Your Morning Linc: Disney/Lucasfilm To Partner With EA, Mark Hamill At ROTJ Screening,

Well, now that I'm caught up on my reviews, I'm in a very Star Warsy mood...so let's start the blog off with:

1. Disney/Lucasfilm To Partner With EA

Following the recent shutdown of LucasArts, many fans thought we'd never see Star Wars on our consoles again. But Disney and Lucasfilm announced yesterday that they will be teaming up with Electronic Arts for a "multi-year, multi-title exclusive licensing agreement...for the creation of new high quality Star Wars games" that will span both genres and platforms, with Disney Interactive creating games for mobile and tablets.

Here's a quote from the release from EA Labels President Frank Gibeau:

"Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe," 

"Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay."

According to the release, those studios will be DICE (Battlefield series) and Visceral (Dead Space series) which will team up with BioWare (Mass Effect series, Star Wars: The Old Republic). Now, of course, fanboys are hitting the internet hard blasting EA as the choice to continue the Star Wars franchise in the gaming world. But I wouldn't pay attention to them, since we haven't even seen a screenshot of one game yet. There is so much potential for new, exciting, and mind-blowing games. And while I hope we see the resurrection of Star Wars 1313 and Battlefront III, I look forward to more Star Wars on more platforms and in more ways than ever before!

2. Mark Hamill At Return of the Jedi Screening in LA

On May the 4th, fans at Entertainment Weekly's CapeTown festival in LA had the chance to talk with the returning Jedi himself, Mark Hamill. Here's a clip of him discussing the Sequel Trilogy and more.



You can read more about his appearance and thoughts on ROTJ, the OT, and the Sequels on the official Star Wars blog.

3. Synopsis for Kenobi by John Jackson Miller:

Need I say more?

The Republic has fallen.
Sith Lords rule the galaxy.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has lost everything . . . 
Everything but hope.

Tatooine—a harsh desert world where farmers toil in the heat of two suns while trying to protect themselves and their loved ones from the marauding Tusken Raiders. A backwater planet on the edge of civilized space. And an unlikely place to find a Jedi Master in hiding, or an orphaned infant boy on whose tiny shoulders rests the future of a galaxy.

Known to locals only as “Ben,” the bearded and robed offworlder is an enigmatic stranger who keeps to himself, shares nothing of his past, and goes to great pains to remain an outsider. But as tensions escalate between the farmers and a tribe of Sand People led by a ruthless war chief, Ben finds himself drawn into the fight, endangering the very mission that brought him to Tatooine.

Ben—Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars, traitor to the Empire, and protector of the galaxy’s last hope—can no more turn his back on evil than he can reject his Jedi training. And when blood is unjustly spilled, innocent lives threatened, and a ruthless opponent unmasked, Ben has no choice but to call on the wisdom of the Jedi—and the formidable power of the Force—in his never-ending fight for justice.


Wow, I really can't wait to see what's in store on the video game, movie, and print fronts! Despite all the shake-ups, this is still an immensely exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. And I will be chronicling all of it for you, right here at the Missing Linc!

MTFBWY,

- Joe

Your Linc at Lunch: LucasArts and Dark Horse Updates, Learn Gallifreyan and Doctor Who PSAs, and Disney Princesses in Star Wars

Happy Friday, all! I hope as you chow down on your salads and shish-kabob and whatever that thing is Johnson brought from home (tunafish and ham on a muffin, maybe?), that I might offer some geeky bits to chew on.

1. Kotaku Delves into LucasArts Final Months and EW Got Dark Horse All Wrong

This week, Kotaku went into amazing depth about the shutdown of LucasArts. They talk to various sources regarding the stages of the shutdown and the moods of employees (hint: not great) as this was all happening. Most surprisingly, is that they were able to obtain footage of what was to become Battlefront III. Unfortunately I can't embed it here, but you can check it out in the article. I've been trying not to get too down on Disney for making a business decision, but seeing all the vehicles and action that may never be is definitely tough.

Apparently Battlefront III is being guarded by top men.....top men.

And it looks like Dark Horse Comics editor Randy Strandler is none too pleased with the article that Entertainment Weekly published on its website this week. On the Dark Horse message boards Randy wrote the following:

"Kinda pissed off right now. No, that's not true. I am furious at the Entertainment Weekly interviewer. Not only did he not run the interview by us as he agreed to, and not only is the story weeks late in going live, but now that it has, I can see it is full of inaccuracies, misquotes, misattributions, and backhanded assumptions."

You can see the full thread here, including more from Randy on "The Star Wars" comic.

2. Doctor Who PSAs ... And You Can Translate Them Into Gallifreyan!

The funny minds over at College Humor have created a number of familiar-looking PSAs for that must exist in the Doctor Who universe. Hit the link for all of them, but here are some of my absolute favorites:

It's going to be okay....really.

Because your predecessor chose to Regenerate.

Rose Did A Lot Better Than Carol.

Contact Your Local Authorities...If You Can Remember.

Yeah, I'm not even going to be able to sleep now.

And if you want to translate all those PSAs in to Gallifryean, the circular language of the Time Lords, Loren Sherman (BlackHatGuy on DeviantArt) has created an amazing tutorial and translator. It's a little more complicated than it looks, but a lot of fun!

3. Some Day My Sith Will Come: Disney Princesses as Jedi and Sith

Proving that good things can and will come of the Dinsey/Star Wars merger, Illustrator Ralph Sevelius has produced some stunning pieces of Snow White, Ariel, and Rapunzel wielding lightsabers and generally looking pretty badass. I hope there are more in this series in the future. 

Don't want to get that tangled in a curling iron!

"Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection."

This is what Snow is turning into in Once Upon A Time (I hope!)

That's all for now! So swallow that sandwich, get back to work, and get ready for the weekend!

Allons-y!

Joe

Your Evening Linc: LucasArts Shut Down, Filoni's New Show, Doctor Who 50th News, And A New DBZ Movie

No time to waste, let's dive in to some evening geekery:

1. Disney Officially Shuts Down LucasArts

RIP, little man.

This is a turbulent time for the Lucasfilm family of products. The latest news from the House of Mouse is that LucasArts will be shut down and production will cease on new titles Star Wars 1313  and First Assault. Disney will license out future titles to outside companies. Here is the full statement:

"After evaluating our position in the games market, we've decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles."

 Now, it's very easy to get emotional about this. LucasArts has produced some of my favorite Star Wars games of all time (Shadows of the Empire, Rogue Squadron, The Force Unleashed, Jedi Outcast, and Force Commander just to name a few). And after the crushing news of the cancellation of The Clone Wars, it's easy to think that the big bad corporate thugs are coming in and ruining everything we ever cared about. While I'm still scratching my head over The Clone Wars' demise, switching formats for LucasArts might prove to be a savvy move. As TheForce.Net notes, the gaming division's problems have been manifold. With three presidents in four years, no truly successful games since The Force Unleashed in 2008 and The Old Republic (which was developed by BioWare and had to switch to a free-to-play model shortly after launch), and the ugly business behind the cancellation of Battlefront III (also developed outside by Free Radical), does it really make sense for Disney to carry on supporting a lagging company? Game Informer goes into more detail in their extensive article.

Seen here: The money pit Disney wished to avoid

Business decisions are, by their nature, not solely based on emotions. Disney is a powerhouse for a reason and we have to assume that their decisions haven't been based solely on seeing how many fanboys and girls they can enrage in a month. As I said, there is a lot of nostalgia and fond memories playing LucasArts titles, but through licensing, we might see great new Star Wars games in the future. And as Disney slims down Lucasfilm's portfolio, I sincerely hope that all this increased focus on the sequel trilogy produces superb films in the coming years.

2. Filoni Developing New Animated Series

I call him by his Italian nickname: "Davey Strands"

One bit of good news to come out of all of this is that the Man with the Hat will soon be back in the director's chair. In an interview with Rebel Force Radio, Filoni says that he will be around to helm a new animated series. What this new show will look like and what stories it will tell remains to be seen. Here's his take on all the recent upheaval at Lucasfilm:

“It’s a function of our industry… It’s not my favorite part. You can luckily grow things and bring on many talented people, but there (comes) times when you have to shrink things as well. We happen to be in one of those times right now, but that just paves the way, hopefully, for new things and new creativity in the future.”

I hope so, Director, for your sake.

3. Doctor Who 50th: First Shots of Filming, and Eccleston Won't Return

I'll get the bad news over with first. It looks like we won't see all three of the new era Doctors together for the 50th anniversary special. As reported by The Mirror, Christopher Eccleston will not be reprising his role as the Ninth Doctor.

"Meh."

Eccleston left after just one season, reportedly due to a difficult relationship with management, as well as a fear of being typecast. Despite some sources, Eccleston did not walk away from the project just as it began filming. According to a spokesman at the BBC:

"Chris met with Steven Moffat a couple of times to talk about Steven's plans for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode. After careful thought, Chris decided not to be in the episode. He wishes the team all the best."

Not letting the decidedly not "Fantastic" news stop them, the crew from Cardiff have been busy filming away. Here are some shots of the production thus far:

Joanna Page as a young Queen Elizabeth I

Constructing the TARDIS

Tennant chatting on his mobile.

A Zygon strutting his stuff

4. Dragon Ball Z: God vs. God

Kame-hame-HELL YEAH!

Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball series, has turned up the heat with the newest DBZ movie, out this week in Japan, entitled ドラゴンボールZ 神と神! (That's DragonBall Z: God and God). The story follows Goku as he battles Billis, the god of destruction. According to an ancient prophecy, a Super Saiyan god will arise to challenge Billis, and the deity does not take kindly to that. Kotaku gives a excellent review, but it boils down to this: This movie is everything you can expect from DBZ, but with a bit of a surprise ending. Frankly, as long as we're getting new DBZ material, I'm happy. Hopefully it will be released State-side in the near future. Check out some of the pictures below:

Another reason why I don't like cats.

My main man Vegeta getting his Super Saiyan on.

Old friends (and foes) return in this celebration of all things Dragon Ball.

A new Super Saiyan form arises.

That's all for tonight, folks! Remember to check out Doctor Who tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST and Game of Thrones Sunday at 9:00 PM EST! You know I'll be watching!

-Joe

Your Morning Linc: Disney To Shut Down LucasArts? Plus, I Join A Podcast and Discover A New Fandom

Good morning one and all! Got some late breaking news last night that needs to be shared:

1. Disney To Shut Down LucasArts?

In the wake of the cancellation of the Clone Wars and the disbanding of the Lucasfilm Animation team, rumors are quickly spreading that the next division on the chopping block is none other than LucasArts. Games Industry International is reporting that hiring has been frozen and the slate of games has been reduced solely to Star Wars 1313, though the fate of that game (like that of the rumored First Assault) is in question.

"Legend says they dropped The Clone Wars team down there..."

LucasArts brought in $150 million in revenue (with operating income of $90 million) in 2012 due to titles such The Old Republic MMORPG and Lego Star Wars III and division heads have adamantly denied the claim. But an ex-employee has been quoted as stating that the company suffers from "no stomach for a truly original product and a slender means to produce their previous cash cows - Indy and Star Wars".

More on this as it develops. I remind everyone to be patient and wait for official confirmation of anything before storming the castles at the Disney theme parks.

2. The Missing Linc On the Positively Nerdy Podcast Panel

A podcast 2 + Years in the Making

So someone thought it was a good idea to let me speak on a podcast. Last night I was invited by my friend Ryan Porter onto his podcast, Positively Nerdy, to discuss a very interesting topic: At what point does Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader? Joining me was Star Wars artist Joe Hogan and Hughes the Force producer Ruark Dreher. Joe and I met both Ruark and Ryan at Celebration V in Orlando way back in 2010. Being able to debate about Anakin's turn to the dark side felt like we were back at Miller's Ale House on International Drive. When the podcast is released you can bet that I will post it here. I'm looking forward to many more Star Wars chats to come!

3. The BBC Might Just Control My Life: I Finally Discover Sherlock

Well, it was inevitable. Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and writer Mark Gatiss teamed up in 2010 to give their take on the famous resident of 221B Baker Street. The result was Sherlock, and it is marvelous.

Much like Holmes' fashion sense.

Benedict Cumberbatch (possibly the most British name ever?) does a phenomenal job playing the great detective. He can rattle off deductions with impressive speed and keeps the character mysterious and intriguing. He is, as always, supported by his friend Dr. John Watson played by Martin Freeman, a former army doctor who does his best to keep up with Holmes and remind him to be human every so often.

And not a dwarf song to be heard.

The interplay between the two is great, as one definitely relies on the other throughout the series. Supporting characters such as Holmes' brother Mycroft (Gatiss), who is a high-ranking intelligence official, the doting landlady Mrs. Hudson (Linda Jean), the masterfully played Moriarty (Andrew Scott), and the seductive Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) quickly become favorites as well.

On Netflix, each episode is about an hour and half long (three episodes per season, so far), but they fly by. Holmes uses modern day technology to unravel the clues, sometimes even sending Watson off to a crime scene only to Skype back the details. And a really cool part of the show is watching Holmes deduce something from seemingly mundane pieces of information. Words and symbols literally appear to the viewer and you can begin to see the inner-workings of the mind of a genius like Sherlock. Check out the trailer for Season 1 below (with Muse's "Uprising" playing in the background!)

The show is definitely worth a look for anyone who enjoys mystery and suspense with some great characters and humor thrown in. 

Update: Benedict Cumberbatch also did the voice and motion capture for Smaug and the Necromancer in his pal Martin Freeman's movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and will reprise both roles in the sequel. He will also portray John Harrison, the main antagonist in Star Trek: Into Darkness

Enjoy the rest of your day, guys!

-Joe