Oh, George Lucas.  You’re just a little bit enamored by your own technology, aren’t you?  First you insist that Han Solo didn’t shoot first, despite what you directed way back in 1977.  Now you think a yelping Darth Vader would do good in Return of the Jedi, and a CG Yoda would do better than a puppet one…well, wait, that last one actually made a bit of sense.  Well, say what you will about ol’ George, sometimes he does have his heart in the right place.  And despite the fact it’s  probably the weakest film in the series (right down there with Attack of the Clones) Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is quite the looker.

The first chapter of the Star Wars Saga arrives in theatres for the first time ever in 3D starting February 10, and AMC theatres across the country are celebrating the occasion with plans to make opening weekend one for fans and families to remember. As part of the festivities, the new LucasArts and Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 3D Star Wars game will be playable.

The Star Wars Battlefront series has become a beloved property of the LucasArts digital empire over the past few years, with open battles between both good guys and bad guys, and numerous options for players to hop in on both sides.  Star Wars Battlefront III had been rumored for some time, but with the demise of longtime development team Pandemic Studios, it was put in doubt.  However, some interesting online moves have indicated that another developer could be working on the long-awaited sequel.  Could be, mind you...

In just one week at retail, Star Wars became the bestselling catalog Blu-ray Disc of all time with worldwide sales totaling one million units, including 515,000 units sold in North America.  This represents $84 million in worldwide consumer spend including $38 million in North America - unprecedented for a nine-disc Blu-ray collection at a premium price.

Ok, we admit it.  When Microsoft went and introduced Kinect Star Wars for the first time a couple of months ago at E3, it didn't quite move us.  And when we actually went to play it, we felt even more unmoved.  But some interesting new additions are starting to sway us over to the Dark Side -- namely being able to take control of a Rancor and letting all hell break loose.

Actress Ashley Eckstein, who’s married to former MLB star David Eckstein, has been keeping busy in the video game space. The actress voices Ahsoka Tano in Cartoon Networks’ hit computer animated TV series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” She’s also brought that character to life in a slew of Clone Wars video games, including LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Hero. Most recently, she can be heard in Sony Online Entertainment’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures MMO and the upcoming Bioware Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. She talks about Clone Wars and video games in this exclusive video interview from the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 convention.

During a panel presentation at the 41st annual Comic-Con International, Microsoft and LucasArts unveiled the first custom Xbox 360 console with Kinect featuring a limited edition Star Wars theme inspired by the beloved duo, R2-D2 and C-3PO,  as well as the brand-new Podracing mode featured in the upcoming titleKinect Star Wars.