LucasArts is Dead

[RakaiThwei]

Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm and LucasArts last year in a $4.05 billion deal, has shut down the legendary LucasArts division.

"After evaluating our position in the games market, we've decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games," Disney informed Game Informer in a statement. "As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles."

Although a Star Wars game factory in recent years, the publisher will be remembered for its work defining the adventure genre from the '80s to the '90s, on such titles as Maniac Mansion, The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle. The soul of those games and that era moved on from the company after the departure of Ron Gilbert and Double Fine's Tim Schafer.

The most recent project we are aware of by LucasArts is Star Wars 1313, but rumors have circulated for months about that project's ceased development. There's also the unclear fate of Star Wars: First Assault.

As for Disney, after shutting down the last of its core developers, the company is all-in on Disney Infinity and mobile games.

 

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/disney-closes-lucasarts/

 

-Rakai'Thwei

[megarock58]

actually, this could mean that we could see good Star Wars games, because  KOTOR for example came from outside of Lucas Arts.

[Guest bigballerju]

I don't know what to think of this. Could be good or bad.

[Guest sirmethos]

While Disney sucks at making comics, they're generally fairly good at making movies.

 

I'm pretty optimistic about future Star Wars movies, with Disney in charge.

[Z451]

While Disney sucks at making comics, they're generally fairly good at making movies.

 

I'm pretty optimistic about future Star Wars movies, with Disney in charge.

It really depends, I mean if you look at the way Disney views Star Wars, they really only seem to care about the Jedi/Sith, hence, characters like Boba Fett, Wedge Antilles, etc., will probably never see the limelight now, and that really is a shame.

[Guest force_echo]

While Disney sucks at making comics, they're generally fairly good at making movies.

 

I'm pretty optimistic about future Star Wars movies, with Disney in charge.

 

... What?

[Guest silversurfer092]

Sirmethos is right. Disney is pretty good with movies. The Avengers and the Pirates trilogy did fairly well. I could be wrong on Avengers, I don't know if Disney owned Marvel yet or not on that one, but the Pirates trilogy wasn't bad. The story got all wonky, but hopefully we won't have to worry about that with Star Wars.

 

Z, how can you tell that Disney only cares about the Jedi/Sith? Seriously, what has ever given that impression? Disney hasn't made too many dumb decisions in its history. Ignoring Han Solo and Boba Fett is a dumb decision. I doubt Disney will ignore them.

[Guest force_echo]

The discussion is about Lucasarts though, what does that have anything to do with movies?

[Guest bigballerju]

Just to say something on the movies discussion that was brought up:

I don't think people realize how good with movies Disney is. They have owned a lot studios that have made great films. Disney made John Carter, Tron, Who framed Roger Rabbit, The Rocketeer, Alice in Wonderland (2010), and more. Ignore Han Solo and Boba Fett? Wasn't it said Han Solo would be in the upcoming Star Wars film and Boba Fett might get his own film? 

On the games whose to say Disney won't start to make great Star Wars games if they decide to have another studio do the games or something.

[Z451]

Sirmethos is right. Disney is pretty good with movies. The Avengers and the Pirates trilogy did fairly well. I could be wrong on Avengers, I don't know if Disney owned Marvel yet or not on that one, but the Pirates trilogy wasn't bad. The story got all wonky, but hopefully we won't have to worry about that with Star Wars.

 

Z, how can you tell that Disney only cares about the Jedi/Sith? Seriously, what has ever given that impression? Disney hasn't made too many dumb decisions in its history. Ignoring Han Solo and Boba Fett is a dumb decision. I doubt Disney will ignore them.

It's moslty an inferrance surfer, based on the type of attractions they've done with Star Wars, and some of the art work they've put out thus far.

[Guest Incredible Hulk]

Well stand alone Han Solo and Boba Fett movies have been pretty much confirmed for the most part.

 

http://screenrant.com/star-wars-han-solo-boba-fett-movies/

 

 

Also for the 7th movie J.J. Abrams will be producer/director or whatever

 

http://screenrant.com/jj-abrams-star-wars-episode-7-interview/

[Guest silversurfer092]

I guess I'm glad I never saw anything for 1313. My roommate was excited for it but I was too busy avoiding it to get excited.

[Guest Kate Awesome Is Awesome]

Yeah I wanted to post yesterday the fact that they're planning stand alone Fett and Han Solo movies, they're clearly NOT jedi/sith centric

 

As for Lucasarts itself it's been a dead studio since Episode 1 when they went Star Wars centric. Other companies have done a much better job with the star wars property such as Bioware (KOTOR), Pandemic (Battlefront) and Traveller's Tale (LEGO Starwars). No need to keep a lame duck studio around business wise. It does suck for the teams currently working on projects to get their legs cut out from underneath them.

[Guest potterpuppetpals]

I think that Lucasarts' episode 1/2 tie-ins were pretty good games. Bounty Hunter and Jedi Starfighter to name a couple.

[Guest force_echo]

 

There go my hopes for Republic Commando 2.

[megarock58]

i suggest watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3AJClW3i4

[Guest potterpuppetpals]

That guy's kinda negative. Lego Star Wars and Force Unleashed are both awesome games. Don't lie. You laugh at when Chewie rips off the stormtrooper's arms off too.