objectives, and not sandbox play. The terrain deformation will affect buildings, which will be powered by the Havok physics engine.

Keep in mind these are only rumors. I'd say they sound likely, because of the rumblings of a new Star Wars game and the upcoming Indie film, but I'm still 50/50 on them.

Jedi Insider Force Unleashed Gallery [Jedi Insider]

Lucas Arts GC 2006 Technology Demo [Google Video - Thanks Ally!]

It's okay everybody! You pay a secret apprentice! That's why you are never mentioned in any of the canon materials! Continuity is fine!

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.

Well at least we have a date. November 2007 is when they plan to launch the game for the PS3, PS2, 360, DS, and PSP. Plus there are production diaries, so you know who to direct your anger at. Just remember, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering...ooohhh I get it, you guys are just getting into character! Now that's dedication. Michael Fahey

The Official Force Unleasehed Website

Called Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the game will put you in the shoes of Darth Vader's apprentice, tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi and otherwise bridging the gap between Episode III and Episode IV. I'm guessing that the character you play will be directly responsible for everything going so retro between the two films.

Nothing yet on developers, release dates, or if they've finally managed to get the rights to use "On the Dark Side" by Eddie and the Cruisers in the game, but we'll keep you posted. Michael Fahey

Next-gen Star Wars revealed [Eurogamer]