E3 2012: Star Wars 1313 Interview

@jt1080 said:

@President_Barackbar said:

"set between the two trilogies" uggh. I'll take it because it actually looks pretty cool, but how much more can they possibly mine out of that 20 year interim? Especially considering they have so much more time after the OT that they could set the game in.

My guess is that most of the "post original trilogy" stuff has already been "mined" to death with all the extended universe novels/comics/etc, and the developers wanted to make 1313 an original story without worrying about butting heads with the "cannon" of the EU stuff.

Yeah, speaking as a recovering Star Wars nerd, the period between Episodes III and IV is relatively... ahem... uncharted, at least compared to the post VI period. There are close to a hundred novels set post VI, and I guarantee Lucas Licensing would force any game set in that period to bend over backwards and conform with the preexisting material, especially after what happened with Jedi Knight. While it was a fun game, it introduced all sorts of craziness into the canon (Valley of the Jedi and so on) that had to be elaborately retconned in later novels and comics. On the other hand, that 20-year interim between trilogies is a relatively clean slate. Plus then you can have Vader cameos and junk.

For a long time Lucas wouldn't let anyone set their stories between III and IV because that's ground the live-action TV show was supposed to cover, but I guess now all bets are off.

Amazing looking game, probably is going to follow the life of Boba Fett prior to Episode IV

Brad did a great job with this.

As someone who has suffered greatly at the hands of this franchise and the severe lack of decent games that take place within it over this generation, as well as someone who is so ready in every god damned way for the generation to eat a bullet, THIS GAME MAKES ME SO STOKED!

Brad's still the best interviewer on the staff.

I don't buy that the "bounty hunter fantasy" is gadgets. Mandalorian armor is cool, but it was a lot cooler when Boba Fett was unique for wearing it-- unique enough that Jodo Kast could pass for Boba Fett just by wearing similar armor. It's a lot less cool now that they've retconned a continued Mandalorian society in to existence. I mean, Zuckuss, 4LOM, Dengar and Bossk didn't butter their bread with fancy gadgetry. This perpetuates the silly belief that Boba Fett was cool because he wore cool armor.

Boba Fett fell in to a Sarlaac's mouth because of his cool armor. Boba Fett was cool because he was mysterious. He was cool because all you knew to expect from him was your eventual capture, or death. A threat like that had to be swept out of the way quickly in Return of the Jedi, though. We couldn't have our heroes running for their lives when there was a moon-full of teddybears begging to be danced with.

The bounty hunter fantasy is hunting challenging prey on a galactic scale. Gadgets might augment that, but when I think "Star Wars bounty hunters," I think about Boba Fett hiding Slave I in the garbage, anticipating the actions of his prey. I don't think "Uncharted with more kinds of grenades."

I was sort of hoping Prey 2 would deliver on the promise of a space-bounty-hunter, but that seems more uncertain than ever.

I'll continue hoping this isn't a disappointment like the Force Unleashed games, and that LucasArts doesn't fire their entire game development staff again.

This is what the whole fuss has been about?

I mean yea sure it looks great for something running on a high end PC, kind of a ME gameplay vibe except with the graphical level of something more on the level of Witcher2/Metro2033/BF3 (pc versions on ultra obv.). It's definately up there, but nothing mindblowing (escpecially considering the very tight focus of the level scope). I could see this being super amazing graphically wise if you consider something like Uncharted 2/3 a graphical high point :/

Now if the fuss is about a somewhat mature take on Star Wars, i can get behind this, great graphics don't hurt :P

This game looks a lot to me like uncharted, but star wars. And if that's all it is then I'm pretty excited

Dang they sure are tight lipped about this game.

@doobie said:

@Tennmuerti said:

This is what the whole fuss has been about?

I mean yea sure it looks great for something running on a high end PC, kind of a ME gameplay vibe except with the graphical level of something more on the level of Witcher2/Metro2033/BF3 (pc versions on ultra obv.). It's definately up there, but nothing mindblowing (escpecially considering the very tight focus of the level scope). I could see this being super amazing graphically wise if you consider something like Uncharted 2/3 a graphical high point :/

Now if the fuss is about a somewhat mature take on Star Wars, i can get behind this, great graphics don't hurt :P

sorry. but im running a high end PC at the moment that will run anything at its maximum and their is NOTHING that comes anywhere near close to what that looks like.

If you think so, but to me the 3 games I listed on running on max settings (ie ultra) look quite comparable.

Especially considering how very limited and super tight the actual game space is in the vid, there are much less models that have to be rendered compared to Witcher 2 and BF3 scope, which matters a great great deal (it's the same trick games like Uncharted 2/3 and GoW3 use by having way less in terms of actual environment and dynamic up close actors). And Metro2033 is just as if not more detailed.

EDIT: oh and all the feeds I've seen have been a measly 720p, which severely reduces strain on hardware, we would need a 1080p to even start comparing properly

@cavemantom said:

I don't buy that the "bounty hunter fantasy" is gadgets. Mandalorian armor is cool, but it was a lot cooler when Boba Fett was unique for wearing it-- unique enough that Jodo Kast could pass for Boba Fett just by wearing similar armor. It's a lot less cool now that they've retconned a continued Mandalorian society in to existence. I mean, Zuckuss, 4LOM, Dengar and Bossk didn't butter their bread with fancy gadgetry. This perpetuates the silly belief that Boba Fett was cool because he wore cool armor.

Boba Fett fell in to a Sarlaac's mouth because of his cool armor. Boba Fett was cool because he was mysterious. He was cool because all you knew to expect from him was your eventual capture, or death. A threat like that had to be swept out of the way quickly in Return of the Jedi, though. We couldn't have our heroes running for their lives when there was a moon-full of teddybears begging to be danced with.

The bounty hunter fantasy is hunting challenging prey on a galactic scale. Gadgets might augment that, but when I think "Star Wars bounty hunters," I think about Boba Fett hiding Slave I in the garbage, anticipating the actions of his prey. I don't think "Uncharted with more kinds of grenades."

I was sort of hoping Prey 2 would deliver on the promise of a space-bounty-hunter, but that seems more uncertain than ever.

I'll continue hoping this isn't a disappointment like the Force Unleashed games, and that LucasArts doesn't fire their entire game development staff again.

LOL

@President_Barackbar said:

@Kevin_Cogneto: I get that there is a lot of EU stuff, trust me, I like a lot of it. However, it wouldn't be that hard for them to carve out a little area for a game, especially a game about smugglers that doesn't have to have anything to do with main universe events. Couldn't it take place in the same area during the New Republic days? I mean, they made Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy just fine without freaking out.

Yeah I've been itching for some post OT stuff for a while. There's so much cool stuff that happened they could work with. Still though, I guess between the two trilogies is better then more clone wars crap.

I love the promise of this (growing up with the old series myself). If they can deliver, I'll be happy as fuck, but let's wait and see... You never know what might happen, so I won't hold my breath just yet.

Brad Muir, Randy Pitchford, and Dominic Robilliard are all the same person.

@Tennmuerti said:

@doobie said:

@Tennmuerti said:

This is what the whole fuss has been about?

I mean yea sure it looks great for something running on a high end PC, kind of a ME gameplay vibe except with the graphical level of something more on the level of Witcher2/Metro2033/BF3 (pc versions on ultra obv.). It's definately up there, but nothing mindblowing (escpecially considering the very tight focus of the level scope). I could see this being super amazing graphically wise if you consider something like Uncharted 2/3 a graphical high point :/

Now if the fuss is about a somewhat mature take on Star Wars, i can get behind this, great graphics don't hurt :P

sorry. but im running a high end PC at the moment that will run anything at its maximum and their is NOTHING that comes anywhere near close to what that looks like.

If you think so, but to me the 3 games I listed on running on max settings (ie ultra) look quite comparable.

Especially considering how very limited and super tight the actual game space is in the vid, there are much less models that have to be rendered compared to Witcher 2 and BF3 scope, which matters a great great deal (it's the same trick games like Uncharted 2/3 and GoW3 use by having way less in terms of actual environment and dynamic up close actors). And Metro2033 is just as if not more detailed.

well your PC must have a mode that mine doesnt. cos my witcher 2 does not look as good as that. not even close

@doobie:

an i7 and 2 6990s can get some decent visuals going /shrug it's not even top tier

Witcher 2 has like I mentioned much greater environemt scope, dynamic foilage, and a plethora of actors. This demo is showing 2 dudes upclose and 2-3 enemies at a distance in a tight underwhelming corridor. The ship they jump to is nice, but it's one ship. at like I said 720p.

You can optimise the hell out of a tiny area with 1 close up, for a very strong demo showing.

@Veektarius: @Veektarius said:

Brad's still the best interviewer on the staff.

Agreed.

That was a fantastic interview by Brad. Got in some gritty tech details, but knew exactly when to transition to the broader stuff. Great job.

Why are there some people that seem to think that all games should be open world?

This video is why I get excited about video games. Hopefully this isn't a game that is coming in 2015 or whatever.

This just looks amazing. I'm with Brad, after listening to Carmack, I just want someone smart to speak graphics to me. :P This game sort of seems like a return to form for LucasArts.

I'm not a super technical guy when it comes to graphics, so I will just have to trust brad here that nothing else looks like this. To me the witcher 2 was the best looking game I ever played, and if asked to compare this new game with it, I couldn't really tell you which looks better.

I can't believe I'm interested in a Star Wars game again.

@FoolishChaos said:

I'm not a super technical guy when it comes to graphics, so I will just have to trust brad here that nothing else looks like this. To me the witcher 2 was the best looking game I ever played, and if asked to compare this new game with it, I couldn't really tell you which looks better.

Star Wars 1313 looks better.

Oh, cool, another game where you shoot dudes in a hallway and occasionally tap X to not fall off of an object. But it has incredible technology! Boing~

@leejunfan83 said:

I have a strong feeling this game will be a disappointment. Aside from the visual eye candy it doesn't look like it'll be revolutionary in the game play department. Brad said it looks like Drakes Uncharted if this is for next gen that is a bad thing games are already evolving past that stage.

There's not even a mass consumer demo out yet....keep your cynicism in check until you see Jar Jar's ghost haunt you with otherworldly flatulence...

Nice

@Patman99 said:

Graphics look amazing, if this game has an open-world then I will be in Star Wars heaven. Not since the original KOTOR has there been a Star Wars game that truly made me feel like I was a part of the universe.

They said in the interview it would be very linear. So no open world. Looks like it will be alot like Mass Effect without the companion interaction. Companions were the only reason to ever not just go right where they told you anyways.

@Crunchman: I'm getting that vibe too.

I think I've figured it out, the reason they are being cagey about who you will play as and when the game is set. This game will finally show you how Dengar got the bandages around his head, as you play a young Dengar and wind up injured. (And yes, I know, EU and Clone Wars and all of that crap have already covered him but this is video games.)

Not even the best looking game I've seen this year. Journey to me looked considerably better.

Graphics are nothing without a strong art style, and I'm not overly impressed by the 1313 demo. It looks very... bland. And that goes for the game play as well, from the tiny portion they've shown anyway. I'm not sure what everybody is getting excited over.

@samcotts: were you at E3?

Really funny to watch this now, and sad :(