EA Exec Named President of LucasArts

[Astrotoy7]

love the Drama on LF! Berate people for overreacting and whining by overreacting and whining

 

O, arent you so clever adam!

 

3 facts, 1 suggestion = 2c !

 

Do you actually have anything to contribute or are you content playing armchair e-sigmund today muppet.

 

mtfbwya

[tk102]

Alright alright -- didn't mean to fan the flames here with my earlier post. We're all in good humor here. Let's take the jabs down a notch though.

[Taos]

I don't know, I can't help but think this can be a good thing....at least at first. What has Jim Ward done in his tenure? Put out a bunch of medicore games and only one SW game...that isn't even out yet.

 

Apparently I'm in the minority here, but I actually have enjoyed some EA games and I look forward to having the new LA president. I guess that's because I don't get caught up in the business politics and practices. Hopefully we'll get games that continue the JK and kotor series'.

[RedHawke]

I'll just wait and see. If we end up with crap, I'll say so. If we end up with good stuff, I'll say so too.

QFT!

[Char Ell]

I don't know, I can't help but think this can be a good thing....at least at first. What has Jim Ward done in his tenure? Put out a bunch of medicore games and only one SW game...that isn't even out yet.

What did Jim Ward do in his tenure at LucasArts? I have a lot of answers for that question.

 

- Reorganized LucasArts, letting go a fair number of employees in the process. Mr. Ward and other LucasArts management peeps referred to this event as a "reboot."

- Approved, and possibly initiated, reduction of KotOR II production schedule for Xbox SKU by 3 months.

- Though not specifically named by Gamespot, he would had to have approved laying off the pre-production team on KotOR 3, if the Gamespot report is true.

- Oversaw at least the completion of production and release of Star Wars: Empire at War for PC. Not sure if he was president when this project was started. (this isn't a SW game?)

- Allowed first LEGO Star Wars to happen and then, once it proved successful, had LucasArts take over publishing for the next two LEGO SW titles. (though it sounds like you may not consider these to be SW games)

- Promoted internal development of Lucas-owned IP instead of using 3rd party developers (see The Force Unleashed, and new Indiana Jones game)

- Supported new game development pipeline that would be able to share assets with ILM's special effects system.

- Decided to support console and handheld platform development and dropped most, if not all, development support for PC platform (boo, hiss)

- Wasn't able to implement any initiatives that restored SWG to its former glory.

- Went to the tried and true Traveller's Tales to develop LEGO Indiana Jones when it became apparent that the "next-gen" Indiana Jones title in internal development wouldn't make it in time for the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie release.

 

IMHO one won't be able to make a fair assessment of Jim Ward's accomplishments/downfalls at LucasArts for another couple of years. We need time to wait and see how some of the in-development games he signed off on turn out.

- The Force Unleashed

- Fracture (Day One Studios)

- Indiana Jones

- Unannounced game (Free Radical)

- Unannounced interactive entertainment product (LucasArts/BioWare project)

 

From my perspective I see Mr. Ward's tenure with mixed results. With only about 4.5 years as LA president he instituted a lot of changes that only the additional passage of time will reveal the results of. Hopefully Mr. Rodriguez will be able to come in and build off the positives from Mr. Ward's efforts. I don't know if LucasArts can really handle another "reboot" so soon after the last one.

[Astrotoy7]

What did Jim Ward do in his tenure at LucasArts? I have a lot of answers for that question. ...

 

as far as the gaming public are concerned...ie. what hits our shelves/screens at home, JW has done *jack all*, making you ad Taos both correct

 

@Taos...im with you.... EA has given me much fun ...every Tuesday night is Pizza and FIFA08/NHL06 night at a friends place....beer, pizza and fights guaranteed. Next week, Im "borrowing" a HD projector from work just so we can get it up on the whole damn wall!! His 42" 1080p LCD wasnt big enough!

 

mtfbwya

 

What does "borrowing" (in quotes) mean? ~tk

[Titanius Anglesmith]

A lot of you are reading way too far into this. EA hasn't bought LA.

 

Besides, I've gotten plenty of fun from several of EA's games - Madden, NBA Live, FIFA, The Sims, Crysis.

[Boba Rhett]

We're aware that EA hasn't bought LA. We're merely concerned that this man is going to drag along with him EA's very special values and code of ethics.

[Taos]

What did Jim Ward do in his tenure at LucasArts? I have a lot of answers for that question.

 

- Reorganized LucasArts, letting go a fair number of employees in the process. Mr. Ward and other LucasArts management peeps referred to this event as a "reboot."

- Approved, and possibly initiated, reduction of KotOR II production schedule for Xbox SKU by 3 months.

- Though not specifically named by Gamespot, he would had to have approved laying off the pre-production team on KotOR 3, if the Gamespot report is true.

- Oversaw at least the completion of production and release of Star Wars: Empire at War for PC. Not sure if he was president when this project was started. (this isn't a SW game?)

- Allowed first LEGO Star Wars to happen and then, once it proved successful, had LucasArts take over publishing for the next two LEGO SW titles. (though it sounds like you may not consider these to be SW games)

- Promoted internal development of Lucas-owned IP instead of using 3rd party developers (see The Force Unleashed, and new Indiana Jones game)

- Supported new game development pipeline that would be able to share assets with ILM's special effects system.

- Decided to support console and handheld platform development and dropped most, if not all, development support for PC platform (boo, hiss)

- Wasn't able to implement any initiatives that restored SWG to its former glory.

- Went to the tried and true Traveller's Tales to develop LEGO Indiana Jones when it became apparent that the "next-gen" Indiana Jones title in internal development wouldn't make it in time for the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie release.

 

IMHO one won't be able to make a fair assessment of Jim Ward's accomplishments/downfalls at LucasArts for another couple of years. We need time to wait and see how some of the in-development games he signed off on turn out.

- The Force Unleashed

- Fracture (Day One Studios)

- Indiana Jones

- Unannounced game (Free Radical)

- Unannounced interactive entertainment product (LucasArts/BioWare project)

 

From my perspective I see Mr. Ward's tenure with mixed results. With only about 4.5 years as LA president he instituted a lot of changes that only the additional passage of time will reveal the results of. Hopefully Mr. Rodriguez will be able to come in and build off the positives from Mr. Ward's efforts. I don't know if LucasArts can really handle another "reboot" so soon after the last one.

 

Are you Jim Ward? Or did you work with him on a daily basis?

 

I stand corrected about the lack of SW games under his tenure, I've just never heard of Empire at War. Or I might have seen it and didn't pay any notice. And lego games.....lol lego games? Let me say that again - lol lego games?

 

as far as the gaming public are concerned...ie. what hits our shelves/screens at home,

 

Yep, that's exactly how I'm looking at it.

 

@Taos...im with you.... EA has given me much fun ...every Tuesday night is Pizza and FIFA08/NHL06 night at a friends place....beer, pizza and fights guaranteed. Next week, Im "borrowing" a HD projector from work just so we can get it up on the whole damn wall!! His 42" 1080p LCD wasnt big enough!

 

That sounds awesome! I've never been a hockey fan, but those games are fun as hell! A 42' 1080p lcd not big enough? Wow....jealous! Enjoy yourself tonight!

[Char Ell]

as far as the gaming public are concerned...ie. what hits our shelves/screens at home, JW has done *jack all*, making you ad Taos both correct

Hmmm... I guess so, from a certain point of view. </Obi-Wan> I understand Taos and many other LucasArts' fans feelings that Jim Ward did jack squat for LucasArts' games. I think that is because he decided that LucasArts needed to be overhauled, it took time to do that, and LucasArts wasn't producing a whole lot of games during the "reboot." And of course fans don't really care about what is going on behind the scenes, they just want their blasted games already!

Are you Jim Ward? Or did you work with him on a daily basis?

Nah, I just have this recently waning obsession with trying to figure out when LucasArts might make KotOR 3, which means I paid close attention to a lot of LucasArts-related interviews and reports over the past few years. You just didn't realize you were asking a loaded question where I was concerned.

And lego games.....lol lego games? Let me say that again - lol lego games?

Uh-oh. Don't let Prime hear you talk that way about LEGO Star Wars. I hear he loves playing LEGO SW with Primecess 2.0

[Tommycat]

My comment was in reference to another poster saying that the 100 games a month thing might be good, I see it as a chance for equally dismal prospects should they bring it all. Not to mention that they are bridging the gap with EA. Bioware owned by EA, EA exec going to LA.

 

Of course I'm upset with EA after they got the sole rights to NASCAR games and them being crap compared to the games by another publisher(NASCAR Racing series by Papyrus FAR exceeded the EA versions... which I can honestly say I would rather have a root canal done through my nasal passages than play again).

[Jeff]

Lego SW is awesome! As long as you don't take it too seriously its great fun especially for the Wii.

[Astrotoy7]

Lego SW is awesome! As long as you don't take it too seriously its great fun especially for the Wii.

 

Yup, these games are criticised far too much. They are targeted at kids straight off the bat... and if you have younger siblings/relatives/offspring etc, are great games to play with the young-uns.

 

mtfbwya

[Cygnus Q'ol]

I could really care less who LA's president is.

 

It would be nice if he addressed the KotOR series right away, however that won't happen until they can determine if it will be a cash cow or not.

 

If it'll make money, they'll definately do it eventually.

If they're unsure, as they are right now, it'll continue to be a dream.

 

 

Jedi Madden Football, huh? It would be extremely difficult to throw a football if your arm has been severed from your body, even if it is cauterized.

 

Doesn't Devin Hester already have jedi reflexes?

[JCarter426]

I'm pretty sure that they already know that KOTOR 3 will make them lots of money. It seems like LA has been more focused on creating a new franchise that will make them money (The Force Unleashed) rather than work with the ones they have now (KOTOR 3 et al). Why? I don't know. I guess their mentality is 'burn it all and start over'.

 

This is another reason I think (read: hope) that TFU is going to be a complete failure. Just because they've started from scratch doesn't mean that they're not going to make the same mistakes they have in the past. They haven't rushed TFU, so that's a good sign. But they couldn't possibly have put nearly as any effort into making the game than they have advertising it--and that's not a good sign.

 

TFU failing miserably would be good news for those of us who are hoping for a KOTOR 3. After all, they did pick TFU over K3 in the beginning. So if the former fails, they'll go back to the latter.

[Prime]

Uh-oh. Don't let Prime hear you talk that way about LEGO Star Wars. I hear he loves playing LEGO SW with Primecess 2.0

Say what you will about Lego SW, it is ****ing fun. If it was "realistic" it would arguably be the greatest SW game of all time.

[mimartin]

TFU failing miserably would be good news for those of us who are hoping for a KOTOR 3. After all, they did pick TFU over K3 in the beginning. So if the former fails, they'll go back to the latter.

Or they could go with plan C or plan D. KOTOR 3 would make LucasArts money, but the question a for-profit company has to answer is which product will give them the highest return of profit on their investment.

 

I’m hoping TFU is a great game, not because I believe it will help or hurt the chances of getting KOTOR 3, but because I am a Star Wars fan.

[JCarter426]

Or they could go with plan C or plan D. KOTOR 3 would make LucasArts money, but the question a for-profit company has to answer is which product will give them the highest return of profit on their investment.

 

Point taken.

 

I’m hoping TFU is a great game, not because I believe it will help or hurt the chances of getting KOTOR 3, but because I am a Star Wars fan.

 

So would I, if I could actually play it when it came out.

[Taos]

Any reason why they can't do both games?

 

Nah, I just have this recently waning obsession with trying to figure out when LucasArts might make KotOR 3, which means I paid close attention to a lot of LucasArts-related interviews and reports over the past few years. You just didn't realize you were asking a loaded question where I was concerned.

 

Understood there. I'd love a continuation of the series as well. I guess I should say thank you because you take the time and go through all that where as lazy folks like me sit back and whine about not having any "new" games to play. lol

 

Though my being "lazy" can be directly attributed to work and school.

 

Uh-oh. Don't let Prime hear you talk that way about LEGO Star Wars. I hear he loves playing LEGO SW with Primecess 2.0

 

Non-sense, I do not fear Prime!

 

Lego SW is awesome! As long as you don't take it too seriously its great fun especially for the Wii.

 

Yup, these games are criticised far too much. They are targeted at kids straight off the bat... and if you have younger siblings/relatives/offspring etc, are great games to play with the young-uns.

 

Say what you will about Lego SW, it is ****ing fun. If it was "realistic" it would arguably be the greatest SW game of all time.

 

Well, I'm glad you guys enjoy it. However, I am not a console guy [especially the wii ] nor do I have little ones running around, so it sounds like I'm missing out. Ah well, life goes on. I guess I have the Bioware/LA game to look forward to - and hope it's SW. lol

[Cygnus Q'ol]

I'm not too sure about the failure part when it comes to ForceUnleashed.

I don't see how the failure of FU leads to the success of KotOR.

I would think that it's success could only help it.

 

Of course, it's success could lead to a change in KotOR's format, which quite a few people would object to.

 

I believe it will do well. From the snippets I've seen so far, it looks pretty good. I'm impatiently looking forward to it.

 

Outside of SW Legos, it should surpass the last few SW games that IMO sucked bags of rocks. Namely, Battlefront and JA.

 

I'm looking forward to being Vader's apprentice and I don't mind the setting either.

It'll be nice to have a lightsaber back in my hands, although the use of the force in this game is suppose to be the shiz-nit.

 

We'll see soon enough. Now, I must meditate.

[JCarter426]

Any reason why they can't do both games?

 

You can thank Mr Ward for that. Part of his plan was to release only two Star Wars games a year. And it seems part of that plan was that one would be Lego Star Wars. So, Mr Blackman and company came up with a bunch of ideas, one of which was another KOTOR game. They picked TFU over it, and so here we are.

 

Now, my main concern about TFU's success is that they'll move to TFU II and TFU III and TFU the Prequel and so forth, and we'll never see K3.

[Astrotoy7]

Well, I'm glad you guys enjoy it. However, I am not a console guy ...

 

lolz...neither am I....I play it on pc with a 8800GTS 512 and a 30" 2560x1600p native monitor (When I built my gaming pc, I didnt have SW Lego in mind though)

 

....although I will get a PS3 one day...

 

no biggie. It is a kids game, and can be fun. Leave it at that

 

mtfbwya

[Char Ell]

Was poking around for more info on Darrell Rodriguez and found his bio listed on EA LA's website. Not sure how much longer it will be there since he should be taking over at LucasArts any day now so I'll quote it.

As Chief Operating Officer for EA Los Angeles (EALA), Darrell Rodriguez is responsible for overall operations, product development and strategic studio growth. Prior to his position at EALA, Rodriguez was the COO of the Games Business Unit at the EA Canada Studio, the business unit behind the franchises, SSX, Marvel, FIFA Street and NBA Street.

 

Rodriguez has had a diverse career prior to joining EA, with responsibilities ranging Master planning theme parks and golf course resorts in the Pacific Rim, lending money to Fortune 1000 companies, building a Miniature Golf course where Santa and his elves take their summer holiday and developing concepts of a Villain’s Roller Coasters for the Magic Kingdom.

 

A seventh generation Californian, Rodriguez was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and earned an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and an MBA from UC Berkeley.

 

Rodriguez, a competitive triathlete, has participated in various events the last few years, and is currently pursuing a personal goal of completing his first Ironman.

I found it interesting that a good chunk of his background isn't in the video game industry.

[Astrotoy7]

..I found it interesting that a good chunk of his background isn't in the video game industry.

 

Interesting? Im surprised to hear you think that! Its pretty much par for teh course...and not just the gaming industry either.

 

You think its call coders/geeks who've been making games since the 70s... heck no...

 

so, going back to my first post in this thread :

 

1. The gaming Industry is a freakin business. Business(aka) money minded people will *always* be in charge...

 

mtfbwya

[Prime]

Non-sense, I do not fear Prime!

Well you should. Really!!

 

Well, I'm glad you guys enjoy it. However, I am not a console guy [especially the wii ] nor do I have little ones running around, so it sounds like I'm missing out.

My kids are too young to play right now