This is the Modem World: Movies are no longer fun now that I know everything

Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.

DNP This is the Modem World Movies are no longer fun now that I know everything

My mom loves to tell the story about the first time I ever saw Star Wars.

“He was 6 years old,” she tells anyone within earshot. “Barely able to see over the seat in front of him, grasping a popcorn in one hand, soda in the other. It was the only time I ever let him drink soda,” she lies to assuage any doubts about her parenting abilities.

“Then the words come up, the ones that disappear into space. And the John Williams music. Joshua’s mouth drops open. He then clutched the popcorn and soda and didn’t touch them for the next two hours. He was lost in another world.”

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Star Wars Battlefront game under development at DICE (video)

Star Wars Battlefront game under development at DICE video

At its pre-E3 event today, EA confirmed the Star Wars Battlefront franchise will return. The game is currently being developed by DICE and will use the same Frostbite engine that powers the Battlefield games. EA snagged the exclusive rights to develop Star Wars games after the end of game development at LucasArts, and this is a blend of IP and developer that certainly makes sense. A brief teaser trailer appeared to show off a battle on Hoth, we’ll find out more details as they become available. Take a look at the trailer embedded after the break.

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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic now available on iPad for $10

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic now available on iPad for $10

The iPad is no stranger to nostalgia-filled gaming sessions, and today Apple’s platform is welcoming yet another popular OG title into its hefty ranks. More specifically, we’re referring to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, a game which will surely bring a great deal of excitement to those who were avid fans of the original BioWare RPG back in the day. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is up for grabs now, but be prepared to pay a slight premium for it, since the near-2GB App Store download costs a cool 10 bucks. But hey, not too bad if you’d like to use an iPad to show your custom-made character what life was like before the Galactic Empire even existed.

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Source: App Store

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: biospheres, X-wings and energy-creating shoes

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

Inhabitat's Week in Green biospheres, Xwings and

News that Amazon will add three large biospheres to its downtown Seattle headquarters had the tech world buzzing this week. The domed structures will feature a mix of workspaces and gardens, and they’ll be flanked by a public park. Amazon’s big announcement wasn’t the week’s only surprise, though. A multinational consortium announced plans to develop a Dubai-style artificial island with a space hotel and a zero-gravity spa off the coast of Barcelona. And new research finds that “pinkhouses” — vertical farms that use only pink light — are much more efficient than those that use the full light spectrum.

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EA scores exclusive rights to develop future Star Wars games

DNP EA secures exclusive publishing rights to

Electronic Arts and Disney announced a multi-year agreement today that will see future Star Wars video games exclusively developed and published by EA. This news comes a little over a month after the house of mouse made the decision to stop internal development at LucasArts. EA’s developers scheduled to take on the Star Wars universe include DICE (Battlefield), Visceral (Dead Space) and BioWare, the latter of which will continue development of its already released Star Wars MMO (The Old Republic). The financial terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed, but EA will create games for a “core gaming audience” while Disney will produce casual titles for mobile and social outlets. Now that the force is strong with EA, our fingers are crossed for a new installment in the KOTOR franchise.

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Via: Joystiq

Disney halts game development at LucasArts, moves to licensed Star Wars titles

Disney shuts down game development at LucasArts, moves to licensed Star Wars games

If you’re old enough to have played PC games for more than a decade, LucasArts (originally LucasFilm Games) likely has a permanent place in your heart after a string of legendary adventure and flight combat releases. You’ll unfortunately have to put the company as you knew it squarely in the past — Lucasfilm’s new owner, Disney, is ending internal development at LucasArts. The software house is shifting to a licensing model for Star Wars games, reportedly “minimizing the company’s risk” while expanding the range of games on offer. There’s a chance that in-progress titles like Star Wars 1313 will survive with outside help, according to a spokesperson in touch with GameInformer, but talk of layoffs from Kotaku dampens any chances for direct follow-ups to favorites like Grim Fandango. We won’t mourn too much when personas like Ron Gilbert, Lawrence Holland and Tim Schafer have long since moved on to other companies — still, it’s unquestionably the end of an era for game and movie fans alike.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: GameInformer (1), (2)

Lucasfilm postpones Star Wars Episode II and III 3D, focusing on Abrams-directed Episode VII

While Lucasfilm originally planned to bring Star Wars Episode II and III back to theaters in 3D this fall, it’s just announced that will not happen. In a statement posted on the official site, it says “we will now focus 100 percent of our efforts on Star Wars: Episode VII.” Lucasfilm is now owned by Disney, which just announced last week that J.J. Abrams (director of Star Trek and creator of TV series including Lost and Fringe) would direct the seventh installment, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2015. The original trilogy was also reportedly on deck for 3D rerelease, but there’s no word yet whether we’ll see those again before Episode VII, just a promise to post “further information” at a later date.

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J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars: Episode VII

J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.

“It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Kennedy. “J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.”

George Lucas went on to say “I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.”

“To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor,” J.J. Abrams said. “I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid.”

J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney | Lucasfilm banner.

Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star Trek, Super 8, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year’s Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm’s preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

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Source: Star Wars

Disney acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, plans more Star Wars movies

Disney acquires Lucasfilm for $405 billion, plans more Star Wars movies

Disney is already one of the biggest media companies around, and it’s now set to become even bigger. The company announced late today that it’s acquiring Lucasfilm Ltd., currently 100 percent owned by founder George Lucas, for $4.05 billion in a cash and stock deal. That of course includes the rights to both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises, as well as Lucasfilm properties like Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound. What’s more, the press release announcing the deal also confirmed that Disney is now targeting 2015 for a release of Star Wars: Episode 7, and that its “long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years.” No word yet on a proper release of the original, original trilogy.

Continue reading Disney acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, plans more Star Wars movies

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Disney acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, plans more Star Wars movies originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Walt Disney Company  | Email this | Comments

Razer gives away custom Star Wars-themed Blade, may turn friends Imperial Guard red with envy

Razer gives away custom Star Warsthemed Blade, may turn friends Imperial Guard red with envy

Razer has been big on Star Wars gaming gear, but never quite like this. Enter a free contest and there’s a chance to win a completely unique Star Wars: The Old Republic version of Razer’s Blade gaming laptop. The winner sees the system’s normally black shell replaced with a matte, laser-etched aluminum gray and the green backlighting dropped in favor of a subtler yellow matched to the MMORPG logo. Anyone who brings out this portable at a bring-your-own-computer gaming party is inevitably going to be the center of attention, although we have a feeling some would almost prefer the second-place bundle of peripherals — at an estimated worth of $15,000, the Star Wars Blade might be too precious to carry for all but the most well-heeled of fans.

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Razer gives away custom Star Wars-themed Blade, may turn friends Imperial Guard red with envy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 03:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceRazer  | Email this | Comments

Feel the Force: Angry Birds Star Wars coming November 8th to iOS, Android, WP, Kindle Fire and computers

Feel the Force: Angry Birds Star Wars coming November 8th to iOS, Android, WP, Kindle Fire and computers

Rovio teased a certain film-inspired Angry Birds picture a long, long last week, and as expected, it’s another new game — Angry Birds Star Wars. Our furious feathered friends are assuming the likenesses of characters from the epic saga, with the trusty Red Bird taking on Luke Skywalker’s role. It wouldn’t be the Rebel Alliance without a dark side to fight, which is where the Pigs fit into the storyline; even the music and levels for gravity-based play will hark back to the film franchise. In addition to the software, details of related merchandise have also been uncovered, including table games, toys and costumes. The game is out on November 8th for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire and computers, and if it follows the original storyline, we wonder how Red Bird’s going to feel about his porcine family history.

Continue reading Feel the Force: Angry Birds Star Wars coming November 8th to iOS, Android, WP, Kindle Fire and computers

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Feel the Force: Angry Birds Star Wars coming November 8th to iOS, Android, WP, Kindle Fire and computers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceUSA Today, Idle Hands blog  | Email this | Comments