LucasArts' multiplatform action title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has sold 5.7 million copies since its September 2008 release, according to Gamasutra.

The figure makes The Force Unleashed the fastest-selling Star Wars game in history.

The game's demo also set records, seeing over one million downloads on Xbox Live in eight days.

Contributing to The Force Unleashed's success was the game's multiplatform coverage. The Force Unleashed was released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, iPhone, N-Gage and other mobile platforms.

The Writers Guild of America has released its nominations for the best-written videogames in 2008, and the result is a fairly eclectic mix.

Fallout 3, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble!, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Tomb Raider: Underworld all received recognition from the WGA.

Only games scripted by writers that belong to the WGA were eligible to be nominated. And the WGA charges dues, so who knows how many games they really had to choose from. Still, High School Girls!

The full credit list, via Variety: ... Read more

LucasArts today released the promised donwloadable mission for the Xbox 360 version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, along with another set of character skins.

The Jedi Temple Mission Pack, priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), brings Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice to Coruscant and the ruins of its Jedi Temple as our action game protagonist searches for more information on his father.

The Mission Pack includes a number of new costumes, such as Temple Exploration Gear, Cybernetic Reconstruction Apprentice, Sith Training Gear, Mace Windu, Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, Dark Stalker, Lightsaber Training Droid and Combat Training Droid.

A separate 400 Microsoft Point ($5) Character Pack adds a... Read more

Developer LucasArts has revealed that it will bring a new mission and new playable characters to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed as downloadable content, though pricing has yet to be decided.

The new playable characters, due next month, will include Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Kit Fisto. The additions are "based on what we heard from fans," executive producer Haden Blackman informed Kotaku.

Meanwhile, the new campaign level will take place in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and is set to arrive later this year. The stage was one the team had hoped to include in the initial release, but was among those axed before the action game entered production.

A different version of the level is said to have appeared in external developer Krome's PS2, Wii and PSP editions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

"I wouldn't rule out any future content on The Force Unleashed," Blackman concluded. "There's easily another two dozen we could make into levels. This is a good way to continue the story."

A near-simultaneous launch on six platforms across four regions helped LucasArts sell 1.5 million copies of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and set some new records during the game's first five days at retailers, the publisher announced today.

According to the company, that makes The Force Unleashed both the fastest-selling Star Wars game and LucasArts title yet. A total of 4.3 million copies were shipped to stores worldwide, with the publisher preparing more due to "unprecedented demand."

Developed by LucasArts on the PS3 and Xbox 360, the physics-intensive action game hit North America on September 16, followed by a Australian and Southeast Asia release on Sept. 17 and a European debut on Sept. 19. External studio Krome handled the accompanying PS2, Wii and PSP editions, with n-Space on the Nintendo DS version.

"The record-setting sales of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed shows the undiminished power of Star Wars and its popularity across all media types, including video games," noted LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez. "We're blown away by the response."

Now available from the Xbox Live Marketplace in all Live regions is a demo for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. A 905mb download, the demo includes a tutorial for using the Force Grip power, and a level set in a TIE Fighter construction facility.

The demo is also slated for release through the PlayStation Network soon. The retail version of LucasArts' action-adventure game where you play a secret apprentice of Darth Vader will be released September 16 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP, and Nintendo DS.

LucasArts doesn't have a very big lineup, but here are screenshots from Fracture, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels & Jedi Alliance.

Fracture (X360) Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Jedi Alliance (DS) Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels (Wii) ... Read more

LucasArts today released the launch trailer for its upcoming action title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

A warning: if you are one to care about these things, the trailer does seem to give away a portion of the game's (admittedly predictable) story arc.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is due out September 16 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP.

Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

LucasArts has released a new video detailing the story development in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, currently slated for a September 16 release.

The game will be available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP. As indicated by the video's opening, this latest feature on the game's development contains early plot spoilers. Registered users can use the HD Stream.

Update 2: Speaking with Shacknews, LucasArts representative Margaret Grohne reaffirmed the company's commitment to its internal studio and noted that the studio is continuing to work on the next Indiana Jones game in addition to The Force Unleashed.

"We're committed to our internal studio," she said. "We're working on the next Indiana Jones game internally." When asked if this commitment extends to future efforts, Grohne responded, "I'm not going to comment on projects we have not announced."

As to whether LucasArts will begin focusing more on externally-developed projects, Grohne noted, "We've always had a good balance between the internal studio and working with external partners. Expect that to continue."

Update: When reached for comment, a LucasArts representative only told Shacknews: "LucasArts is committed to the internal studio."

The company did not address the subject of more layoffs or the outsourcing of future projects, which could theoretically leave the publisher as a "think tank" that contracts external developers to expand on internal concepts and design documents.

Original Story: Following word of routine terminations at developer LucasArts, a reliable source has informed Shacknews that the company plans to cease internal development and fire roughly 100 more employees after the completion of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

LucasArts is known to have at least one other title, an Indiana Jones... Read more

It seems that Yoda and Darth Vader won't be the only Star Wars characters featured in the latest entry of Project Soul's long-running fighting series Soul Calibur.

Publisher Namco Bandai today revealed that the two will be joined by the Force-wielding Secret Apprentice, the main character from LucasArts' upcoming action title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

According to GameSpot, the Secret Apprentice will be the only Star Wars character to appear in both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases of Soul Calibur IV. Yoda is exclusive to the Xbox 360 version and Vader only appears in the PS3 edition.

Sporting online multiplayer--a first for the series--Soul Calibur 4 hits PlayStation and Xbox 360 on July 29. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed follows on September 16, with PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP editions in tow.

Though LucasArts' physics-intensive effort Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is hitting every major system this fall except PC, the longtime PC developer has reassured fans that it is not abandoning the platform.

"We're not shutting the door on PC at all. For this project, it happens to be that we don't have a PC SKU," producer Cameron Suey told VideoGamer. "We do hear that complaint [that PC gamers want The Force Unleashed]. I definitely wish it had been possible."

While acclaimed PC developer Crytek has referred to piracy as "the core problem of PC gaming" and its reason to pursue multi-platform development, Suey attributed the missing PC edition of Force Unleashed to the platform's wide array of possible hardware configurations.

"[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," he continued. "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... Read more

When it arrives next Tuesday, Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) will be the first retail game to feature NaturalMotion's euphoria animation technology.

In advance of the title's release, NaturalMotion sent over a video demonstrating how the real-time animations of the euphoria engine differ from other solutions, such as ragdoll physics.

The euphoria technology is also being utilized the physics-intensive PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of LucasArt's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed as well as NaturalMotion's own football game Backbreaker (PS3, X360).

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Registered users can use the HD Stream.

LucasArts has released a new batch of screenshots for the Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2, PS3, X360, Wii, NDS, PSP), offering a glimpse at the game's Force powers and lightsaber-centric combat. Due out on September 16, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of The Force Unleashed were developed by LucasArts, with Krome Studios on the PlayStation 2, Wii and PSP versions and n-Space handling the Nintendo DS iteration.

LucasArts has provided us with a lengthy video that discusses the outsourced PlayStation 2, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP editions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and compares them to the internally-developed Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Due out on September 16, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of The Force Unleashed were developed by LucasArts, with Krome Studios on the PlayStation 2, Wii and PSP versions and n-Space handling the Nintendo DS iteration.

Publisher LucasArts has announced that its third-person action title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will head to North American retailers on September 16, with an Australian release on September 17 and an European release on September 19.

Set in the time between the Episode III and Episode IV films, The Force Unleashed follows the exploits of Darth Vader's secret Jedi-hunting apprentice.

The game will be available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP. The physics-intensive PS3 and X360 versions were developed internally at LucasArts. Krome Studios is handling the PS2, Wii and PSP iterations, with n-Space on the DS release.

For more on The Force Unleashed, check out our coverage of project lead Haden Blackman's GDC 08 talk..

LucasArts sent along some new screenshots taken from its force-featuring action title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

First up are a load of crackling images from the Xbox 360 version of the game.

Meanwhile, these somewhat less impressive shots come courtesy of Krome Studios, the developer of the Wii version. Finally, if you're feeling artistic, check out some concept art.

Some of the first in-game footage from LucasArts' upcoming Star Wars action title The Force Unleashed has been uncovered, and is now available to stream below.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Expect Star Wars: The Force Unleashed to hit on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, and Nintendo DS this summer.

"That whole thing with the Rancor blowing up from the inside we couldn't do due to ESRB reasons. We tried."

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed project lead Haden Blackman is talking of the painful restrictions that a Teen rating imposes during his lecture at the Game Developers Conference.

But even more painful was the act of imposing restrictions on the over-the-top designs his team came up with on the onset of production.

"This turned out to be more challenging than I had ever imagined," he said of his project.

Blackman has been working on The Force Unleashed since 2004, when LucasArts essentially relaunched in an effort to revitalize the business of... Read more

Computer & Video Games and GameHelper have the latest previews of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, offering more impressions of LucasArts' upcoming action game.