Skip to main content

Sony says Star Wars 1313 is coming to PlayStation 3, Lucasarts says slow down

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The next-generation of video game technology rumbled across the horizon of 2012, teasing new technology across the year. Big budget game makers like Ubisoft, Konami, and Electronic Arts tantalized with teases of games like Watch Dogs, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, and Battlefield 4, all games “targeted” at current gen console fans, but also thought by most to be heading to a wave of machines still only rumored. One of the most discussed titles of this next wave of possible next-gen launch titles has been Star Wars 1313. Most assumed that it was destined for a next-gen release, but according to one Sony subsidiary, LucasArts’ next Star Wars video game won’t just be for Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4. It will also find a home on PlayStation 3.

Sony’s official German Facebook page announced that Star Wars 1313, the tech demo that caused a stir amongst jaded E3 2012 attendees thanks to its novel take on the fiction as well as its impressive graphics, would be released on PlayStation 3 by the end of the year. That statement was the first confirmation from any source as to what platform Star Wars 1313 would be released for since developer Lucasarts has been reticent to discuss even the PC specifications that might be required to run it.

The site backpedalled from its initial claim though, posting shortly thereafter that no platform had been announced for Star Wars 1313. “Since we are gamers, we hope of course for a release of the game on one of our PlayStation platforms, and wanted to emphasize that with pictures. So sorry again for the excitement!”

LucasArts also followed up with Kotaku. “[That] was an inaccurate post. We have not confirmed any platforms yet for 1313 and do not have any announcements to make at this time.”

It seems that SCEE’s German outfit made an honest mistake in the case, but it’s likely that Star Wars 1313 will appear on current consoles regardless of what platform it’s primarily built for. LucasArts only rarely develops its own tent pole releases, and when it does it maximizes their potential for profit. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the studio’s last signature product. The game was teased in tech demos years before its 2008 release, demonstrating its advanced physics engine. While the game did sport said physics in its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release, Lucasarts also developed a downgraded edition of the game for PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, and Sony’s PSP. Even if LucasArts isn’t willing to confirm Star Wars 1313 for PlayStation 3 this week, it’s still a likely candidate for the console.

Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
The best skills to buy first in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Jedi Cal Kestis.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has improved upon the original game in almost every way, and that includes expanding main character Cal Kestis' wide selection of skills and abilities. Whether it's new stances to engage with or entirely new skill sets to acquire, you'll find plenty to unravel throughout the game's lengthy adventure. If you're just getting started, though, you may find that your limited skill points leave you wondering which skills are worth your investment. Don't fret, though, as we've got the best skills for you to buy first in this guide.

Before we get started, however, be aware that the decisions you make in your skill tree can be reversed by spending 1 skill point, giving you the option to try new builds as you play. Luckily, that shouldn't generally be necessary – especially if you're thorough with your exploration – as Jedi Survivor has no level cap. Because of this, you can continue to grind out infinite skill points whenever you wish. In other words, you can max out the entire skill tree by the end of the game. With that out of the way, here are the best skills to buy first.
Survival Skills

Read more
How to respec in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Cal stands beneath the clouds in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor key art.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor comes packing a significant upgrade to its predecessor's customization, exploration, and other features – including a whole new skill tree for you to dig into on your journey through the galaxy. This eagerly anticipated sequel boasts a total of three main skill types and nine total trees to invest in, meaning that you'll have an opportunity to build main character Cal Kestis however you'd like. Luckily, if you're feeling any remorse about where you've put your points, you can easily respec them and try again – for a price.

However, before we tell you how to respec, keep in mind that you can earn skill points infinitely, so you can technically max out every skill tree by the end of the game. This means that most of your choices won't hamper your progress too much, especially if you're exploring thoroughly, scanning everything with BD-1, and uncovering hidden skill points all around the biomes. Still, if you're regretting a skill or two, let's respec them, shall we?
How to respec in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
You can respec very easily in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, so don't be too alarmed if you've made a bum choice or two. Simply visit any meditation point in the game and open up your skill trees. At the bottom-left of the screen, you'll see a button that you can press that says Reset All Skills, allowing you to respec all of your skill points.

Read more
Bringing VR’s best Star Wars game to PlayStation VR2 was a no-brainer, devs say
star wars tales from the galaxys edge psvr2 interview ilmxlab starwarstalesee screenshot c 3po and r2 d2

When ILMxLAB learned about the PlayStation VR2, Director Jose Perez III thought it was a "no-brainer" for the studio to bring the Oculus Quest game Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge to the new headset.
"We're always looking at how we can push the fidelity of the work that we're doing," Perez III tells Digital Trends in an interview. "PlayStation VR2 is ridiculously powerful; we got really excited about what we could bring to that. We started talking with our friends at Sony because we had a great relationship with them for Vader Immortal, and it was really a no-brainer. Then, you put the headset on, you start feeling the haptics, and you start seeing what you can do with the visual fidelity and lighting, and it's like, 'Oh, this is awesome!'"
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge - Enhanced Edition | Official Trailer | PS VR2
PlayStation VR2's launch and its first wave of games are nearly upon us, and Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge Enhanced Edition is one of those titles. This is a make-or-break time for VR, which is still struggling to move into the mainstream but could become more popular if Sony's headset can offer a compelling and accessible virtual reality experience. Ahead of its release, Digital Trends spoke to Director Jose Perez III and Producer Harvey Whitney from ILMxLAB to learn about the process of crafting one of these critical "no-brainer" launch games and PlayStation VR2 will ultimately stand when it comes to the future of VR gaming.
The power of PlayStation VR2
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge was originally released for Meta Quest VR headsets in November 2020. It's set on the planet of Batuu, which people also explore at Dinsey parks, and follows a Droid Technician who gets caught in the middle of a grander fight against the First Order after crash-landing on the planet. At the time, it was meant with decent reviews and only got better as its story was completed and expanded with the Last Call DLC.
After getting the "Enhanced Edition" of the game for PlayStation VR2 greenlit, ILMxLAB actually had to go and make it. As the team was dealing with new hardware for the first time, producer Harvey Whitney thought it was good that the team's first project on PlayStation VR2 was an enhanced version of an existing game.
"Early on, knowing that we already had the content that was created for the original, that changes things quite a bit," Whitney tells Digital Trends. "We're not redeveloping the story and coming up with all of that. We just had that opportunity to work as a team and ask, 'What do we really push here, and where are the changes that we want to make, and what we can do to really take advantage of this hardware?'"

The VR space is full of different headsets with unique specs, with the much higher specs of the PS VR2 standing out. The PlayStation VR2 sports some impressive specs compared to its VR peers, displaying content in a 4000x2030 HDR format at a 90Hz or 120Hz frame rate. Plus, games have the PS5's power, spatial, and brand new Sense controllers to take advantage of, rather than the 2013 console and 2010 motion controls that limited the original PlayStation VR.
PlayStation VR2 supports Roomscale, Sitting, and Standing play styles, which added more complexity as Tales from the Galaxy's Edge supports all three. Thankfully, Perez III that bringing Tales from the Galaxy's Edge to PlayStation VR2 was relatively manageable because of how impressive the system's specs were.
"A lot of the development processes are similar [to other VR platforms]," Perez III says. "We're still working inside of Unreal, and we're doing a lot of those same processes. But we don't have to look at performance quite as much as we do on some of the other devices, so we're able to open up a lot of things or not be as concerned about certain things. That comes with better hardware."
Better hardware, better games
Looking at the biggest games of the PlayStation VR2 launch window lineup, the visuals of titles like Horizon Call of the Mountain and the VR modes of Resident Evil Village and Gran Turismo 7 are impressive. In our discussion, Whitney also made it quite clear that one of the real advantages of working on this remaster was not having to worry about strict limitations on the visuals or even the audio. "We got lucky in the sense that there's a lot more to PlayStation VR2 that we hadn't had previously," Whitney says. "We could really push the graphics and make it shine. But then there were also some other things that came into play. We totally redid the audio, it sounds amazing."

Read more