Category: Butler Confessions

The Great Reboot of 2100: Just How Evergreen is Star Wars?

The Great Reboot of 2100

Imagine it’s the year 2115. Maybe the zombie apocalypse finally happened, maybe we’re facing the Blight seen in Interstellar, or maybe we’re all fleeing Mars for another planet. One thing for sure is that 100 years from now, the Force will have already awoken, noticed life has past it by, and it’ll be sad its old friends, those born prior to 2015, will have already died. Heck, those who will be born by the time of Ep. IX‘s release in 2019 would likely be on their way to becoming one with the Force too. But forget about whether your alive or not for a second and begin to wonder instead if Star Wars is still alive as a franchise in 2115, because as evergreen a property as it may be, can it really survive another 100 years, especially as is? Could those behind the franchise finally run out of ideas, letting Star Wars fade into everyone’s great-great-grandparent’s distant memories or could they have taken certain measures to ensure its survival for 100 more years? Enter ‘The Great Reboot of 2100.’

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Preserving the Mystery of In-Universe History

Preserving the Mystery of In-Universe History(2)

There’s been a lot said about the consumption of spoilers, specifically around The Force Awakens, and how the knowledge you gain from them may or may not affect you and your viewing experience. But as this article’s title suggests, it’s not going to be about spoiling TFA, instead it’ll be discussing the advantages of keeping the in-universe history which leads up to TFA a mystery. Because if the 30-35 years post-Return of the Jedi stays a mystery until the opening crawl and even after the credits roll for TFA, the film has a chance to emulate a feeling similar to when viewers were first introduced to the galaxy far, far away (be it 1977 or their first viewing of the films). Who doesn’t want that? Continue reading “Preserving the Mystery of In-Universe History”

Star Wars Ring Theory: An Interview with the Author, Mike Klimo, and Why You Should Read It

SWRT

One of the more amazing aspects of fandom is the way people interact and engage with their chosen franchise, from cosplay, to fansite writing/podcasting, creating various homemade games/films, or finding news ways to interpret it. Star Wars Ring Theory: The Hidden Artistry of the Star Wars Prequels is one of those unique things only a fanbase as passionate as the Star Wars universe can conceive of. If you haven’t read this multi-page epic dissection of the first six films in the saga, do so now and then return here for an interview with the author, Mike Klimo. If you don’t want to read it just yet, stick around and I’ll try to explain why you should read it no matter what level of fan you may be of Star Wars.

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Always On The Move: The Future of Star Wars Video Games (Part 2)

Always on the Move: The Future of Star Wars Gaming Part 2

In part one of The Future of Star Wars Video Games I argued choice-based games, seen heavily in RPGs and adventure titles, wouldn’t be possible in the new era of Star Wars. Part two chooses to instead focus on something which will continue to be part of Star Wars gaming for years to come, whether you like them or not: mobile games. Continue reading “Always On The Move: The Future of Star Wars Video Games (Part 2)”

Choice Isn’t an Option: The Future of Star Wars Video Games (Part 1)

Choice Isn't An Option Future of Star Wars Gaming 2Ever since the announcement of the new dawn of Star Wars storytelling, it’s been weird to go back and play some of the classic Star Wars video games. They’re still fun to play, and while I can easily imagine them fitting in with the Legends/EU version of events, I’m getting excited for all the new possibilities of the connected storytelling future instead. We’re going to be moving on from the disjointed gaming past of Star Wars, where story wasn’t always a large focus, to one where the story does matter. Continue reading “Choice Isn’t an Option: The Future of Star Wars Video Games (Part 1)”

Story Fight Night: Game of Thrones VS A Song of Ice and Fire

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH2ri8RhSnw&w595=&h=295]

At San Diego Comic-Con’s Game of Thrones panel, new cast members were announced for the upcoming 5th season and it’s all about the Benja…I mean Martells. Dorne will be featured heavily in the upcoming season, much like in the 4th book, and the repercussions from the death of a certain Prince really spices things up in the southern kingdom of Westeros. But out of the new cast, the most interesting part is the missing character: Arianne Martell. Factoring prominently into the 4th book’s Dorne focused chapters, does her lack of inclusion in the show hint to her not being important in the book’s end-game? George R.R. Martin answered the question when he made the simple point that “the show is the show and the books are the books.” I’m unsure if this has been addressed or mentioned already, but since it’s the first I’ve heard of it and differences between the show and TV series are of constant fascination to fans, I wanted to share my thoughts on just what Martin’s words mean going forward for both Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire. Continue reading “Story Fight Night: Game of Thrones VS A Song of Ice and Fire”

Chutes, Shafts, and Sinkholes: Star Wars and the Descent into the Underworld Mytheme

Descent Into the Underworld Sometimes even the most pervasive of motifs/mythemes are hidden best in plain sight and the Star Wars saga sure has plenty of them. Sometimes they aren’t even obviously a representation of said motifs. Sometimes it could be said someone is reaching for noticing them, but I’m going to point them out anyways. The motif that will be in question is the moment when the Hero (or Villain) must descend into the underworld (Hell, Hades, Diyu, etc) and/or the abyss, unknown, etc. It’s obviously not just in the Star Wars films, but a recent viewing made me realize how many (possible) versions of this motif there really could be in each film and the TV show. So in an effort to find more meaning behind moments in the Star Wars saga, I took it upon myself to find examples of the motif and see if they really represent it. Continue reading “Chutes, Shafts, and Sinkholes: Star Wars and the Descent into the Underworld Mytheme”

EU and Gaming: Thoughts on Their Relationship

EU-and-Gaming-Cover

– The following contains spoilers for several games –

Update 6/7/14: This article originally appeared on Knights’ Archive on 8/23/13, before the EU reboot was announced. Parts have been added to this article to reflect the new dawn of Star Wars storytelling.

Imagine this: strapped in the top turret of the Millennium Falcon, the ship shuddering from the projectiles of enemy craft, you’ll have to actively ignore Han Solo bellowing obscenities after each hit to keep your concentration. You swivel the turret, attempting to keep the asteroid shaped objects currently assailing the Falcon within your targeting frame. You snap off a few shots, but the yorik coral black hole defenses suck in every one. A torpedo distracts the yorik’s defenses and your next shots chip chunks off the living ship, spilling the Vong warriors into the vacuum of space. Continue reading “EU and Gaming: Thoughts on Their Relationship”

With New Eyes: The EU Reboot Changed How I View Ep. VI

Return of the Jedi
Over the past several years, I’ve chosen to celebrate Star Wars Day by watching at least one of the movies. This year, instead of working my way up to Return of the Jedi, I decided to start with it. Since the news of the Sequel Trilogy broke, and then the not too surprising announcement of the Expanded Universe being swept aside for new stories, I’ve had a strange hankering for watching RotJ. Over the past decade(s), I (and many other fans like me) have watched RotJ and had a subconscious and/or conscious knowledge of what was to come thanks to the EU. Now, with the slate wiped clean, watching RotJ feels like seeing it for the very first time.

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