RIP LucasArts

[Giftheck]

LucasArts, the developer famed for Star Wars Battlefront, the reason we are all here, is no more.

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

"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."

[Joseph]

Disney, please    yourself.

[RepComm]

Lol, might as well lock the topic now xD...
Edit: If Lucas Arts = exterminated, would it still be illegal to do things like 'special' modding that otherwise wouldn't be allowed?

[Giftheck]

Yeah, it might get messy. But let's see if people can give reasoned opinions first.

EDIT: All the licenses were transferred in the initial purchase deal months ago, so anything happening since is pretty much under a different microscope anyway. Disney probably won't care about Battlefront, but I wouldn't rock the boat too hard just yet. Given LucasArts has effectively shut down, that might explain why psych0fred gave us the LUA scripts for BF1.

[Droideka]

So this could be either really good, or really bad, in terms of the future of star wars games. 1313 looked like a decent game, but I don't know if I would have gotten it...First Assault looked like it would be the first step to a 3rd SWBF, so that's unfortunate.

This could turn into Disney sitting on the game licenses for awhile and being stingy about allowing development, but perhaps we'll see Star Wars picked up by big-time game developers. I wonder if Disney would let Obsidian develop another star wars game, there's a lot of potential there.

I wouldn't over react to this quite yet, since Star Wars games can certainly still be made.

This still kinda sucks though, and Lucasarts was a good developer for a while, RIP.

[{PLA}gdh92]

I wish it was still April fools...
I know that LucasArts haven't made many good games recently but it's a shame to see all their talent and creativity go to waste, I was looking forward to these games but I suppose after what Disney have said about games in the past we should have seen it coming.
The good news is that most of the recent Star Wars games were externally developed and it sounds like that will continue to happen (there's no way there won't be Star Wars games anymore but I worry they won't be on PC/consoles) so hopefully a wide range of developers like Bioware, Pandemic etc will mean even better games.

[deadmeow]

This doesn't mean bad news necessarily, the quote says they will shift from internal development to licensing outside sources.  The big question is will we ever get a SWBF3, and could we get it faster with this new move?

[Droideka]

This doesn't mean bad news necessarily, the quote says they will shift from internal development to licensing outside sources.  The big question is will we ever get a SWBF3, and could we get it faster with this new move?

An important thing to also remember, is that some of the best Star Wars games in the last 10 years have been made by outside developers.

Examples: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2, and both Star Wars Battlefront games.

[Giftheck]

I wonder if they'll try to outsource 1313. They've poured a lot of money into it. In the case of SWBFIII, they've tried outsourcing many times. I think that's why they tried doing it internally this time (First Assault was 'step zero').

[Unit 33]

Egads!

Lucas Arts were always known for sacking employees at the end of projects so I guess it's some kind of irony that they themselves have been snubbed out.

But yes, it's terrible really, some amazing games came out of that place as well as SWBF.



Yes folks, this means both 1313 and First Assault are dead.

[(212th)Josh02]

Disney will get their hands all over the swbf3 concept.

[Unit 33]

Disney will get their hands all over the swbf3 concept.

It's not PG-centric enough for them. Stay tuned for a thousand Star Wars Angry Birds spin-offs!

Casual market > HC market

[{PLA}gdh92]

Disney said when they first got the star Wars licence that they had no interest in console games and that they wanted to make more casual games.

[(212th)Josh02]

It's not PG-centric enough for them. Stay tuned for a thousand Star Wars Angry Birds spin-offs!

Casual market > HC market

lol yes that is a good point. they will make swbf3 be micky mouse as a stormtrooper. i would rather have no swbf3 then one that makes swbf in general look bad.

[Ltin]

Disney said when they first got the star Wars licence that they had no interest in console games and that they wanted to make more casual games.

i hate disney now, and now i have a reason for it. LETS START A RIOT!!!!!!