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Tag: Star Wars

  • SWTOR: Star Wars The Old Republic Launches, Early Review

    There’s already one important birth celebrated in December, now we have two. Early this morning, at 12:01 A.M., the servers for Star Wars: The Old Republic went live. Thousands of gamers scrambled to their various PvE, PvP, and RP servers to create the characters they plan on using for months, and for many, years. I’ve been playing the game since the first day of early access (Dec. 13th), and have already poured countless hours into my first character.

    Star Wars Old Republic Launch

    So, is the MMORPG people have been branding as the “WoW-Killer“, “Next step in the MMO evolutionary ladder“, and “fanboy wet dream“, living up to the hype? Up to this point, the answer is mostly yes.

    I should note that this is an “early review“. For those who have played a MMO, it takes a long time to give a complete review as there are a plethora of features, updates, and fixes which will come in the weeks and months ahead. I simply wanted to share my first impressions, and provide potential players a glimpse into the world they’ll be adventuring through.

    Now, on to the review!

    Your first task upon selecting a server to play on is creating your character; which is probably the most disappointing aspect of the game I’ve experienced. There’s very few options and sliders to adjust when trying to create your unique character compared to what a lot of other RPG’s, MMO’s or otherwise have provided. There’s really no detail adjustment as you have 4 or 5 body types to choose from, with no individual sliders for separate body parts. If you wanted a character with a huge shoulder line, but a small waist, you’ll be left in the cold unless BioWare enhances the character creation in the future.

    When creating your character, you can decide whether to join the Republic or the Empire. Your choice will then open up your class selection, and each side has different races as well.

    Republic (Races) – Human, Zabraks, Miraluka, Mirialan, Twi’lek, Cyborg

    Republic (Classes) – Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular

    Empire (Races) – Human, Zabraks, Sith, Chiss, Rattaki, Twi’lek, Cyborg

    Empire (Classes) – Imperial Agent, Bounty Hunter, Sith Inquisitor, Sith Warrior

    Each class has two specializations you unlock later, so the system gets deeper than what’s initially presented during character creation. There’s quite a few less selections when comparing this game to other MMO’s, however, once you load up the game you begin to understand why.

    While character creation is a letdown, the beginner’s area and first world within the game is quite possibly one of the best first impressions I’ve seen in a MMO. Generally, you’re just trying to get through prologue and tutorial areas when you play a game of this type; not so with SWTOR. The moment your game loads, you’re provided with a story and a reason to enjoy this initial area. I should probably go ahead and mention that even during the first portion of the game, each individual class has their own personal story to play through. So, you could theoretically play through the starter area with each class and have a unique experience each time. Doing so would already provide you up to 16-20 hours of gameplay time depending on how much you explore each storyline and world.

    There’s no soulless NPC handing you a “Kill 10 rats, and bring me their hides” quest, to which you go complete the task and simply move on. Each quest has its own insular story, which you communicate with the NPC and your character reacts to him/her as you see fit. The dialogue in this game is astounding, as having everything voice-acted really gives the experience a level of presentation I’ve never seen in a game of this type, or even most single-player RPG’s.

    One major problem with most MMO’s is that they have very little emotional depth, and characters you use generally have no personality. This problem is fixed in SWTOR, where even in the beginning of the game you start to shape your character and make decisions which will have an impact as you continue playing. If you want to use a Han Solo like character who’s simply in it for the credits, you can do so. Coincidentally, this is the type of character I’m using. His name’s Aranas; a level 24 Smuggler Scoundrel who’s just wanting to make money and will generally take the easy way out when fixing a problem.

    (Bounty Hunter dialogue, *spoilers)

    The game keeps track of your moral decisions with a light/dark side meter, which will fluctuate as you decide to do the right or wrong thing. I haven’t really unlocked the full use of this meter, though later in the game you unlock exclusive equipment depending on your alignment.

    Once you leave the first world, the game begins to really open up and it can be a bit intimidating at first. One of the first options presented to you is an instanced “Flashpoint“. These are self-contained areas which require you to group up with others to utilize teamwork. One of the concerns many people had, myself included is whether or not BioWare would be able to provide the ‘multi-player’ aspect which is required for MMO’s. My journey through level 24 has already had me pair up with many groups as you’ll come across standard quests which require 4-man groups to complete. There are already three flashpoints to play through as well, so there’s plenty of group content to enjoy.

    While BioWare has provided a level of presentation that pushes the MMO-envelope, they really took the safe route when designing the gameplay. If you’ve played MMO’s before, you’ll be right at home with SWTOR. You have an insane amount of skills at your disposal, and I was surprised by the amount in the early levels. I don’t want to know how many skills I’ll have once I reach 50. If I had to describe the gameplay, it’s a mix between World of Warcraft and DC: Universe Online. The timing, animations, and strategies have a very WoW-like feel to them. Unlike WoW, however, combat feels much more engaging as there’s no auto-attack so battles require a bit more investment, which feels a lot like DCUO.

    If I had to grade the gameplay, I’d give it a solid ‘B‘. While the system is solid, and the animations really have a great Star Wars feel to them, it just seems like BioWare didn’t really go above and beyond like they did in so many other areas of the game.

    While on-the-ground combat isn’t amazing, I was pleasantly surprised with space combat. If you’ve ever played any of the Star Fox games, then you’ll instantly fall in love with space combat. It’s on-rails, the controls are tight, and the aiming is precise. The battles have an epic feel to them much like what you’ve seen in the movies. BioWare has said they plan to really expand on space combat, and has made general references to the X-Wing/Tie-Fighter space sims. If they open up the space combat, and add in more features, then they’ll really have something.

    Another key area for MMO games is PvP, which I haven’t fully unlocked yet. Open-world PvP doesn’t occur until much later into the game, so if you’re someone who was looking forward to it early on, then you’ll be disappointed. However, there are PvP Warzones which are instanced scenarios pitting Republic and Empire players against each other. There’s Alderaan, Huttball, and Voidstar. All of which unlock at level 10.

    All of which are PvP systems you’ve more than likely played through before. Alderaan is all about capturing nodes and protecting them from advancements, Voidstar is a offense/defense scenario based area, and Huttball is a capture-the-flag like map. Huttball has been my favorite map so far, as BioWare added elements which give a fresh lift to the traditional CTF setup. You can pass the ball, and there are obstacles in the way which require teams to really focus on layout and strategy.

    I should note that my experience with PvP has been met with some technical problems. My PC rig is a behemoth, and I’ve been running Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the PvE areas of SWTOR on full settings without a hitch. The second I’m drop in a PvP Warzone, my FPS falls through the floor. If I turn everything off, and lower my resolution then it fixes it a bit. I’ve been researching the problem and many other players seem to be experiencing this as well. Hopefully, BioWare can get to the root of the problem soon.

    Since I’ve mentioned all the major features so far, I should mention you obtain XP for everything I’ve listed so far. If you want to do nothing but play PvP, you can level up that way. Space Combat provides experience points, and you actually get more XP for initial space combat quests than you do for most on-the-ground quests.

    Finally, if you’re someone who enjoys crafting and profession based work when they play a MMO then I think you’ll be happy with the system BioWare has implemented. Theoretically, you can always be crafting no matter where you’re at, because all of your profession work is handled by your companion character. These companion characters have a wide variety of functions; helping you in combat, crafting, and adding an occasional quip or two while adventuring. To be honest, I wish companions were a bit more involved as I found myself forgetting they were there unless they died or I was sending them off to complete a crafting task.

    The crafting/professions system provides you with three different options; two gathering professions and a crafting option. I’ve never been much of a crafter, but I’ve found myself in the crafting menus and sending my companion out on jobs at a steady rate. BioWare definitely deserves an applause for their accomplishments here.

    Verdict: Within the total package of SWTOR, BioWare has crafted one of the most ambitious and impressive MMO games I’ve played; judging from initial impressions. The minute you step into the universe, you get swept up in all the presentation and character building. If you’re a Star Wars fan then this game is a must, if you like RPG’s then I highly recommend the game as well.

    For the more hardcore MMO crowd, I believe your tastes will be satiated as well. As I mentioned this is an early review, so many of the more important MMO elements are still off in the horizon. Such as end-game content, and open-world PvP. BioWare could have tried and changed up the traditional MMO gameplay recipe, but instead kept things a tad formulaic. When judging a game, this is the most important area and while everything is solid, nothing feels completely new either. So if you’ve been debating whether to drop the $60 and $15/month fee, this is something to consider.

    Overall, I’ve been completely happy with my experience so far. This game really hit the trifecta with me, as I’m a huge Star Wars, BioWare, and RPG fan. So far, every fanboy bone has been tickled. Let’s just hope they can keep it up, and my full review sounds even more positive than this one.

  • 15,070 ‘Official’ Jedi Knights Reside in Czech Republic

    Generally, census data is extremely boring to sift through and traditionally doesn’t make for a fun news story. Would you believe the Czech Republic has trumped this trend, and has provided Star Wars fans a reason to care about a census? Well, they have.

    According to a census taken in March, the first since 2001, the Czech Republic has 15,070 people registered as Jedi Knights for their official religion.

    This wasn’t some viral stunt either, where people simply wrote it in as a joke. The Czech Statistical Office provided a legitimate option for people to select, as mentioned by one of their representatives, “We included this option (in the census form) despite a fierce debate over whether it’s serious or not. But it’s not up to statisticians to say what is or is not a religion”

    The largest group of Jedi’s per capita reside in the capital city, Prague. 3,977 Jedi Knights live there, which accounts for 0.31% of the city’s population. The statistical office believes the amount of people who signed up proved it was a legitimate option, “Fifteen thousand adherents, which is the size of a small town, is not a negligible social phenomenon“.

    It makes you wonder if these people have given up love and other emotions of the flesh, as we all know they lead to fear, which leads to anger, and of course hate. Personally, I couldn’t get past the training regiment.

  • George Takei Sets Phaser To Peace Between “Star” Stars

    Human rights activist and the once and future Mr. Sulu, George Takei, has entered the fray among his two sci-fi colleagues, William Shatner and Carrie Fisher, in hopes of quelling their YouTube dispute over which sci-fi franchise is better, Star Trek or Star Wars. As the debate between the two quickly accelerated from professional disagreement to vile personal attacks (the latter of which was mostly from Shatner), Takei’s entreaty for the warring actors to put aside their petty animosity is an effort to unify the “Star Friends” and focus on what he perceives to be the true threat to their legacy: the Twilight movies.

    The feud between Shatner and Fisher, which WebProNews covered last month, began when Shatner proclaimed Star Trek, the sci-fi television show he starred in, as superior to Star Wars, the sci-fi vehicle that Fisher was a part of. Fisher replied with a playful prod to Shatner’s declaration along with a couple of good-humored jabs at Shatner himself, but then Shatner accelerated the debate into a territory of pure venom with a very invective video he recorded for YouTube. In his video response, he launched insult after insult towards Fisher. Fisher, at least publicly, never dignified his attack with a response.

    Although the issue seemed to have simmered down following Shatner’s last response, Takei, who co-starred next to Shatner in Star Trek, has possibly resurrected the feud but with the mission of peace. In a video address released last night, Takei implores Shatner and Fisher to call a truce and focus on the greater threat of “vampires that sparkle and mope and go to high school.”

    “Sci-fi fans be warned,” Takei declares, “there are no great stories, characters, or profound life lessons to be had in Twilight.” He follows up with a campy appeal to take up arms against pithy supernatural creatures and hopefully “rid the world of this vampire menace.” The full address can be viewed below:

    It remains to be seen if Takei can broker peace among the embattled sci-fi stars, or if they even care enough to continue this dispute. While Takei presents the olive branch between Shatner and Fisher, what I really wanna know is if that painting he’s standing in front of in that video is a portrait of himself. If so, then forget about his “Star” Friends. He wins.

  • William Shatner & Carrie Fisher: The YouTube Showdown

    The Internet: a perfect model of the purest strain of democracy. Everybody has a voice and can contribute to the discourse of intellectual debates. That is, until you actually read the comments and debates of people arguing on the internet and, if you’re like me, quickly realize that this place, this Internet is where good thoughts go to die.

    It’s usually easy to dismiss these debates and arguments because the contributors are almost always anonymous. Almost.

    This would be a wonderful exception.

    William Shatner and Carrie Fisher have been engaged in a spirited (if not a little hostile) disagreement about the age-old argument that occupies many nerd disagreements: Which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek?

    Shatner opened his silo first in this interview:

    Carrie Fisher then responded to his comments in this interview:

    A pretty playful jab, sure, but even that was too much for Shatner to swallow. He slashed back with this wild retort on Monday (it’s so mean at times that it’s kinda awkward):

    So anybody wanna comment and speculate how long it takes for one of these two to resort to Godwin’s Law?

  • The Sith Who Stole Christmas: Star Wars Holiday Mash-Up

    I never really thought about it until seeing this video, but Darth Vader’s story really does mirror the Grinch in Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas‘. A mean, ornery Sith, who’s whole bag is to just ruin everyone else’s day. Then at the last moment has a change of heart.

    How has this not been done before? I can think of no better way to kick off the holiday season then taking in a viewing of this mash-up. It’s expertly done, with someone who really took the time to make sure it all matches up and makes sense.

    Merry Christmas to all, and may the force be with you.

  • Currys PC World’s Magnificent Star Wars Commercials

    Currys PC World’s Magnificent Star Wars Commercials

    Take a look at your calendar. Notice how quickly the 2011 Holiday Season is approaching? That means it’s time for the Christmas marketing blitz where we, as consumers, will be inundated with all kinds of commercials and ads telling us that special someone in our lives won’t be complete without whatever the hot gadget of the moment is.

    I’m guessing the Apple 4s will be the big winner there, but nothing has been decided yet. In fact, some of us would rather enjoy Thanksgiving before transitioning to Christmas, but that hasn’t stopped the big box stores from rolling out their various Holiday Season ad campaigns.

    Aside: for those of you who want your holidays to go in order, this is for you:

    Wait Your Turn

    In regards to the holiday season commercials, one such big box company, Currys PC World, has that whole “make awesome commercials” down to a science, if the latest offerings are anything to go by. Of course, it could be the geek in me that approves of *most* things Star Wars, or it could be that these commercials are actually pretty awesome. Perhaps it’s the lack of being beaten over the head with Christmas-related themes in these ads.

    Whatever the case, Currys nailed these offerings, so much so, in fact, that if they were Currys PC World stores in United States, I’d consider shopping there before going to Best Buy. Take a look for yourself:


    There’s even a “making of” video for the Darth Vader commercial, which is perfect demonstration on how to further leverage the kick-ass content you create:


    In other news, this isn’t the first time Currys has been allowed to use George Lucas’ Star Wars intellectual property. It was also used to promote the Blu-Ray release of the Star Wars movies box set:


    Apparently, Lucas is a big fan of their stores.

  • Star Wars Blu Ray Release Tapped For Cancer Awareness Campaign

    Today is the official release day of the much-anticipated Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray. While this is already big news for fans of the films, you might have noticed that it’s been receiving a little more attention lately because of a certain addition to Return of the Jedi that’s not sitting well with some fans.

    Even with the Darth Vader “NOOOOO” controversy, the activism group Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) has decided to use the release to launch a Star Wars-themed campaign called “Use the Force for Good.”

    The campaign is a collaboration between SU2C and Lucasfilm.

    The “kick-off” of the campaign is this video that has just been launched on YouTube. According to the SU2C blog, the video will hopefully use the force for good to raise awareness for cancer research.

    In the clip, “celebrity ambassadors” Aniz Ansai, Bill Hader, Zach Galifianakis, Seth Rogen and the lovely Emma Stone recreate famous moments from the films.

    This viral video is not the only way in which SU2C is using Star Wars to get out the message –

    In addition, select Major League Baseball Clubs will host Stand Up To Cancer/Star Wars themed nights in their respective ballparks throughout the month of September. These special events will offer Star Wars themed ticket packages with a portion of the proceeds benefitting SU2C. Star Wars nights will include appearances by Star Wars costumed characters, VIP photo ops, giveaways and Stand Up To Cancer exclusive t-shirts.

    eBay is also holding a special online auction, where rare items and event tickets will be up for grabs. This includes limited memorabilia, and Star Wars-themed VW Passat and a pair of tickets to the sold out Star Wars Celebration event in Orlando, FL. This auction will start on Saturday, September 16th at noon EST.

  • Darth Vader’s Star Wars Blu Ray Dialogue Finds Its Way Into Classic Films

    A couple of weeks ago, the internet exploded over one particular addition to the upcoming Blu-ray edition of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

    On August 31st, a YouTube clip emerged that claimed to come from the upcoming Blu-ray for the seminal Star Wars film. In that clip, a particularly climatic scene from the movie has been altered by an extra piece of dialogue, one coming from Darth Vader. This extra line of dialogue was later confirmed by Lucasfilm – the changes will be reflected in the upcoming release.

    If you haven’t seen the clip, here’s what everyone is buzzing about –

    So Vader shouts “NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” That’s new. Personally, I’ve lost my ability to even complain anymore when George Lucas makes some sort of change to a classic film. I guess it’s a little upsetting that I’m going to have to find some old VHS’ to show my children, because that’s the only way I’ll be sure I’m exposing them to the original.

    But this isn’t an anti-George Lucas diatribe, as there is always this to consider.

    But it’s pretty clear that this new “NOOOOOO” is a little beyond unnecessary. CineWeekly decided to see how awful Darth Vader’s new exclamation would sound in other classic movies. From The Godfather to Reservoir Dogs, this viral vid proves that some things are best left alone.

  • Google Maps Fun: A School Shaped Like The Millennium Falcon

    The Force is strong with this school, apparently. It’s either that, or they are a trade school specializing in training intergalactic smugglers who can make the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs — even though a parsec is a measurement of length, not time.

    Star Wars fun aside, what we have is indeed a school that, from a Google Maps view, looks a lot like Han Solo’s ship. And that’s a good thing. While it’s uncertain whether or not the design was intended, the completed building certainly shares similarities with the iconic spacecraft. The school in question, as indicated by Neatorama, is Parkland High School, and it’s located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Who knew Star Wars fans were such witty architects?

    An embed of the school in question reveals more:


    View Larger Map

    Now for the Millennium Falcon:

    Millennium Falcon

    Coincidence? Or was someone on the design crew a massive Star Wars fan? In all likelihood, the coincidence explanation seems most likely, but then again, Star Wars fans are pretty much everywhere. Whether the imitation was intended or not, it still ranks above billionaire Sheikhs who deface entire islands just to tell everyone their name.

    The school’s overhead design isn’t lost on the Google Maps reviewers, either. The featured review for Parkland High is as follows:

    “I recommend Ms. Kessel’s class if you’re looking to get through quickly.”

    Hopefully, Ms. Kessel will explain the difference between measuring distance and measuring time.

    Sadly, the school itself doesn’t seem to embrace its distinction, although, it could be entirely ignorant in the matter. If this story goes viral, that would obviously change. Let’s just hope George Lucas doesn’t sue them for using likenesses that are similar to his Star Wars vehicles.

  • Greenpeace Lampoons Volkswagen With YouTube Videos

    Remember the Star Wars/Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial? The one with the cute kid dressed as Darth Vader trying to Force-start the Passat? Sure you do, but if not, check out the lead video. The commercial was quite popular, so much so, it won a few “best commercial of the Super Bowl” designations. With that in mind, if you’re a environmentally-conscious group looking to ridicule and call out a company for what’s perceived to be practices that endanger the environment, comparing them to an evil empire, the Darth Vader commercial is a good place to start.

    That’s just what Greenpeace did with a pair of videos, painting Volkswagen as the Empire for their failure to improve its poor environmental record. Over at the GreenpeaceUK site, they have a page devoted to the movement, asking users to “Join the Rebellion” against the Empire that is Volkswagen.

    From the site’s description:

    Our home—Earth—is in trouble. VW opposes key environmental laws we need if we’re going to stop our planet going the way of Alderaan (bye bye). But all is not lost. We feel the good in Volkswagen.

    All of us in the Rebellion are calling on Volkswagen to turn away from the Dark Side and give our planet a chance.

    The page even has a link to Greenpeace’s full report on Volkswagen’s track record with the environment. A snippet of the introduction text gives readers an idea of where Greenpeace is going with their protestations:

    The Volkswagen Group is the largest car maker in Europe. It has repeatedly claimed that it wants to be a‘green’ company, but has so far failed to live up to its green ambitions. It has been slow to make its fleet more efficient, despite having developed the technology to do so, and has actively worked to impede strong European climate policies. The company must change.

    The highlight of Greenpeace’s Volkswagen protest comes from the videos they made to get their point across. To do so, Greenpeace mocked the incredibly-popular Darth Vader kid commercial (over 40 million views on YouTube) with not one, but two satirical videos:


    The United Kingdom arm of the Greenpeace movement also changed their Twitter page to match this new promotion, which they’ve also been tweeting about:

    @GreenpeaceUK
    Greenpeace UK    The force is strong with our VW film. Most shared ‘ad’ in past 24 hours. http://bit.ly/myS89F #vwdarkside 7 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    @GreenpeaceUK
    Greenpeace UK    Volkswagen: do or do not. There is no try. http://bit.ly/iL1N35 #vwdarkside 9 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    or”>@GreenpeaceUK
    Greenpeace UK    43,000 people joined the rebellion so far. And it’s not even the end of Day 1. #vwdarkside 23 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    Currently, the number of people who’ve joined Greenpeace’s anti-Volkswagen movement is up to 89,112 people.

    The most surprising aspect of Greenpeace’s movement is the liberal use of Star Wars material. The protest page is littered with things like “Your Jedi training page,” and “FAQ / FQA with Yoda;” leading this particular writer to believe George Lucas is on board with the protest. Considering just how protective he is over the “Star Wars” brand, and anything related to it, if Greenpeace doesn’t have Lucas’ permission, these pages won’t last very long at all.

    Furthermore, the fact that Lucas allowed Volkswagen to use likenesses from the Star Wars universe casts doubt on the idea he’d let Greenpeace use the same kind of look and feel to protest Volkswagen. At some point, we’ll get to find out just how strong the Force in Greenpeace really is.

  • Star Wars Fail Whale As Cool As Google Doodles?

    Yes, most everyone is madly in love with the new Google Doodle, honoring Martha Graham — rightfully so — but there may be an honest-to-goodness competitor to today’s throne holder, the Star Wars Fail Whale.

    Debuting on the official Star Wars blog, the Star Wars Fail Whale is a nifty take on Twitter’s all-too ubiquitous Fail Whale, and it’s done with great style. This sweet mash-up is courtesy of an online artist named Le Kemp, who, besides his Star Wars/Twitter remixes, creates some really nice visual work.

    Star Wars Fail Whale

    His take on the Osama situation is subtle, yet keen, especially if you like Jaws. And then there’s his rendition of the Twitter bird, which is also full of win in, and of, itself.

    As for the Star Wars Fail Whale, the TIE Fighters are an extremely nice touch, and they also provide good insight as to why Twitter may be down. Clearly, the Empire finds their lack of network stability disturbing; although, I am curious about the relationship between the bird and the whale. That doesn’t really compute, unless Doctor Moreau is working for the Sith.

    Silliness aside, in a day where Google Doodles rule the roost, save some room to celebrate the Star Wars Fail Whale. Of course, to actually beat the current Google Doodle, the TIE Fighters would have to fly the Whale off of the screen. Google’s animation is just that good.

  • Star Wars Day on Twitter, It Is

    Star Wars Day on Twitter, It Is

    Actually, Star Wars Day extends well beyond Twitter, but considering the “micro-blogging” site is the utility of choice when it comes to online communication, and the trending topics are a great barometer for what’s popular in the world at this particular moment, we’ll start here. And yes, for those of you asking about the grammatical mess in the title: My attempt at Yoda-speak, it was.

    So yeah, today, May 4, 2011, will forever be known as “Star Wars Day.” What’s the significance, you ask? Considering the original Star Wars movie — no “New Hope” here, oh, and Han did indeed shoot first — made its debut on May 25, 1977, today’s date isn’t an anniversary for George Lucas’ franchise. Besides fitting the “May the Force be with you” saying (“May the fourth be with you.” Witty, no?), today is also the day Star Wars completists can pre-order both trilogies (Episodes 1-3 and 4-6) on Blu-Ray DVD.

    Granted, the new formats won’t be available until September 16th, but you can still give more of your hard-earned money to the Lucas foundation.

    As with anything popular nowadays, Twitter is vehicle of choice when it comes to celebrating “Star Wars Day,” and the resulting tweets, which make use of the following hashtags — #starwarsday, #maythe4thbewithyou, and until recently, #Yoda — still have that Star Wars spirit. You know? The spirit that comes from such creations as The Empire Strikes Back? It’s the same spirit that led adults to camp out for movie tickets to see the new trilogy installments, disappointment in Jar-Jar Binks be damned.

    Besides the usual minutiae of Twitter users riding the waves of trending topics, there are some gems within these Star Wars Day hashtag-related tweets, two of which courtesy of Simon Peeg (he of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame), who offered the following:

    Goodnight everyone. May the third be with you. Too soon?less than a minute ago via Mobile Web Favorite Retweet ReplySimon Pegg
    simonpegg


    And:

    Good morning everyone. The fourth of May be with you.less than a minute ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet ReplySimon Pegg
    simonpegg


    Other gems include the top tweet from the Death Star PR blog, which offers some suggestions on how to enjoy Star Wars Day:

    If you aren’t celebrating #StarWarsDay by blowing up planets and kidnapping Princesses, you’re doing it wrong. #MayThe4thBeWithYouless than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyDeath Star PR
    DeathStarPR


    Their suggestions continue on the blog. All I know is I’m considering kidnapping a princess before the day is done. Watch out, Kate Middleton. Speaking of attractive ladies, Jane Wiedlin, former member of the Go-Gos, offers a winning suggestion, especially for all the Chewbacca fans out there:

    May The Fourth Be With You!
    Happy #StarWars Day everyone! Go kiss a Wookieeless than a minute ago via Echofon Favorite Retweet ReplyJane Wiedlin
    janewiedlin


    Naturally, there’s a public service announcement from the Emperor himself:

    It’s #StarWarsDay, May the Fourth be with you, Sithizens. Just remember, next comes The Revenge of the Fifth.less than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyEmperor Palpatine
    LordPalpatine


    Over at StarWars.com, the May 4th celebration is in full swing, inviting visitors to pre-order the upcoming Blu-Ray set which are priced at 59.99, 59.99 and 99.99. The 59.99 prices are for the individual trilogies, while the 99.99 price point is for all six movies. According to ComicBookMovie.com, there are 40 hours of special features, which will be available with the 99.99 purchase. There’s also a trailer for the upcoming releases, as if you needed any further encouragement:


    With that in mind, be with you, may the Fourth. The Force, too.

  • Bryn Mawr College Enjoys Internet April Fools Fun

    I’m not sure there’s a “holiday” that gets more Internet love than April Fool’s Day. Sure, the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas holidays are well represented on net, in the way of site designs and the like, but they don’t get the kind of effort these sites and other tech-related companies give to the 1st day in April.

    Take Google’s commitment to April Fool’s. Every year, they “debut” an impossible web-based service — carrier pigeons, Google on the moon — complete with detailed descriptions of their levity. This year, Google continued the trend by introducing GMail Motion, a silly idea that jokingly uses an elaborate number of body movements to execute commands. While such a thing does not exist, that doesn’t stop Google from going all out in their presentation.

    And Google is just one of many “techie” sites to get in the April Fool’s Day spirit.

    Over at TechCrunch, they have a comprehensive rundown of the different pranks. There’s one, however, that escaped their round-up post: Bryn Mawr College’s entry into the cyberspace celebration of April 1st. In case you aren’t aware, Bryn Mawr is a women’s college located in near Philadelphia, and it’s one of the schools that make up the Seven Sisters.

    While their initial prank — the announcement of the school’s partnership with an alien race, complete with promotional pictures of the momentous agreement — was silly enough, it’s the lead image on school site’s index page, one that makes effective use of the Star Wars motif, complete with Princess Leia’s honey bun hairdo, that takes their prank from “heh” status to a “that’s pretty awesome” level:

    Bryn Mawr April Fool's

    As for the alien partnership that began their prank, school president Jane McAuliffe “official stance” on the agreement only made the idea better:

    Global partnerships are so 2010. Bryn Mawr is simply beyond global, and we are boldly going where no college has gone before. Our students need to learn to be intergalactic citizens.

    Considering the failure that is Mars Needs Moms, maybe next time, the script doctors for Disney will look Bryn Mawr’s way before they try to produce a script dealing with females in sci-fi settings.