Star Wars fans are known for being ardent. And to stoke that enthusiasm for the 19 December release of JJ Abrams’s stab at the franchise, Star Wars: the Force Awakens, Lucasfilm and Disney Interactive have launched a free Star Wars app, available for download on Apple iOS and Google Android devices [see footnote].
Featuring a dynamic interface with three themes of your choice (Light Side, Dark Side or Droid), the app culls news announcements from the Star Wars network of digital channels, including StarWars.com and the official Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr and Google+ pages for the franchise.
Other Star Wars apps have been previously made available but this is the first one to give fans daily updates on the latest developments on the franchise and allows them to engage with each other. It’s also the first to feature an augmented-reality element, which Lucasfilm will demo at Comic-Con, which launches this Thursday in San Diego. According to Variety, the feature unlocks 3D characters from the Star Wars universe when a device’s camera is pointed at an official piece of merchandise, like a poster.
Other features include official Star Wars videos, including trailers and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a treasure trove of animated GIFs to share on mobile devices, and the ability to take a “selfie” in various Star Wars-themed costumes and settings.
• This footnote was appended on 21 July 2015: please note that this app is not currently available in the UK.
