[RIP] LucasArts

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:09 pm

According to Kotaku, it's now closed:

Disney has laid off the staff of LucasArts and cancelled all current projects.

Staff were informed of the shutdown this morning, according to a reliable Kotaku source. Some 150 people were laid off, and both of the studio's current projects—Star Wars: First Assault and Star Wars 1313—were cancelled. Disney will still use the LucasArts name to license games, but the studio is no more.

1982-2013

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:21 pm

Damn, lots of great childhood memories as a kid.

Afterlife
Armed and Dangerous
Battlehawks 1942
Day of the Tentacle
Full Throttle
Grim Fandango
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game
Angry Birds: Star Wars (with Rovio)
Maniac Mansion
Masterblazer
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Outlaws
Sam & Max Hit the Road
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Star Wars Arcade
Star Wars (American & European version)
Star Wars Chess
Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Star Wars: Empire at War
Star Wars: Force Commander
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galaxies
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Rebel Assault
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire
Star Wars: Rebellion
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Atari Games)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: X-Wing
Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Strike Fleet
The Dig
Their Finest Hour

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:46 pm

It could have been worse.

Disney issues Order 66 against LucasArts staff.

zinckiwi · Post by **zinckiwi** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:47 pm

Damn shame.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:49 pm

Too bad. The LucasArts logo was one I always associated with "This will be a good game." I cut my PC gaming teeth on their early adventure games, and I can't begin to tell you how many hours I poured into many of those Star Wars titles.

Still, I think it's more a devastating blow for nostalgia than for real gaming. They haven't really done anything notable in years, and most of their later projects were in conjunction with other studios anyway.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:51 pm

Full Throttle... loved that game.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:15 pm

Does this mean no X-Wing/Tie Fighter reboot... ever?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:17 pm

No, it means that future Star Wars games will come from Disney's own studios.

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:26 pm

Grim Fandango <3

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:55 pm

I never met a Lucas Arts game I didn't like until Force Commander. That game rubbed me the wrong way so bad I just sat back and waited for the next space combat sim, the next improvement over Tie Fighter. And it never came. I was never and FPSer so they kind of left me behind.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:23 pm

Tie Fighter is STILL my favorite game of all those I think and it came out in 1994. I do love a lot of them and even the ones that were not my type were high quality. I can vividly remember years before having a computer reading about Their Finest Hour in magazines I'd buy at the mall and drool over it...a LOT.

Never got to play it. By the time I got a PC in 94 it was old news.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:52 pm

Zak McKracken was one of the first games I picked up for my Commodore; I think I still have the floppies in my treasure cabinet (if I die I will leave instructions to distribute the contents to people here). After that, it was LOOM for my Amiga. I have memories of PHM Pegasus, though I think it was on my cousin's Apple II. I'm nearly certain I acquired it at some point though. Dark Forces was one of the first PC games I purchased and I remember playing it for the first time like it was yesterday. I'm not really a Star Wars guy, but it was a pretty big deal (as I recall) at the time. I know I've played most of the other ones, but nothing hit like the first one.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:52 pm

Blackhawk wrote:No, it means that future Star Wars games will come from Disney's own studios.

No, they'll license out the name, not make their own, per the article.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:39 pm

Im sad for Star Wars 1313. I was looking forward to that one. Thought it was close to being done too.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:15 am

Grifman wrote:
Blackhawk wrote:No, it means that future Star Wars games will come from Disney's own studios.
No, they'll license out the name, not make their own, per the article.

Yup, and it's probably a good thing for us gamers overall, even though it hurts to see a classic company like LucasArts go under. Then again, LucasArts pretty much went under a decade ago. They aren't even a shadow of their former self.

We'll probably start to see the Star Wars license used for games in much the same way as the Warhammer license in the future, except with bigger production values because of the larger potential customer base.

D.A.Lewis · Post by **D.A.Lewis** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:27 am

EzeKieL wrote:Grim Fandango <3

and for me this is the most disappointing thing of all.

D.A.Lewis · Post by **D.A.Lewis** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:29 am

EzeKieL wrote:Grim Fandango <3

and for me this is the most disappointing thing of all.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:46 am

Afterlife was classic, too. At least among us citybuilding fans. Disco inferno! Hell in a handbasket!

The only other Lucas games I ever played were Grim Fandango and KOTOR.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:32 am

D.A.Lewis wrote:
EzeKieL wrote:Grim Fandango <3
and for me this is the most disappointing thing of all.

Why? Your chance of seeing a Grim Fandango sequel just increased a thousandfold.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:00 am

While it's all Greek to me, they decided to release the source code for Jedi Academy and Jedi Outcast if either are your thing.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:17 am

TiLT wrote:
Grifman wrote:
Blackhawk wrote:No, it means that future Star Wars games will come from Disney's own studios.
No, they'll license out the name, not make their own, per the article.
Yup, and it's probably a good thing for us gamers overall, even though it hurts to see a classic company like LucasArts go under. Then again, LucasArts pretty much went under a decade ago. They aren't even a shadow of their former self.

We'll probably start to see the Star Wars license used for games in much the same way as the Warhammer license in the future, except with bigger production values because of the larger potential customer base.

I agree. It's certainly a shame to see a company that developed so many classics go out like this, but realistically, they haven't put out much that was worthwhile -- that wasn't externally developed -- in at least a decade.

Cortilian · Post by **Cortilian** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:41 am

Nostalgia hit:

Afterlife
Ballblazer
Battlehawks 1942
Day of the Tentacle
Full Throttle
Gladius
Grim Fandango
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
Koronis Rift
Labyrinth: The Computer Game
Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
Loom
Maniac Mansion
Outlaws
PHM Pegasus
Rescue on Fractalus!
Sam & Max Hit the Road
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Star Wars Chess
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Star Wars: Empire at War
Star Wars: Force Commander
Star Wars: Galaxies
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Rebel Assault
Star Wars: Rebellion
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Atari Games)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: X-Wing
Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Strike Fleet
Tales of Monkey Island
The Curse of Monkey Island
The Dig
The Eidolon
Their Finest Hour
Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

Sheesh. I gave them people a lot of money and hours over the years.

List fixed.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:42 am

Freezer-TPF- wrote:It could have been worse.

Disney issues Order 66 against LucasArts staff.

I guess you weren't aware of the special LucasArts "employees" luncheon at the Magic Kingdom where the workers were replaced by clones which will just happen to die off in the next year from "natural causes"...

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:00 pm

http://kotaku.com/before-it-was-cancell ... -470003660" target="_blank

Before It Was Cancelled, Star Wars 1313 Was Going To Be About Boba Fett

That's going to sting. I know more than a few Star Wars junkies who were Boba Fett first and foremost.

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:03 pm

Great, now legitimate companies will get a crack at IPs like 1313 since Disney is selling the rights.

It's about time someone rescued these properties form the incompetent hands of Lucas Arts. So sad that ten years ago this would be a tragedy to me and now I'm hopeful.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:09 pm

That company died a long time ago. They're just now keeling over.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:15 pm

I thought Knights of the Old Republic was well regarded...

Checks...

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords is a role-playing video game released for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and it was released for Xbox on December 6, 2004, while the Windows version was released on February 8, 2005.

The most recent KotOR was 8 years ago? Someone has to stop time. This is getting ridiculous.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:17 pm

Knights of the Old Republic 2 wasn't developed by LucasArts. It was an Obsidian game.

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:21 pm

LordMortis wrote:I thought Knights of the Old Republic was well regarded...

Publishers. Not developers.

TiLT wrote:Knights of the Old Republic 2 wasn't developed by LucasArts. It was an Obsidian game.

Exactly. LucasArts PUBLISHED several good games, they did not develop anything good in awhile as far as I know.

TazFTW · Post by **TazFTW** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:08 am

So does this mean that someone (TellTale/Double Fine) can license and kickstart that Full Throttle sequel that was cancelled years ago?

[edit]Heck not only Full Throttle but sequels/HD versions of Maniac Mansion/Day of the Tentacle/Grim Fandango/etc..

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:20 am

I think the last heyday of LucasArts was the 1990's. I still remember them as LucasFilm Games haha.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 4:32 am

TazFTW wrote:So does this mean that someone (TellTale/Double Fine) can license and kickstart that Full Throttle sequel that was cancelled years ago?

[edit]Heck not only Full Throttle but sequels/HD versions of Maniac Mansion/Day of the Tentacle/Grim Fandango/etc..

Potentially yes. It depends on whether Disney wants anyone to work on these licenses or not.

Greybriar · Post by **Greybriar** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 6:37 am

Rest in peace, LucasArts. I enjoyed playing many of your games.

I hope all those employed by LucasArts have found new jobs.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon May 06, 2013 4:22 pm

Nooooooooooooooo!

Today it was announced that Lucasfilm Ltd. and Disney Interactive are entering into a multi-year, multi-title exclusive licensing agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) for the creation of new high quality Star Wars games spanning multiple genres for console, PC, mobile, and tablets.
...
While EA studios will develop for the core Star Wars gaming audience, Disney Interactive will focus on delivering new Star Wars games for casual audiences on mobile, social, tablet, and online gaming platforms.
...
"Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe," said EA Labels President Frank Gibeau. "Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay."

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon May 06, 2013 4:30 pm

President Frank Gibeau

Is that the same guy living in denial over how much people hate his DRMs and blows of Steam as being insignificant?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon May 06, 2013 4:39 pm

But it's not DRM, remember?

Lagom Lite · Post by **Lagom Lite** » Mon May 06, 2013 5:11 pm

Look out! A three-headed monkey!

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Mon May 06, 2013 6:34 pm

Yeah, horrible news... I mean, it's not like we had been getting great Star Wars games all that often anyway, but hoping for high quality from EA these days is equally a long shot. Ugh, ugh.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon May 06, 2013 6:40 pm

Do not want.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon May 06, 2013 8:50 pm

Shame about LucasArts. I still want Tie Fighter 2. Never understood why they didn't follow that up after how big a hit it was.