What better way for a bunch of geeks to donate to Make a Wish Foundation than to involve the Force. Lucasfilm Ltd., Nerdist Industries, Octagon and Machinima have teamed up to create a lightsaber relay leading up to San Diego Comic Con.

The relay will start from Santa Monica on July 7 and end in San Diego on July 11. At every quarter-mile there will be a new participate to hand off the official Course of the Force lightsaber to. This coincides with San Diego Comic Con which starts July 12-15.

The relay will benefit Make a Wish foundation and there will be many ways for fans to get involved and donate. Any participants in the relay are encouraged to come decked out in their Star Wars gear, but they also want to encourage any cosplay or pop-culture themed gear.

“The Course of the Force lightsaber run is a great cause that combines fitness with helping others, principles that aspiring Jedi Knights can embrace. We have long supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and this is a great opportunity to raise funds and awareness while letting Star Wars fans celebrate their favorite saga,” said Kayleen Walters, Sr. Director of Marketing for Lucasfilm.

Nerdist’ Chris Hardwick will be broadcasting live from the course. There will be Star Wars themed parties, contents and more for fans.

“We aim to build on the excitement leading up to San Diego Comic-Con International, to raise awareness for the wonderful Make-A-Wish Foundation and to ensure that Course of the Force becomes an evergreen part of the pop culture lexicon,” said Nerdist Industries’ principal and Course of the Force creator and executive director Peter Levin. “Partnering with Lucasfilm, Octagon and Machinima creates a trilogy of cachet, profile and execution expertise. As a wise green man might say, ‘succeed we will, for a good cause’.”

I love this and definitely encourage everyone to stay on top of the information at Courseoftheforce.com. Great to see such a positive event kick off San Diego Comic Con this year!

“You ever wonder why we’re here?” is the first line in the whole series and what has developed from that one simple phrase has been great. It was a blast waiting for new episodes or shorts to be released and then talk about online and with my friends. Not to mention quoting the series in online multiplayer. And it was a blast to go back and watch my favorite PSAs and episodes!

Well watching this DVD set brings back all of those memories to the fullest. And I have to admit, being able to watch the seasons right after each other brings the storylines together, and of course cuts out the waiting during the first time around. The other great part about the DVD set that I like is all the work that went into making the menus and extras. Things like customized FBI warnings, sound effects and even menus changing due to your selections are really fun and really show some dedication to making the set.

All in all I give this box set two big thumbs up. It’s a great set to have for those who have been fans since the beginnings, and it’s also a good way to get new fans interested. I highly recommend picking it up for yourself, or even giving it as a gift to a friend. You can snag a copy from the official store here for $44.99.

Review copy provided by New Video and does not effect the outcome of this review

Inside Gaming is launching their own video game award show. The show will take place on December 11, 2009 and will look back at the last year in gaming.

There are 90 nominations over 18 categories. Starting on November 27 through December 7, community can vote on who they want to see win.

“The paradigm has shifted ‐‐ we are seeing huge numbers of gamers on the web which the staggering growth of the machinima channel on YouTube channel truly validates. Given this, it was natural for us look for more ways to deliver interesting and unique original gaming content that would satisfy this expansive gaming audience that lives online” said Machinima.com CEO and Chairman, Allen DeBevoise. “Inside Gaming and its host, “The Dead Pixel”, has become a leading voice for gamers on the web delivering a unique and notable gaming news show with a strong comedic edge. We are thrilled to leverage one of our flagship brands to create this awards show that will recognize those creators and innovators who continue to raise the bar in video games“

Inside Gaming is hilarious. I went to Machinima.com and ended up watching older episodes of their show. In order to vote, watch the video for the nominee. A video view counts as a vote.

Here’s what you can expect to get on the DVD:

• All 6 episodes
• The Making of Terminator Salvation The Machinima Series – Learn how game assets evolve into movies. Features interviews with developers, producers and Moon Bloodgood at work voicing Blair Williams
• Character Profile: Blair Williams – Explore the character of resistance fighter Blair Williams in depth and learn why the creators used Machinima as the storytelling vehicle

And if you aren’t familiar with the series, here’s a synopsis:

“My name is Blair Williams. I fight for the Resistance.” It is the year 2016, and Resistance fighter Blair Williams embarks on a deadly mission to search for a threat that is weakening humanity’s defense against the self-aware artificial intelligence called Skynet and its lethal Terminators. Moon Bloodgood reprises her Terminator Salvation role in this original machinima series, providing the voice of Williams as she takes on T-600s, MotoTerminators, Aerostats and Hunter Killers. Machinima delivers action and style in a big way, through its unique form of animation that is created using video-game engines and graphics.