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Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

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Old 04-03-13 | 02:01 PM
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Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

http://kotaku.com/disney-shuts-down-lucasarts-468473749

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.

Publicly, Disney is saying their current games could be licensed out to a different publisher or developer, but according to our source, that's unlikely. Our source says Lucas has pursued the option for "one or both games," but nothing happened. "With the teams now basically being dispersed I think both games are effectively dead forever," our source said.

“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," LucasArts parent company LucasFilm said 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.”


Pretty sad, although i've hated what LucasArts has become turning into a Star Wars only game maker. I'm sure we'll see Star Wars games licensed out to coincide with the new movies coming out, but I hope they license out some of their old adventure game properties so we can see more Monkey Island or Maniac Mansion. The world needs more purple tentacle.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:04 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Disney is really cleaning house after they bought the company. As expected, they wanted the Star Wars brand and didn't really care too much for the ongoing businesses.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:06 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Reminds me that my brother bought me this book a few years ago. I should go back and read it again.

http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Leaders-...e+leaders+book
Old 04-03-13 | 02:07 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Originally Posted by fumanstan
Pretty sad, although i've hated what LucasArts has become turning into a Star Wars only game maker. I'm sure we'll see Star Wars games licensed out to coincide with the new movies coming out, but I hope they license out some of their old adventure game properties so we can see more Monkey Island or Maniac Mansion. The world needs more purple tentacle.
I would love Day of the Tentacle to be re-released. I can't believe it hasn't been, yet. I've never got to play it
Old 04-03-13 | 02:11 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

That's a bummer.

I was thinking the other day : Has there been a single good Star Wars game this generation? After the promise of the original Jedi Knight games, you'd think there would be awesome Star Wars games by 2013; instead we get to force-pull a starcruiser for 40 minutes in The Force Unleashed and get to dance along with this:
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x_xJqkzngBI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 04-03-13 | 02:16 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Only if you count the Lego Star Wars games.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:19 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

I haven't played any of the Star Wars games from this gen, although I own all of them -Star Wars Kinect

Star Wars 1313 was possibly the one game that would make me buy a PS4 or 720, if it wasn't on Wii U. Now that's gone, so w/e

I thought the Clone Wars game on DS was fun.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:21 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

So all that work on 1313 is just thrown out? I was really looking forward to that.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:24 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

My first reading of the thread title left me thinking "what?!" but then I remembered that LucasArts died a long time ago.

I will always remember them for their awesome SCUMM games.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:39 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Can't remember the last good game LucasArts put out.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:40 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

The first Force Unleashed was good. And I enjoyed the Battlefront games.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:42 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Ironically, I was sent a survey about LucasArt video games yesterday from that Obi-Wants-to-Know-me thing.

Last edited by dex14; 04-03-13 at 02:54 PM.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:49 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

I hope someone picks up the Monkey Island rights.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:54 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

20 years ago I would have flipped all the tables in my house at a headline like that. Today I know it's for the best. Sad for the jobs lost, but happy for the new possibilities of putting that stuff in someone else's hands.

Where's my XWvTF modern reboot?
Old 04-03-13 | 02:55 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

The first Foce Unleashed was decent. What about those Star Wars RPG/MMOs?

But yeah, Lucasarts hasn't put out a bona fide hit in a long, long time.
Old 04-03-13 | 02:56 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

I was hoping the Monkey Island SE releases would generate new interest. I wonder how sales for those were, and if this kills all plans for more SE releases of their other games.
Old 04-03-13 | 03:10 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Originally Posted by dex14
The first Force Unleashed was good. And I enjoyed the Battlefront games.
This.
Old 04-03-13 | 03:30 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

The Dig
Full Throttle
Sam & Max Hit The Road

... I loved them all.

LucasArts
Old 04-03-13 | 03:42 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

TIE Fighter was one of my favorites....is it still possible to play on newer computers?

Old 04-03-13 | 03:55 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

In honor of them, go download the Super Star Wars trilogy on the Virtual Console, before they get taken down. Grab Zombies Ate My Neighbors, too.
Old 04-03-13 | 04:02 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Wow...Tie Fighter...I played that alot and it was fun.

Sort of sad seeing this and honestly like it was mentioned, Disney just wants the name and nothing else. Funny but about a week ago I played the demo (360) of Force Unleashed II and had a good time with it. Considering how old it was the visuals and action held their own. If anything I'm glad I grabbed all four seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Blu-ray) antimated series as it's been rumored Disney will ditch that or do something about it.
Old 04-03-13 | 04:12 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Stupid rat.
Old 04-03-13 | 05:44 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

I am kinda surprised we never got a single starfighter or rogue squadron game this gen (that I can remember).
Old 04-03-13 | 07:30 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

I played the heck out of Rescue on Fractalus on my C64 (yes, I'm older than dirt). And my kids still play the two Battlefront games even though they long ago outgrew their Star Wars stage. Lots of fond memories of many truly classic video games.
Old 04-03-13 | 08:53 PM
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Re: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts

Battlefront had so much promise but just lacked a level of polish that just kept it from being a "must play" game for me.

Then again that could be said for a lot of Lucasarts SW games.


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