It's always sad when someone in this industry steps down, and this is no different - as LucasArts President Jim Ward is finally hanging up his ten-year tenure at the company that brought us lightsabers and spaceships. Find out why and what's in the future for Jim Ward after the jump.

What's hot and what's sizzling hot! That's what these charts from Amazon.com is all about. The list is updated every hour but this is how the charts looked at post time.

PC Games
The still to be released World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade is already smoking at the top of the PC games charts with pre-orders so we guess its one of those guaranteed hits just waiting to happen. Meanwhile, World of Warcraft is entrenched at No.4.

1. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade (pre-order)—Vivendi Games
2. Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe (pre-order)—Microsoft
3. The Sims 2: Pets exp. (pre-order)—EA
4. World of Warcraft—Vivendi Games
5. Battlefield 2142 (pre-order)—EA
6. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War Dark Crusade exp.—THQ
7. Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave (pre-order)—Her Interactive
8. Neverwinter Nights 2 Limited Ed. (pre-order)—Atari
9. The Sims 2—EA
10. Warcraft III Battle Chest—Vivendi Games

The top ten PSP and Xbox 360 games on Amazon.com after the jump.

In a press release, Sony revealed the second wave of Greatest Hits games that will hit the PSP later this year. The first wave will launch tomorow, as reported earlier. Ace Escape: On the Loose, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, Twisted Metal: Head On and Wipeout Pure make up the first wave. Many people were disappointed that some popular titles like Lumines wouldn't be making the cut. Well, Sony has fixed that! The second wave games are as follows:

• Lumines
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
• Star Wars Battlefront II
• Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix
• Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade

All Greatest Hits games will retail for $19.99 in the USA. Retailers in Canada seem to live in 2001 when it comes to exchange rates, so expect $29.99 or $24.99 if we're lucky.

Along with the press release came the information that "With more than 5 million units sold, the PSP system remains North America’s top-selling next-generation handheld in the period since its record-setting launch in March 2005." I'm just noting this because it's the most creative marketing spin I've ever seen in a press release. In one sentence, Sony has added enough restrictions to give the idea that PSP is the dominant handheld in the continent! I know some of you are thinking "Shipped vs Sold?" but that's not the case. Sony has sold 5 million since its launch in March. However, that's the thing! "Period since [sic] March 2005" means that November 2004 - April 2005, in which the DS sold 1,651,786 units, is not counted. Also, they say "next-generation handheld" to exclude the GBA which has surprisingly outsold the DS and PSP since March! Again, very creative people in marketing. They deserve a raise or something!

Source: IGN

Here are some screenshots of the game “Star Wars: Battlefront II”:

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The sequel to the popular Battlefront video game is here! For those of you who wish to order their copy from Lucasarts will receive a free shirt with the Battlefront II logo on it. Fans of the original game have a lot to look forward to with this hotly anticipated follow-up for Playstation Portable:

- Revamped single-player experience includes smarter AI enemies and allies, plus a greater emphasis on story told through open-ended mission-based objectives.
- New space battles allow you to dogfight in X-wings, TIE fighters, Jedi starfighters and several other starcraft, or fight it out on foot aboard an enemy capital ship.
- Special opportunities throughout the game for players to wield a lightsaber and use their favorite Force powers as a Jedi.
- More than 13 new battlefronts on land and in space, including many from Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith such as Utapau, Mustafar and the space battle above Coruscant.
- All-new classic trilogy locations including the Death Star interior, classic space battles and the fight aboard the Tantive IV, Princess Leia's blockade runner seen at the beginning of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
- Online multiplayer action for up to 24 players on PS2, up to 32 on Xbox or up to 64 on Windows (plus AI units).

You can check it out for yourself on the LucasArts website [here].

source: gamespot


?That galaxy far, far, away is starting to get a lot closer. LucasArts today announced that the third-person shooter Star Wars: Battlefront II is now scheduled for a November 1 release. And in a marketing move that may make some Star Wars fans' heads explode, the date coincides with the release of Fox Home Entertainment's Star Wars: Episode III ? Revenge of the Sith on DVD?

The game is in development with Pandemic Studios, the team that also produced Mercenaries and Full Spectrum Warrior. Battlefront II will be raging on the PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and the PSP, the first time the series has landed on a handheld.

Battlefront II is the sequel to 2004's Star Wars: Battlefront, which let large-scale battles take place in the Star Wars universe with gameplay reminiscent of another battle-heavy franchise, Digital Illusions' Battlefield series. Battlefront II continues the sci-fi shooting of its predecessor, featuring a host of new locales, controllable vehicles, and popular characters from the storied films.?

This game will ship at the same time as the DVD release on November 1st for PSP (no price yet), and the PC, Xbox and PS2 versions for $49.99

You can read the full article [here].

Source: mobiledeviant

LucasArts will finally unleash its first handheld game this fall. While other companies have released handheld Star Wars games in the past, Star Wars Battlefront II for PSP is the first to actually be published by LucasArts.