‘Kinect Star Wars’ Launch Trailer: Flashlightsabers & Go-Kart Podracing

It hasn’t been easy to get a glimpse of the Galaxy Far Far Away… at least not when it comes to the forthcoming Kinect Star Wars title – which, despite a few glimpses at leaked gameplay footage, has mostly been marketed using bizarre live-action commercials.

That trend continues today, albeit interspersed with actual Kinect Star Wars gameplay footage this round, as LucasArts has released a new trailer for the title – featuring interspersed footage of live-action family members pretending to be Jedi Knights as well as their dreams-coming-true in-game.

The new commercial is unlikely to convince already skeptical fans of the game’s quality – since most of the on-screen visuals make Kinect Star Wars look like a downloadable title, not a full-fledged retail release. Hair on in-game characters looks plasticky and the Mos Eisley deserts are bland and uninteresting – not to mention, despite a number of modes, the gameplay itself is primarily relegated to frantic and unskilled flailing around. However, while Star Wars die-hards may be unimpressed – there’s no doubt the title, regardless of quality, is likely to make a lot for LucasArts in the casual market.

Not all the game modes are featured in the trailer but check out the video below for a sneak peek at “Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising,” podracing, and“Rancor Rampage”:

Kinect Star Wars is poised to be a choice game to tire-out rambunctious kids but, as mentioned, it’s not likely to succeed as a replacement for older gamers who still pretend to fight stormtroopers with flashlights (as indicated in the video). The trailer might have sounded good on paper (to sell the idea that Jedi-lovers finally have a more legitimate way to make believe) but the final product only serves to, once again, send mixed messages about who this Star Wars game is for – and what those gamers can actually expect.

Based on everything we’ve seen (not to mention haven’t seen), are there really going to be a lot of thirty-something men who pick this title up – to live-out their Star Wars fantasies? Not likely. Instead, it’s becoming increasingly clear that, even though LucasArts claimed that Kinect Star Wars was being designed for casual and hardcore gamers in mind, the title is actually being positioned to tackle the casual/family market with practically nothing compelling to offer anyone over the age of ten – except for Star Wars brand integration.

Ultimately, it’s hard to begrudge fans who pick up Kinect Star Wars; however, nothing we’ve seen or heard about the game seems to indicate that it’ll be anything more than casual shovelware – affixed with Star Wars characters and mythology.

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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates.

Kinect Star Wars is slated for a April 3rd, 2012 release date.