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115-557: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ( KOTOR ) is a media franchise of space opera role-playing video games created and developed by BioWare , which have seen releases on the original Xbox , Xbox 360 , Microsoft Windows , OS X , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , IOS , Android and Nintendo Switch . The franchise takes place in the fictional universe of Star Wars by George Lucas . The first title, and subsequent massively multiplayer online role-playing game series,

230-480: A National Film Board production, in which Kroitor says, "Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in communication with other living things, they become aware of some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask which we see in front of us, and they call it God". Although Lucas had Kroitor's line in mind specifically, Lucas said the underlying sentiment is universal and that "similar phrases have been used extensively by many different people for

345-541: A Sith armada against the Republic . Many Jedi , scattered and left vulnerable by Malak's aggression, die in battle while others swear loyalty and allegiance to Malak. The game opens with the player's character awakening aboard a doomed Republic capital ship with no recollection of their past. After escaping the ship and crash-landing on Taris , the player gradually gathers companions and pieces together their past while attempting to stop Malak's forces. To accomplish this,

460-527: A "Force-sensitive lineage" and suggesting that the Force can be used by anyone. Several Star Wars characters say " May the Force be with you " (or derivatives of it) and the expression has become a popular catchphrase . In 2005, "May the Force be with you" was chosen as number 8 on the American Film Institute 's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list. May 4 is Star Wars Day , taken from

575-569: A bad side. We are part of the Force because we generate the power that makes the Force live. When we die, we become part of that Force, so we never really die; we continue as part of the Force." — George Lucas during a production meeting for The Empire Strikes Back Lucas and screenwriter Leigh Brackett decided that the Force and the Emperor would be the main concerns in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The focus on

690-501: A bunch of gobbledegook ". When writing The Force Awakens (2015) with Lawrence Kasdan , J. J. Abrams respected that Lucas had established midi-chlorians' effect on some characters' ability to use the Force. However, as a child, he interpreted Obi-Wan Kenobi 's explanation of the Force in Star Wars to mean that any character could use its power, and that the Force was more grounded in spirituality than science. Abrams retained

805-600: A character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through licensing agreements , with respect to intellectual property in the franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products." The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance,

920-486: A concept. Although Chris Taylor suggested fans want less detail, not more, in explaining the Force, Chris Bell argues that the introduction of midi-chlorians provided depth to the franchise and fomented engagement among fans and franchise writers. Religion expert John D. Caputo writes, "In the 'Gospel according to Lucas' a world is conjured up in which the intractable oppositions that have tormented religious thinkers for centuries are reconciled ... The gifts that

1035-720: A dangerous secret mission set 25 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. The comic was produced by Dark Horse and released weekly from April 23, 2010, to August 13, 2010. It is separated into three acts titled, Act 1: Shades of the Sith , Act 2: The Broken World and Act 3: Burn the Future . Threat of Peace and Blood of the Empire were published in printed format from July 7 to December 2, 2010. A third series by Alexander Freed and David Ross, titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns,

1150-485: A franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds. Since the creation of Disneyland in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself. Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from

1265-405: A high enough midi-chlorian count to feel and use the Force. Midi-chlorians are sentient, and arguably were the first species to emerge in the Star Wars universe. The species was a foundation of all life, as some deemed life impossible without midi-chlorians, and ultimately resided in all living beings, connecting two aspects of the Force. The Living Force (also known as a spirit or life essence)

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1380-532: A lengthy explanation of the Force of Others and introduces its Ashla light side and Bogan dark side. The Ashla and Bogan are mentioned 10 and 31 times, respectively, and the Force of Others plays a more prominent role in the story. In this draft, Luke Starkiller's mission is to retrieve the Kyber Crystal , which can intensify either the Ashla or Bogan powers. The film's shorter third draft has no references to

1495-424: A modeling agency, several television shows ( Playboy's Penthouse , in 1959), and even its own television channel . Twenty-five years later, Playboy released private clubs and restaurants, movie theaters, a radio show , direct to video films, music and book publishing (including original works in addition to its anthologies of cartoons, photographs, recipes, advice, articles or fiction that had originally appeared in

1610-630: A nationwide concert tour, an American Idol book that made the bestseller list and the film From Justin to Kelly . A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like the popular Twilight book series that was adapted into the five films of The Twilight Saga . Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including metaseries , which can be used to describe works such as Isaac Asimov 's Foundation series . Multimedia franchises usually develop through

1725-622: A new character named Naresha. Star Wars: The Old Republic (also known as SWTOR ) was released for the Microsoft Windows platform on December 13, 2011, in North America and Europe, and released in Australia on March 1, 2012. It was first confirmed by Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello at E3 2008 . The game was developed by BioWare, who developed the first Knights of the Old Republic game. It takes place 300 years after

1840-436: A potential trilogy. Representatives refused to comment, and nothing has been reported since. The general critical response of Knights of the Old Republic was overwhelmingly positive. KotOR won numerous awards, including Game Developers Choice Awards ' game of the year, BAFTA Games Awards ' best Xbox game of the year, and Interactive Achievement Awards for best console RPG and best computer RPG. KotOR has seen success as

1955-499: A privately owned firm. Select characters from the series have also made a non-canon appearance in the mobile turn-based role-playing game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes , released on iOS and Android in November 2015, also published by Electronic Arts. While most of the game's playable characters come from the 2012 mainstream Star Wars continuity that Lucasfilm established under The Walt Disney Company , several characters from

2070-501: A religion based on the Force. Practitioners of Jediism pray to and express gratitude to the Force. Scientists are mostly skeptical about a "real world" explanation for the Force. Astrophysicist Jeanne Cavelos says in The Science of Star Wars that explaining the Force is particularly difficult because "it does so many different things". Force powers like precognition imply the time travel of information. Cavelos explores

2185-533: A sound effect, such as a deep rumble associated with aggressive use or a more high-pitched sound associated with benevolent use. Jedi with special training can continue to exist after death, and some interact with the living as "being[s] of light" referred to as "Force ghosts." Obi-Wan's spirit provides Luke with guidance at key moments in the original trilogy, and Yoda appears as a spirit to guide Luke in The Last Jedi . Voices of past Jedi help Rey at

2300-519: A teammate's alignment and who teams with the player in the first place), gender is also a factor when it comes to companionships and gameplay in general. In addition the appearance (due to choices) also affects your teammates. For example, choosing a female character teams the player with Mical the Disciple, while being male teams the player with Brianna the Handmaiden. In 2003, LucasArts cancelled

2415-543: A toy, called the Force Trainer , which uses EEG to read users' beta waves to lift a training droid-themed ball with a shaft of air. The New Republic , Townhall , The Atlantic , and others have compared various political machinations to the "Jedi mind trick", a Force power used to undermine opponents' perceptions and willpower. Critic Tim Robley compared the Force to the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939), with both being entities that send

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2530-533: Is a conscious choice between good and bad, and "the world works better if you're on the good side". In 1970s San Francisco , where Lucas lived when he wrote the drafts that became Star Wars , New Age ideas that incorporated the concept of qi and other notions of a mystical life-force were "in the air" and widely embraced. Lucas used the term the Force to "echo" its use by Canadian cinematographer Roman Kroitor in Arthur Lipsett 's 21-87 (1963),

2645-528: Is an extension of Filoni's conversations with Lucas about the nature of the Force. Filoni credits the prequel films for better developing the concept of the Force, particularly the idea of a balance between the light and dark sides. Obi-Wan Kenobi describes the Force as "an energy field created by all living things" in Star Wars . In The Phantom Menace , Qui-Gon says microscopic lifeforms called midi-chlorians, which exist inside all living cells, allow some characters to be Force-sensitive; characters must have

2760-647: Is sometimes referred to in terms of "dark" and "light" sides, with villains like the Sith drawing on the dark side to act aggressively while the Jedi use the light side for defense and peace. According to Filoni, Lucas believed a character's intentions when using the Force—their "will to be selfless or selfish"—is what distinguishes light and dark sides. The Force is also used by characters who are neither Jedi nor Sith, such as Leia Organa and Kylo Ren . Characters throughout

2875-484: Is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise. The term media mix gained its circulation in late 1980s and is first used to describe adaptations of Sakyo Komatsu 's Japan Sinks , but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of anime , with its interconnection of media and commodity goods. Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as Vampire Hunter D in

2990-482: Is the energy generated by all living things. Through midi-chlorians, it is fed into the Cosmic Force, which bounds all things and communicates with living sentient beings. In 1981, Lucas compared using the Force to yoga , saying any character can use its power. Dave Filoni said in 2015 that all Star Wars characters are "Force intuitive": some characters, like Luke Skywalker , are aware of their connection to

3105-618: The Georgia Institute of Technology School of Physics suggests a fifth force would carry two types of charge—one for the light side and one for the dark—and that each would be carried by its own particle. Nepomuk Otte, also from Georgia Tech, cautions that Newton's third law of motion says telekinesis would apply a force back on the Force-wielding character. Fabien Paillusson from the University of Lincoln argues that

3220-706: The Great Jedi Purge depicted in the prequel trilogy, some characters have lost faith in the Force, and the Galactic Empire hunts down surviving Jedi and other Force-sensitive characters. By the time of the events in The Force Awakens , some characters think the Jedi and the Force are myths. Some Force-sensitive characters derive special, psychic abilities from it, such as telekinesis , mind control , and extrasensory perception . The Force

3335-529: The Knights of the Old Republic series are also included, mostly due to Electronic Arts being responsible for both Heroes and Knights . All new players are given a Jedi Consular who wields a green lightsaber and has the ability to heal. The original Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (and specifically Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Knights of the Old Republic ) comic book series preceded these games, first published in 1993 by Dark Horse Comics . They formed

3450-455: The Proteus console MMOG project during its design phase. The game was intended to be an in-house sibling to Star Wars Galaxies . Upon its cancellation, the Proteus project's team and elements of its designs were applied to developing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 . According to designer John Stafford, the team "wrote a story, designed most of the environments/worlds, and many of

3565-466: The Soviet Union to the Galactic Empire . The Gospel According to Star Wars says that Reagan's invocation of the Force was actually perverting Star Wars ' "self-dispossessing" (or other-focused) ethos: [The] blessing "May the Force be with you" is the expression of a hope for others ("May the Force be with you "), not for ourselves as with Reagan ("The Force is with us "). Moreover,

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3680-491: The fantasy and science fiction genres. Similarly, fantasy, science fiction films and television shows are frequently adapted into animated television series , video games, or both. A media franchise does not have to include the same characters or theme, as the brand identity can be the franchise, like Square Enix 's Final Fantasy or the National Lampoon series , and can suffer from critical failures even if

3795-722: The pun "May the Fourth be with you". The expression was intentionally similar to the Christian dominus vobiscum , "the Lord be with you". President Ronald Reagan in 1985 said "the Force is with us", referring to the United States , to create the Strategic Defense Initiative (itself often nicknamed Star Wars ) to protect against Soviet ballistic missiles . Some weeks earlier, Reagan had compared

3910-423: The 1980s and Pokémon in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance. The latter in particular began as a video game available on Nintendo 's Game Boy , and crossed through the media of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more. A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among

4025-640: The Ashla, but it mentions the Bogan eight times and Luke is still driven to recover the Kyber Crystal. Lucas finished the fourth and near-final draft on January 1, 1976. This version trims "the Force of Others" to "the Force", makes a single reference to the Force's seductive " dark side ", distills an explanation of the Force to 28 words, and eliminates the Kyber Crystal. Producer Gary Kurtz , who studied comparative religion in college, had long discussions with Lucas about religion and philosophy throughout

4140-546: The Coast 's Star Wars Roleplaying Game , which is based on the d20 role-playing game system derived from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. Combat is round-based; time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack and react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While each round's duration is a fixed short interval of real time,

4255-530: The Emperor was later shifted to Return of the Jedi (1983), and the dark side of the Force was treated as The Empire Strikes Back ' s main villain. The Phantom Menace (1999) introduces midi-chlorians (or midichlorians ), microscopic creatures that connect characters to the Force. Lucas later requested a passage about midi-chlorians be retroactively added to notes written in August 1977 expanding on

4370-442: The Force "a mixture of what appears to be ESP and early Christian faith." It has been studied in a religious context from an academic perspective. The Magic of Myth compares the sharp distinction between the good "light side" and evil "dark side" of the Force to Zoroastrianism , which posits that "good and evil, like light and darkness, are contrary realities". The connectedness between the light and dark sides has been compared to

4485-476: The Force and how it works, the more it took away from its core meaning. Kotaku suggests Rian Johnson depicted more nuance in the Force in The Last Jedi than Lucas did in his films. According to Rob Weinert-Kendt, the "Force theme" in John Williams ' score represents the power and responsibility of wielding the Force. Paranormal abilities like the Force are a common device in science fiction, and

4600-541: The Force and science-fiction tropes . These Ewok films have been described as depicting "sorcery" that is distinct from the Force powers depicted in the first six Star Wars films. Drawing from the Star Wars roleplaying game sourcebook he co-authored in 1987, Bill Slavicsek says that "The Ewoks' mystical beliefs contain many references to the Force, though it is never named as such." In his 1977 review of Star Wars , Vincent Canby of The New York Times called

4715-460: The Force can do." Johnson observed that every Star Wars movie introduces new Force powers to meet that film's story needs. Star Wars Rebels producer Dave Filoni cites several influences on how the Force is used in the show. The character Bendu —named in homage to the term Lucas originally associated with the Jedi—does not align with the franchise's normal dark-or-light duality, and this role

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4830-458: The Force has been compared to the role magic plays in the fantasy genre. The Star Wars films illustrate that characters not familiar with the particulars of the Force associate it with mysticism and magic, such as when an Imperial officer alludes to the "sorcerer's ways" of Darth Vader. The depiction of the Force in Star Wars has been compared to that of magic in Harry Potter , with

4945-625: The Force of the Star Wars universe reflects our own quest for understanding the forces of the world we live in. National Geographic compared the Higgs boson 's role as "carrier" of the Higgs field to the way Jedi are "carriers" of the Force. A previsualization video highlighting the idea of "kicking someone's ass with the Force" steered LucasArts game designers toward producing The Force Unleashed (2008), which sold six million copies as of July 2009. In 2009, Uncle Milton Industries released

5060-460: The Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wills with the will of the Force, while the Sith and other villains exploit the Force and try to bend it toward their own selfish and destructive desires. The Force has been compared to aspects of several world religions, and the phrase " May the Force be with you " has become part of pop culture vernacular . George Lucas created

5175-519: The Force, which is ... Lucas's tribute to something beyond science: imagination, the soul, God in man ... It appears in various contradictory and finally nonsensical guises, a facile and perfunctory bow to metaphysics. I wish that Lucas had had the courage of his materialistic convictions, instead dragging in a sop to a spiritual force the main thrust of the movie so cheerfully ignores. The introduction of midi-chlorians in The Phantom Menace

5290-400: The Force, while characters such as Han Solo draw upon the Force unconsciously. Filoni said the most potent Force users are characters whose midi-chlorian count provides a natural affinity for using the Force and who undertake intense training and discipline. Rogue One (2016) portrays the Force more as a religion "than simply a way to manipulate objects and people". In the years following

5405-420: The Force. It's depicted as ... something supernatural within this universe, but it's not the same thing as a personal god that Christians or Jews or Muslims might believe in. It's this impersonal force that is in some ways this neutral, impersonal energy that is out there to be used for good or for evil." At one point, Francis Ford Coppola suggested to George Lucas that they use their combined fortunes to start

5520-439: The Jedi masters enjoy have a perfectly plausible scientific basis, even if its ways are mysterious". Characters' faith in the Force reinforces Rogue One ' s message of hope. The A.V. Club said Rian Johnson's depiction of the Force in The Last Jedi goes "beyond George Lucas' original transcendental concept". Polygon said Johnson's film "democratize[s] the Force", depicting Force sensitivity in characters from outside

5635-424: The Old Republic . The game was however criticized for being incomplete due to a rushed deadline. The Old Republic has received generally positive reviews from critics, with a score of 85 on Metacritic and an 83.87% on GameRankings . G4TV gave a review of 5/5 and praised the game for "Top notch music and voice acting" and "hundreds of hours of content." PC Gamer gave a 93/100, praising the story, voice acting, and

5750-407: The Old Republic — Remake , a graphically updated remake of the original game, was announced as in development by Aspyr in collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment , for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 5 . It will be a timed console exclusive for PlayStation 5 before releasing on other platforms. On the remake's development, lead producer Ryan Treadwell wrote: "We’re rebuilding it from

5865-410: The Sith (the light-side path) or to usurp control of the Sith from Malak (the dark side path). A light-aligned character and their companions are hailed as saviors and heroes; a dark side character stands before the remaining Sith forces as the new Sith Lord. The Sith Lords takes place five years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic , in a time when the Jedi have been nearly exterminated by

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5980-674: The Sith. The player's character is a former Jedi Knight exiled from the Jedi Order, referred to as "the Exile" or "Jedi Exile". During the Mandalorian Wars, the Exile served under Revan who ordered the activation of a devastating gravitational superweapon – the Mass Shadow Generator – that caused so many deaths to the point where they stripped themself of all connections to the Force unconsciously to save themself, and

6095-455: The Whills, beings that "control the universe" and "feed off the Force." He elaborated that individuals function as "vehicles for the Whills to travel around in", and that midi-chlorians "communicate with the Whills [who] in a general sense ... are the Force." After selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, Lucas said his biggest concern about the franchise's future was the Force being "muddled into

6210-615: The Year 2003, Xbox Game of the Year 2003, PC Game of the Year 2003, and Overall Game of the Year 2003 across all platforms. G4TV's game review show X-Play picked KotOR as the second "best game ever" since the show began. The game is also part of the Xbox Platinum Series/Classics for sales in excess of one million units. In 2007, a story twist within the game was ranked number two in Game Informer 's list of

6325-437: The amount of content available. Gamespy gave a review of 4/5, praising the story lines and companion system but criticising the "standard kill and fetch" quests. GameSpot gave the game 8.0/10, saying "[ The Old Republic ] isn't the next step in online role-playing games. Instead, it's a highly entertaining refinement of what has come before it." GamesRadar gave the game 8/10 calling it "an extremely satisfying experience that sets

6440-427: The basis for the game setting, as well as inspiration for the game characters and story. The second comic series, titled Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , takes places around 3964 BBY, approximately eight years prior to the story of the video game series, and focuses on Zayne Carrick, a Padawan framed for the murder of his fellow Padawans by his masters, who are members of a mysterious Jedi Covenant. The series

6555-522: The character Visas Marr, and members of the Red Eclipse slavers. A space station near Yavin is also playable location in the PC version of KotOR and is available to Xbox players via download from Xbox Live . In The Old Republic , players have access to even more planets, like Ord Mantell, Nal Hutta, Balmorra, Alderaan , Tatooine , Dromund Kaas, Taris, Belsavis, Voss, Hoth , Corellia, Ilum and Quesh, and

6670-486: The characters' relationship. Chris Taylor called the Force "largely a mystery" in Star Wars . Taylor ascribes the "more poetic, more spiritual ... and more demonstrative" descriptions of the Force in The Empire Strikes Back to Lawrence Kasdan , who co-wrote the film, but says the film does little to expand audiences' understanding of it. In 1997, Lucas said that the more detail he articulated about

6785-474: The climax of The Rise of Skywalker , and Luke's and Leia's spirits watch over her at the film's conclusion. In an early draft of Return of the Jedi , Lucas planned to resurrect Obi-Wan and Yoda at the climax, and some drafts included scenes of the two helping Luke stop the Emperor. The final arc of The Clone Wars ' sixth season reveals that Qui-Gon Jinn learned how to transition into the "cosmic Force" from entities who represent various emotions; Yoda hears

6900-493: The concept of the Force to address character and plot developments in Star Wars (1977). He also wanted to "awaken a certain kind of spirituality" in young audiences, suggesting a belief in God without endorsing any specific religion. He developed the Force as a nondenominational religious concept, "distill[ed from] the essence of all religions", premised on the existence of God and distinct ideas of good and evil . Lucas said there

7015-443: The day-in-the-life episodes of the many different Real Housewives series. Documentaries and docuseries are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises, such as the popular Planet Earth series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise. The Force The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the Star Wars fictional universe . "Force-sensitive" characters use

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7130-722: The deceased Qui-Gon's voice in Attack of the Clones (2002), and he reveals in Revenge of the Sith that he has contact with Qui-Gon. A short story by Claudia Gray depicts Obi-Wan learning this technique from Qui-Gon in the years leading up to Star Wars . The Force plays an important role in several Star Wars plot lines. Anakin Skywalker's rise as a Jedi, descent into the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and redemption back to

7245-407: The different media, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways, such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of Spider-Man films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes the financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of

7360-412: The end, if the character is light-aligned, the Mass Shadow Generator is activated and destroys Malachor V and the Exile goes into unknown space to find Revan. A dark-aligned character, however, takes over the Sith academy on Malachor V and the Mass Shadow Generator is destroyed. The Old Republic takes place 300 years after the previous two games, shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between

7475-725: The fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other media. Marvel's Avenger's Campus park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure and Star Wars' Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney World . Media franchises tend to cross over from their original media to other forms. Literary franchises are often transported to film, such as Nancy Drew , Miss Marple , and other popular detectives , as well as popular comic book superheroes . Television and film franchises are often expanded upon in novels , particularly those in

7590-470: The film The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day. Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain media that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of

7705-733: The first two installments, as new conflicts arise between the Republic and the Sith Empire. Players participate in a period of time known as the Cold War in the galaxy, after the First Great Galactic War, which leads into events in the Second Great Galactic War. The game has received six storyline expansions and two smaller add-ons focusing on new gameplay mechanics. In September 2021, Knights of

7820-607: The focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image". The book Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan, by Marc Steinberg, details the evolution of the media mix in Japan. Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within

7935-463: The former being described as more of a "spiritual force". According to The A.V. Club , The Last Jedi depicts the Force "closer to the sorcery of fairy tales and medieval romance than it's ever been." Eric Charles points out that the television films The Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), intended for children, are "fairy tales in a science fiction setting" which feature magic and other fairy tale motifs rather than

8050-401: The franchise use their Force powers in myriad ways, including Obi-Wan using a "mind trick" to undermine a stormtrooper's will, Darth Vader choking subordinates without touching them, Qui-Gon Jinn repelling several battle droids at once, Rey lifting a large pile of rocks, and Kylo Ren stopping blaster fire in mid-air. Film and television use of the Force is sometimes accompanied by

8165-429: The franchise's fandom , which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its media and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers. Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around

8280-405: The franchise, on websites like tumblr , Reddit and Fandom . In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to the overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself. A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within

8395-415: The franchise. Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which media are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire media can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring. On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in

8510-485: The game of the year from many sources including IGN , GameSpot , Computer Gaming World , PC Gamer , GMR Magazine , The Game Developers Choice Awards, Xbox Magazine , and G4TV . Interactive Achievement Awards awarded it for best story and best character development. IGN gave KotOR additional awards in Best Sound (Xbox category), Best Story (PC category), Xbox RPG Game of the Year 2003, PC RPG Game of

8625-475: The game. The comic was produced by Dark Horse and released bi-monthly from February 27, 2009, to March 2010. It is separated into three acts titled Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant, Act 2: New Galactic Order and Act 3: Uncertain Surrender. A second webcomic series, titled The Old Republic: Blood of the Empire , was written by Alexander Freed, with art by David Ross, and follows the story of a Sith apprentice on

8740-432: The gameplay section, the player's actions now affect not only the player themselves but their teammates as well. The player can also teach some teammates the ways of the Jedi. The player also has more diversity when upgrading items, and can even create certain items, such as computer spikes and explosives, themselves. In a similar way the player's actions and alignment with the light or dark side affects their teammates (both

8855-494: The ground up with the latest tech to match the groundbreaking standard of innovation established by the original, all while staying true to its revered story". Several individuals who worked on the original game are returning for the remake, such as former BioWare developers and Jennifer Hale (reprising her role of Bastila). However, certain original cast members have since been deceased or will not be returning, such as Tom Kane who has retired for medical reasons. Little information

8970-545: The idea of the Force having a light and a dark side, and some characters' seduction by the dark side helps create conflict for the story. Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group gave his "blessing" for writer-director Rian Johnson to introduce a new Force power in The Last Jedi (2017) "if the story required it and if it felt like it stretches into new territory but doesn't break the idea of what

9085-512: The lack of detail about the Force makes it "a religion for the secular age". According to Jennifer Porter, professor of religious studies at the Memorial University of Newfoundland , "the Force is a metaphor for godhood that resonates and inspires within [people] a deeper commitment to the godhood identified within their traditional faith". According to Christian Pastor Clayton Keenan, "the spirituality of 'Star Wars' has to do with

9200-464: The last 13,000 years". The first draft of Star Wars makes two references to "the Force of Others" and does not explain the concept: King Kayos utters the blessing "May the Force of Others be with you all", and he later says "I feel the Force also". The power of the Force of Others is kept secret by the Jedi Bendu of the Ashla, an "aristocratic cult" in the second draft. The second draft offers

9315-475: The light side of the Force is the main story arc for the first six Star Wars films. Yoda 's arc in the sixth season of The Clone Wars depicts him exploring "bigger questions" about the Force and taking various inspirations from the franchise's expanded universe . In The Force Awakens , Finn 's exposure to the Force helps make him question his training. Writer Rian Johnson used the Force to allow Rey and Kylo Ren to communicate in The Last Jedi , developing

9430-702: The locations for the Jedi Academy and the Sith Academy, respectively; aboard the Star Forge space station where the final battle between master and apprentice takes place in KotOR; and war-ravaged Telos and its orbiting Citadel Station. Travel between locations happens aboard the freighter Ebon Hawk , which is also a playable location, though no combat takes place on board, except for three instances in KotOR 2 where you have to fight off Sith attackers,

9545-473: The magazine), footwear, clothing of every kind, jewelry, housewares (lamps, clocks, bedding, glassware), guitars and gambling, playing cards, pinball machines and pet accessories, billiard balls, bedroom appurtenances, enhancements, plus countless other items of merchandise. Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film media, with reality TV being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like The Amazing Race to

9660-399: The main character and their companions search for Star Maps that together reveal the location of the Star Forge, an ancient space station that creates massive amounts of material for Malak. The main character's actions and speech influence whether they align with the light or dark side of the Force . Depending on the character's alignment, they eventually reach the Star Forge either to defeat

9775-419: The majority of social media posts "from the original 2021 PlayStation Showcase had also been deleted" which sparked speculation on the status of the remake. In response, Sony stated that the delisting occurred because the music license expired. By February 2024, Embracer Group planned to sell off Saber in a US$ 500 million deal. Saber is anticipated to continue developing Knights of the Old Republic - Remake as

9890-400: The media fictional material is unrelated. Non-fiction literary franchises include the ...For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to... reference books . An enduring and comprehensive example of a media franchise is Playboy Enterprises , which began expanding well beyond its successful magazine, Playboy , within a few years after its first publication, into such enterprises as

10005-408: The meeting". The remake may not be released until 2025, per Bloomberg 's sources, instead of its intended 2022 release. In August 2022, Aspyr was reportedly removed from the project and replaced by Saber Interactive , which along with Aspyr is owned by Embracer Group . In September 2023, Kotaku reported that 2021 teaser trailer for the remake has been "hidden" on the "official YouTube channel" and

10120-436: The metaphor, saying society is the same way, says we all must get along with each other. In a rough draft of Revenge of the Sith (2005), Palpatine says he "used the power of the Force to will the midichlorians to start the cell divisions that created" Anakin Skywalker. This line was removed as the script progressed. Lucas' story treatments for a potential sequel trilogy involved "a microbiotic world" and creatures known as

10235-552: The moon Nar Shaddaa. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ( KotOR ) is the first installment in the Knights of the Old Republic series. KotOR is the first role-playing video game set in the Star Wars universe. The game was released on the Xbox on July 15, 2003, in North America and on September 12, 2003, in Europe. The PC version was released on November 19, 2003, in North America and on December 5, 2003, in Europe. The iOS version

10350-590: The nature of the Force. Lucas based the concept on symbiogenesis , calling midi-chlorians a "loose depiction" of mitochondria . He further said: [Mitochondria] probably had something ... to do with the beginnings of life and how one cell decided to become two cells with a little help from this other little creature who came in, without whom life couldn't exist. And it's really a way of saying we have hundreds of little creatures who live on us, and without them, we all would die. There wouldn't be any life. They are necessary for us; we are necessary for them. Using them in

10465-521: The player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round. The alignment system tracks actions and speech – from simple word choice to major plot decisions – to determine whether the player's character aligns with the light or dark side of the Force . In the first game, the player's speech and actions have no effect on their teammates. However, the player has influence over their companions in The Sith Lords ,

10580-418: The player to pay very close attention before reacting in any way. The series includes " Gray Jedi " who tend to follow their own path as far as the Force is concerned rather than obeying the light or dark side. The series includes a high level of lightsaber customization including crystal colors and blade styles. The developers of the series "fought" to expand the number of lightsaber colors. The game includes

10695-401: The player's actions determining not only what side the player is on, but their teammates as well. The influence the player has on another character can be minor, from converting a character from the dark side to the light, to something as major as teaching them the ways of the Jedi themselves. Influence can be lost, however, if the player makes an action inconsistent with past decisions, causing

10810-399: The possibility of brain implants or sensors being used to detect users' intent and manipulate energy fields, and compares such discipline to contemporary patients learning to control prosthetics . A scientific explanation of the Force would require new discoveries in physics, such as unknown fields or particles or a fifth force beyond the four fundamental interactions . Flavio Fenton of

10925-423: The production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success. American Idol was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner Kelly Clarkson signing with RCA Records and having the release of A Moment Like This becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100. The success resulted in

11040-418: The protagonist on a quest. In her 1980 Washington Post review of The Empire Strikes Back , Judith Martin described the Force as "a mishmash of current cultic fashions without any base in ideas. It doesn't seem to be connected with ethics or a code of decent behavior, either." John Simon wrote in his 1977 review of Star Wars for New York magazine: And then there is that distressing thing called

11155-403: The quests, characters, and items." The game was cancelled as part of cuts initiated in 2004 aimed at positioning LucasArts for future success. Concept art from the cancelled Knights of the Old Republic 3 project was published in the book Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts (2008); the artwork includes depictions of Taloraan, Rodia , and a Mandalorian city, as well as a Coruscant vehicle and

11270-552: The re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. The Jedi are held responsible for the success of the Sith and chose to relocate from Coruscant to Tython , where the Jedi Order had been initially founded, to seek guidance from the Force. The Sith control Korriban, where they re-established a Sith Academy. The game begins as new conflicts arise. Several new planets make appearances in the series as major locations. These include, for example, Dantooine and Korriban ,

11385-512: The relationship between yin and yang in Taoism , although the balance between yin and yang lacks the element of evil associated with the dark side. Taylor identifies other similarities between the Force and a Navajo prayer, prana , and qi . It is a common plot device in jidaigeki films like The Hidden Fortress (1958), which inspired Star Wars , for samurai who master qi to achieve astonishing feats of swordsmanship. Taylor added that

11500-525: The same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the Battlestar Galactica comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story. In Japanese culture and entertainment, media mix ( wasei-eigo : メディアミックス , mediamikkusu ) is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different broadcast media , gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, amusement parks , and other methods. It

11615-476: The stage for a bright future". The game has received a 9.0/10 "Amazing" rating from IGN . [REDACTED] Category Media franchise A media franchise often consists of cross-marketing across more than one medium. For the owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of the franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers. Those large groups of dedicated consumers create

11730-467: The top ten video game twists of all time. The Sith Lords was generally well received by fans and critics alike. Mirroring the success of the first game, The Sith Lords has garnered over thirty-five "Game of the Year" awards. The game received high marks from major reviewers - 8.5/10 from GameSpot, 4.5/5 from Gamespy and 93% from IGN. Based on 30 professional reviews, Metacritic gave the game an average rating of 85 out of 100, compared 93 for Knights of

11845-464: The ubiquitous colors blue and green but also colors such as orange and yellow. Danny Paez, for Inverse , commented that " KOTOR ' s spectrum of lightsaber crystals led to gamers obsessing over collecting them all to design the lightsaber of their dreams. This led to fans going out of their way to explore every nook and cranny of the games". Four thousand years prior to the Star Wars films, Darth Malak – Darth Revan 's apprentice – has unleashed

11960-477: The world's highest-grossing media franchises . For example, Pokémon 's penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! , gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called transmedia storytelling , crossmedia, transmediation , media synergy, etc. Researchers argue that the 1963 Tetsuwan Atomu marked a shift in Japanese marketing from

12075-407: The writing process. Kurtz told Lucas he was unhappy with drafts in which the Force was connected with the Kyber Crystal, and he was also dissatisfied with the early Ashla and Bogan concepts. "The act of living generates a force field, an energy. That energy surrounds us; when we die, that energy joins with all the other energy. There is a giant mass of energy in the universe that has a good side and

12190-406: Was asked by MTV News about a potential Knights of the Old Republic adaptation and stated, "Yes, we are developing something to look at. Right now, I have no idea where things might fall". The following month, BuzzFeed News reported that Laeta Kalogridis had been hired in the spring of 2018 to write a film based on the 2003 video game, and that she was close to completing the first script of

12305-442: Was controversial, with Evan Narcisse of Time writing that the concept ruined Star Wars for him and a generation of fans because "the mechanisms of the Force became less spiritual and more scientific". Film historian Daniel Dinello called midi-chlorians "anathema to Star Wars fanatics who thought they reduced the Force to a kind of viral infection." Referring to "midi-chlorians" became a screenwriting shorthand for over-explaining

12420-400: Was developed by BioWare while the second was done by Obsidian Entertainment per LucasArts' request. All were published by LucasArts . The video game series is based on an earlier comic book series; the franchise includes a subsequent new comic book series. Both comic series were published by Dark Horse Comics and act as prequels to the video games. The game's system is based on Wizards of

12535-470: Was otherwise revealed about the project. In July 2022, Bloomberg reported that the remake has been "delayed indefinitely" after Aspyr "abruptly fired the game's art director and design director". Bloomberg stated that this occurred after the vertical slice demo was shown to production partners Sony and Lucasfilm – Aspyr's studio heads put the project on hold as the demo gameplay "wasn't where they wanted it to be [...], according to two people who were in

12650-539: Was published on July 21, 2010. Drew Karpyshyn wrote a novel titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan , published on November 15, 2011. It features Revan , revealing his fate after the Knights of the Old Republic game. Karpyshyn wrote another novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation , that was released on November 13, 2012. Bioware released six short films as cinematic trailers for The Old Republic and its expansion packs. In April 2019, Kathleen Kennedy

12765-422: Was released in North America on February 8, 2005, and in Europe on February 11, 2005. Per request as to have time to deal with other matters, BioWare, the original developer, handed over the job to Obsidian Entertainment. In addition to technical changes – such as more combat animation and interface scaling – The Sith Lords includes several drastic changes from the original game's features. As mentioned earlier in

12880-520: Was released on May 30, 2013, and an Android release followed on December 28, 2014. The Nintendo Switch version was released on November 11, 2021. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords ( KotOR II ) is the second installment in the video game franchise. The game was released on the Xbox in North America on December 6, 2004, in Europe on February 11, 2005, and in Australia on February 15, 2005. The PC version

12995-499: Was released, in printed form, monthly from June 8 to October 12, 2011, by Dark Horse. It follows Satele Shan's son Theron Shan. A 256-page novel called Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived was released by Del Rey on March 22, 2011. Written by Paul S. Kemp , it tells of Darth Malgus, the Sith Lord responsible for the sacking of Coruscant. Another novel written by Sean Williams called Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance

13110-399: Was removed from the Jedi Order. Throughout the game, the player's character restores a connection to the Force while, with the help of their new companions, try to stop the Sith. Unlike the previous game where your actions affect the fate of the galaxy, here your actions affect only the planets you visit. You can choose to either help or hinder the Republic's attempt to rebuild these planets. In

13225-415: Was written by John Jackson Miller with art by Brian Ching. And published monthly from March 1, 2006, to February 17, 2010, by Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics . An webcomic series, titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace, was written by game developer Robert Chestney with art by Alex Sanchez. The story spans ten years from the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant to the events that start

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