RETAILBIZ: STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED II 56 MCV 17/09/10
The world’s favourite sci- fi brand returns in LucasArts’ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II…
by Dominic Sacco
WIELDING a lightsaber is a childhood dream that many still hold dear today – even if ‘grown-ups’ no longer admit it. LucasArts is catering to that dream with its sequel to 2008’s Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, promising players the chance to wreak havoc on a much larger scale than the original, continue its storyline – and seek revenge on Darth Vader himself. The original The Force Unleashed is the fastest-selling Star Wars video game ever produced. With worldwide unit sales of 7m, there is a hungry fanbase eager for the sequel. However, LucasArts is not resting on its laurels – the firm has added a range of new features to establish Force Unleashed II as a triple-A title in the Christmas period. Scott Wood, senior brand manager for Activision – which publishes LucasArts’ titles in the UK – says: “The first Force Unleashed title did extraordinarily well, reaching No.1 in the GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40 for two weeks. “We’re hoping for similar success this year and having the Star Wars brand behind us is such a great asset. But with a much more competitive market this time around, we know we have to work hard to get the consumer’s attention.”
USE THE FORCE, LUCASARTS Players once again take on the role of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, Starkiller – this time with dual-wield lightsabers – as he shapes the events between Star Wars films Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. Namely, the rise of the Rebellion against the Empire. Starkiller becomes an unlikely hero in Force Unleashed II, returning with new over-the-top force powers to prevent Vader from tracking him down and creating a Sith clone of him. Furthermore, Starkiller is on the hunt for the love of his life Juno Eclipse. Developer LucasArts has brought the Force Unleashed series forward in the sequel, with several gameplay tweaks and plot developments. During Starkiller’s journey players are required to take down giant bosses, piece together flash combos and take advantage of a new upgrade path in
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THE MARKETING FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS ONE
Activision Blizzard has a comprehensive marketing campaign in action to increase exposure and drive day-one sales of The Force Unleashed II.
TV The publisher says this will be its central means of pushing its message to the masses. A TV ad promises to ‘look awesome’ and set the game apart from competition in the busy Q4 new release season.
ONLINE A web advertising campaign will back the TV creative with premium positions running across gaming websites on October 29th.
PRINT A range of advertisements will run in key specialist games publications, focusing on establishing pre-orders with consumers. There will also be premium-placed ads – such as outside back covers – appearing throughout October.
RETAIL A collection of Star Wars- branded POS materials will be available to retailers to help maximise sales.
OTHER Activision Blizzard says it is working with all its Star Wars licensees to ensure that The Force Unleashed IIis the No.1 Star Wars launch this year.
order to make the protagonist stronger. One new ability is the classic Jedi mind trick, which turns enemies against their allies and tricks them into thinking the player is on their side. On top of this, ‘Force Fury’ increases Starkiller’s attacks and force powers, while the dual-wield lightsabers add new depth to combat gameplay.
LucasArts has combined three game
engine tools in Force Unleashed II to make it a definitive Star Wars experience. These are Pixelux Entertainment’s Digital Molecular Matter engine, Natural Motion’s Euphoria and the powerful Havok Physics system. This allows in-game objects to react realistically – depending on their material, angle of impact and how hard they’re hit.
The developer also brings an improved targeting system to the game. This enhances precision use of force powers and gives players greater control over puzzles and interaction with the environment.
Users can even attach power- enhancing lightsaber crystals to their weapon to customise it, then take it into new challenge levels and put it to the
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