Even though millions around the globe are eagerly awaiting Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it's just not enough to produce tentpole films in today's pop culture landscape. When you're promoting a major brand like Star Wars, it's important to have a presence across a multitude of platforms. Lucasfilm has already made waves on the small screen with works like Star Wars Rebels, but now the studio has found a way to break into an even smaller screen.
Modern society is always connected with the daily use of smartphones and tablets to get on-the-go updates about the latest happenings in the world. Now mobile users will be able to add the galaxy far, far away to their news feed, thanks the the release of the first official Star Wars app for iOS and Android enabled devices (watch the trailer above).
Disney made the announcement through starwars.com, providing fans with a thorough list of all the features that are available:
● Get instant notifications on big announcements, including trailer releases and movie news
● Theme your app with Light Side, Dark Side, or Droid interfaces, each containing different designs, sounds, and animations
● Unlock 3D characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens using a special Augmented Reality camera feature
● Take and share a Star Wars “selfie” in various iconic costumes and settings, including Jedi, Princess Leia (with hair buns), Han Solo’s carbon freeze, and more
● Get Star Wars-themed weather and five-day forecasts, featuring original art and parallax effects of in-universe planets and locales
● Wield a lightsaber and hone your skills against a training remote, as seen in Star Wars: A New Hope
● Share animated GIFs with your friends and family of memorable scenes and characters from the Star Wars movies and TV shows, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars Rebels
● Discover behind-the-scenes fun facts with This Day In Star Wars History
● Play classic sound clips and sound effects from your favorite Star Wars characters, creatures, weapons, vehicles, and scenes
● Get quick updates with a snapshot news ticker
● Count down to major releases like Star Wars: The Force Awakens with an always-running timer
● Sign up for Star Wars ID and join the growing Star Wars fan community; choose an avatar, create your own handle, and build a connected profile
● Read official Star Wars news and blogs from StarWars.com, as well as app-exclusive content, including the latest on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, creator interviews, and more
● Follow official Star Wars social channels via aggregated, customizable feeds from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, Google+, and Twitter
● Watch official Star Wars videos, including movie trailers, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more
● Discover the latest Star Wars digital apps, products and experiences from one central hub
All in all, it is a very interesting app that looks to be both informative and entertaining. Obviously, fans will be most interested in the news updates and videos (especially with all the films currently in development), but there's a lot to explore with this. The Force Trainer game is a fun little time waster, and it's easy to see how die-hard fans could get a kick out of "Augmented Reality" and selfie features, as they'll be able to live out their dreams and see themselves in various Star Wars environments. As we wait for The Force Awakens, this will make things a little easier.
In addition to the app, Disney has also revealed details for a new mobile game called Star Wars Uprising, which will be the first mobile game to canonically take place between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The main story revolves around a group of smugglers, freedom fighters, bounty hunters, and gangsters in the Anoat sector, who must form an... uprising to take down the Iron Blockade that is preventing the Rebel Alliance from accomplishing their goals.
Like most Star Wars games out there, Uprising will be battle-based, featuring a brand new terrifying leader of the Empire to take down. Players will be able to participate in missions on various Star Wars locations like Hoth and Cloud City while customizing their characters with special skills and gear from the franchise. There will also be a co-op mode that allows you to play with friends and build a powerful crew together. It will not be available to download until the fall, but mobile users can pre-register so they're ready when it's online.
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You can download the Star Wars app now. Star Wars Uprising will be available in Fall 2015.