News
Star Wars Jedi Challenges Launching Christmas
BERLIN — August 31, in the year of our Lord 2017:
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) and Disney today unveiled Star
Wars: Jedi Challenges, a new augmented reality Star Wars product
that allows fans to experience Star Wars in ways never before
possible. Jedi Challenges features a smartphone-powered Lenovo
Mirage AR headset, Tracking Beacon, Lightsaber controller, and
hours of Star Wars gameplay.[1] Jedi Challenges is being
unveiled as part of Force Friday II (September 1), which
celebrates the worldwide launch of new Star Wars products, and
will be available for pre-order for $199.99 at Best Buy and
Lenovo online, beginning Force Friday II. The product is
compatible with both Android phones and iPhones, and will be
available this Christmas season.
“With Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, Lenovo and Disney are bringing
Star Wars to fans in ways they could previously only imagine,”
said Jeff Meredith, Senior Vice President and General Manager of
Lenovo Consumer PCs & Smart Devices. “Augmented Reality has
always been an important part of Star Wars, and it’s exciting to
bring these key moments to life by marrying Lenovo technology
with Disney’s storytelling.”
Players will hone their Jedi talents across a variety of
augmented reality-based experiences, each offering multiple
levels of deep and immersive gameplay. To guide the player on
this journey, Jedi Challenges will introduce an all-new Star
Wars character, the Archivist. The Archivist instructs players
in the ways of the Force™ and the knowledge of the Jedi.
Throughout these challenges, users will train to perfect their
lightsaber skills by taking on some of the most menacing
villains the dark side has to offer, command armies in combat
missions to defeat the Empire, and outwit their opponents in
Holochess, all in augmented reality.
Game Features:
• Lightsaber Battles. With their very own lightsaber, fans can
train against legendary dark side villains like Kylo Ren and
Darth Vader.
• Strategic Combat. Players marshal the forces of the Republic,
Rebel Alliance, and Resistance against the might of the
Separatists, Empire, and First Order in epic battles across
their living room floors. Players can hone their skills in
strategy and tactics as they engage in battles.
• Holochess. Perhaps one of the most iconic board games brought
to film, Holochess first leapt into moviegoer hearts when it was
played on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars™: Episode IV - A
New Hope™. It has now been brought to life in Jedi Challenges.
Fans can direct their holographic alien pieces across the board,
wrestling for territory and control.
“We believe augmented reality will usher in a new era of
storytelling and play an important role in the experiences we
create for our fans,” said Kyle Laughlin, Senior Vice President,
Games and Interactive Experiences, Disney Consumer Products and
Interactive Media. “With Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, we’re
bringing together the latest technology and one of the most
recognized franchises in the galaxy to fulfill the wishes of
anyone who’s ever wanted to wield a lightsaber or take on the
empire forces on the battlefield.”
Hardware and Technology
Users start by downloading the Star Wars: Jedi Challenges app[2]
onto their compatible phone and sliding the phone into the tray
of the Lenovo Mirage AR headset. Sleek, portable and
lightweight, the Lenovo Mirage AR headset will provide full
gaming immersion with an optimal level of comfort during
gameplay. The headset also comes with a Tracking Beacon, which
is placed on the floor and acts as a stable base for the
headset’s sensors to detect the user’s movement during gameplay.
Equipped with two built-in fisheye sensors to provide inside-out
positional tracking, the headset allows for free and natural
motion for the player to move around as they duel opponents or
direct their forces and pieces across the battlefield.
The headset pairs with a collectible-quality Lightsaber
controller, modeled after the one wielded by Anakin Skywalker,
Luke Skywalker, and Rey. Designed to be a key part of the
experience, the Lightsaber acts as a controller and pointer,
allowing players to navigate the user interface, with all
controls, actions and commands activated with a simple
two-button configuration.
Through visible light-tracking technology, the headset’s sensors
work together to lock onto the position of the Lightsaber
controller, allowing players to see a beam form above the
“hilt,” which they can use to block and interact with the
universe in-game. Haptic feedback is activated as players strike
or block their opponents, while an inertial measurement unit
sends rotational information from the controller to the
smartphone to assist the beam in remaining stable mid-swing.
Availability and pricing
Pricing and availability for Star Wars: Jedi Challenges will
vary from country to country and the product will be available
beginning in November in certain markets.
In the US, Star Wars: Jedi Challenges is $199.99 and will be
sold on BestBuy.com and at Best Buy stores nationwide starting
in November.
1 For list of compatible smartphones, please visit
jedichallenges.com/compatibility.
2Available at jedichallenges.com/app