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Please answer some questions for academic research about LucasArts' treatment of fans


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Dear Mojo’ers

 

 

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Linda and I am a New Media studies scholar at the University of Amsterdam. I am writing my bachelor thesis on the relationship between LucasArts and the fans of the LucasArts adventuregame classics, based primarily on the content of this forum and the International House of Mojo website.

 

The main focus point of my thesis is something called participatory culture (PC). PC is when people are no longer just users of a product, but actively contribute to the product, either directly (for instance through ‘user generated content’), or more indirectly (for instance a blogpost on the subject or a piece of art dedicated to the product. To me, the most interesting producers of this sort are fans.

 

Fans produce (draw, write, knit, program, film, etc.) all kinds of cool stuff, like this, this and this (and this). But fans also like to talk to other fans about the thing they are fans of on blogs and forums, which is also PC. The other interesting thing about this, is the reaction of the producer (the big media companies like LucasArts) to the fanproductions. Although there is much to say on this topic, let me keep it short by saying: some encourage it and some discourage it.

 

 

 

Now this is where you come in. What I find really interesting is that the old LucasArts adventuregames have such a loyal fan base. Even though the last LA adventuregame was released almost nine years ago, you are all still discussing the games, designers and developers, on a daily basis and are writing and reading articles about it on the International House of Mojo. Taking into account that LucasArts is not really showing any signs of ever wanting to approach the genre again, this is highly remarkable. Of course the genre -or at least the memory of it- is maybe kept alive by the companies of former LA employee’s, such as Telltale and Autumn Moon. But still, you’re active on the LucasForums, not (or also) on theirs.

 

The other side of this story is of course the reaction of LucasArts to fanproduction and -participation. I don’t want to cloud your judgement, but I feel it's safe to state that LucasArts hasn’t always been the most flexible company when it comes to copyright infringement. Of course it’s their legal right to protect their property. However, one could imagine that fans would take offence if LucasArts would forbid them to make for instance a piece of fanart.

Then again, maybe LucasArts is nothing like that.

 

 

 

Both the fanparticipation and the reaction of LucasArts (or maybe the non-existence of it) are very interesting to me. Now I could (and will) let my academic mind think of some great theory to explain such behaviour, but I’m really curious about your side of the story. Therefore I hope that some of you will be so kind as to answer some of my questions, posted below. You would of course be contributing to science, which always makes for a good story at parties!

 

So please look at the questions below and post your answers as a reply on this thread, along with any other thoughts you have on the subject. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with some tangible examples of the reaction to and/or interaction with fans by LucasArts, either positive or negative.

 

 

 

Many thanks,

 

Linda van de Fliert

University of Amsterdam

linda.vandefliert@student.uva.nl

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The questions, per category

 

Of course you don’t have to answer all of the questions. But the more, the better.

 

About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

• Why (not)?

• What exactly are you a fan of?

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

 

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

 

 

 

Many thanks!

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The questions, per category

 

Of course you don’t have to answer all of the questions. But the more, the better.

 

About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

I am NOW.

 

• Why (not)?

Because, to me, graphic adventure games are the outcasts of the gaming industry.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

Sam and Max. More specifically, any Sam and Max game where Sam is voiced by Bill Farmer and Max is voiced by Nick Jameson.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

Because I feel as a citizen of the United States that I can get away with speaking my mind, even if other people on this forum don't always agree with my opinions.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Yes, if certain people on this forum would treat me with respect instead of pandering to the immature cyberbullies. (You know who you are!)

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

Too many Star Wars zombies!

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Probably not, because there are less people posting on this forum than, say, NeoGAF's.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Not exactly.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Yes.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

From their perspective (and possibly the perspective of other greedy materialistic A-holes), it's a smart move. But from the perspective of actual, living, breathing, taxpaying human beings, it's a dumb move.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I hate them! I hate hate hate them! They are composed of some of the cruelest and most inconsiderate people in the workplace!

And as to how they relate to me being active on this forum? My guess is they're probably mad that myself, along with other graphic adventure fans, exist.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Not in 2004, not in 2005, not in 2006, not in 2007, not in 2008, not in 2009, and probably not from 2010 on. I hope someone changes all that.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

Yes, in the form of cease-and-desist letters.

 

• If so, is it positive, negatieve or something in between?

To the giver, it's positive. But to the recipient, it's negative.

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Are you kidding me? They think they're the only people on the planet!

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

Yes.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Yes, if you call snickering like a madman, making immature "wah-wah-wah" mocking sounds, and putting one-of-a-kind Monkey Island fanart in a shredder their best interest.

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

Preach it, sister!

 

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

And isn't it a bit strange for a company that has ignored its fans for at least five years in a row to not be investigated?

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

I always think so. I think I'm a character in George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" - and I haven't even READ that particular book!

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

Yes.

Everyone reading this forum... my answers came straight from the heart. I gave these answers because I genuinely opened up and was straight up and honest. So quit pretending to stick up for what's right when you're really standing up for what's popular. I am sick and tired of people jumping on the "**** Bad Asp" bandwagon, and it's gotten too ridiculous lately, and I would like to see an end to the Bad Asp-bashing.

 

Oh, and I still want Lucasarts to uncancel "Sam and Max: Freelance Police".

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Hello Linda! I remember when you writing a paper on the Monkey Island community... it's cool that you've come back to the topic with a thesis!

 

The relationship between LucasArts and their "fans" is certainly interesting. I suppose any Speaker/Audience relationship is a strange one. There are bound to be tensions.

 

About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

 

-- Yes

 

• Why (not)?

 

-- Because the adventure games they made are not just enjoyable pieces of entertainment, but actually had a deeper effect on me on some level, and that effect stays with me long after the giggles have stopped. What that deeper effect is, it's hard to say: I suppose a good story well told with always have that kind of impact. There's a nostalgia to these old games, but it's more than that: like the nostalgia is built in. Monkey Island 2 is a good example -- it's a very nostalgic game; but it was also a very nostalgic game when we played it for the first time ten years ago.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

 

-- The adventure games much more than anything else. The individual designers as well, like Tim Schafer, Dave Grossman, Bill Tiller, Ron Gilbert, Larry Ahern, etc. etc. -- I think they're the reason Mojo still exists, really. I like the community that LucasArts had. I don't think they built it, but it built up around them anyway.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

 

-- That's a tough one. I like the community of people who are very different from each other, but have something in common to talk about.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

 

-- Sure, since I write for the damn thing! It's a bit bizarre if I stop to think about it, so I try not to.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

 

-- They're very rubbish, for one thing. They're also fairly recent. They look ugly and there's no real community there. Just a lot of disparate threads.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

 

-- It's been more active in the past; then again, it's been less active as well. There is a sort of golden age myth regarding Mixnmojo -- but like all myths there's a level of truth to that.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

 

-- articles and reviews... a bit of fanart... newsposts and graphics... (do they even count?) Sometimes I think that what I do in the "community" is not fully related to LucasArts. Like, that's the starting point, but it exists separate from that. I haven't played a lot of the LucasArts and LucasArts+ games, nor do I really intend to any time soon. It's more about the surrounding environment than the actual product for me.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

 

-- Yes, though I also suspect that they're coming back as well. The forums are a step forward than what they were before. Some of the staff post there sometimes and talk to the fans.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

 

-- It's quite good to remain professional, which is something LucasArts have always done very well. I do think that part of professionalism is an awareness and pride in your past, though, which for some reason they don't have. A high point was the 20th year anniversary website and the video they made of all the past games.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

 

-- they're okay. I'm interested to see what they'll do next. I wish they would respond to us a bit better (they havn't replied to any of our e-mails for years). I reckon that LucasArts and these forums are pretty separate, though. If they shut up shop tomorrow I doubt it would change much here.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

 

-- Very small ways, on the forums. I haven't looked into it much, but I saw an acknowledgement of Full Throttle and quoted it in an article (http://www.mixnmojo.com/features/read.php?article=2008review).

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

 

-- LucasFiles (http://www.lucasfiles.com/) would be the only reaction that I know of, aside from cancelling two fangames back in the day. I don't know the ins and outs, but I gather that it was given the legal thumbs up by LucasArts. That is, they're OK with the mods and stuff hosted there. http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/ is an interesting new site because it's Official Star Wars, but it's all about the fans. Their LucasArts posts are interesting (http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/category/lucasarts/). They called Mojo "much beloved," which was nice but weird of them. "JediMudkip" is incidentally an employee of LucasArts (he might even be reading this. Hi JediMudkip! You seem very nice! Thanks for the kind words and for responding to people on the LA forums!) They also mentioned Grim Fandango's 10th anniversy, which was cool of them, even if they did get the synopsis wrong and called Schafer's next game "Burning" rather than "Brutal" Legend. It's a bit bizzare that this comes from the Official Star Wars Blog and not from LucasArts though. Maybe LucasArts will get a blog as well? It's definitely the thing to do in the modern age.

 

• If so, is it positive, negatieve or something in between?

 

-- the very little there's been has been positive, but it's sparsity makes the overall reaction negative.

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

 

-- I don't think so. Posting on their forums and voting on their polls I suppose, but they don't really encourage that.

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

 

-- I suppose they've discouraged fan games, but nothing more than that. They keep themselves to themselves. Oh, there was some hoo-ha with ScummVM's legality, but that passed when the ScummVM people put up a bit of a fight (good for them).

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

 

-- I think it would be good for them to have more acknowledgement. Very good in fact. They don't really have a fan community anymore, and it's a good thing for a company to have as it shows long-term commitment from a group of people. If they don't have that then they look shallow.

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

 

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

 

-- Lucasforums is very weird. I could write pages and pages about this. The LucasArts Fan Network was formed when the Mixnmojo network and the Star Wars sites merged together, but they're still separate communities. There's very little interplay. The Star Wars people all manage the finances and set the rules, which is something that we Adventure types can't be bothered with, so it all works out OK. Mind you, I'm shocked whenever I go into the admin message boards and see how the Star Wars people run their side of things. There was a thread set up to collect complaints, and someone complained that a moderator had been nasty and unprofessional, and that person was then told off for complaining about a moderator, because he should have shown him more respect! It's utterly bizarre. When the guy complained some more he was banned. I guess there was more going on that I saw, but I didn't like the surface of it so I wasn't going to delve in. They have this weird idea of how they should be professional and they have all these "systems" and it's all bull****. That's not how the Mojo community has ever worked.

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

 

-- I don't think LucasArts bother much with this, though I may be wrong. Sometimes the Star Wars admins swoop down like vultures when someone posts something unsavoury, but that's not very often. Most of the time we just get left to our own devices -- not that we have many devices.

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

 

-- Like I said, the audience/speaker relationship is always going to be fractured, and there's always a degree of tension. Charles Dickens described addresses to thousands of people as "little fireside chats," and he saw his audience as his friends. He nearly killed himself trying to please them. On the other hand, people who go into the wilderness can seem aloof and too distant from the people who (after all) got them the fame and the money in the first place. It's a hard one to get right. Telltale do a pretty good job, though sometimes I wonder if they're not *too* matey. That's another thing I could write a lot about, because there's a few ex Mojo people in that company. And they encourage all sorts of communication, but they can't act on it all the time because it's their job to design games and not to follow all the desires of their fan base. Telltale's a very different company, though; since their finances are web-based, they have to have a very strong web presence in order to succeed.

 

Let me know if you want me to elaborate on any of those (badly verbalised) points.

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And to respond to BadAsp...

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

 

Because I feel as a citizen of the United States that I can get away with speaking my mind, even if other people on this forum don't always agree with my opinions.

 

You should always share your opinions, especiallywhen people don't agree with you! Good for you! Keep fighting!

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

 

Yes, if certain people on this forum would treat me with respect instead of pandering to the immature cyberbullies. (You know who you are!)

 

If it happens again, let me know who said what and when, and I'll have a quiet word with them in the corner... :-*

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• Do you consider yourself a fan?

Yes.

 

• Why (not)?

Because these games defined a chunk of my childhood and I still love adventure games (especially the LEC ones) to this day.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

Adventure games, Monkey Island, the rest of the slew of LEC adventure games, and some of the good Star Wars games LucasArts has produced (ie. Dark Forces).

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

Not exactly sure :p

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Yes, because I occasionally post here and on comments.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

The LucasArts forums do not focus on the adventure games nor help for their older games. Their few forums for their non-new games don't have much on the topic.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Yes, there are regular posts.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Yes, I have made several patches to the SCUMM engine in ScummVM (and several commits too).

 

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Yes.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

A complete mistake.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I feel they have abandoned all their pre-2003 works and left it up to the community to take over in their wake.

 

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Slightly. Fate of Atlantis will be released on the Wii version of Staff of Kings.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

Yes, LucasFans was shut down and they came after ScummVM for a while too.

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

Negative.

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Yes, as soon as they hear of some use of IP in any shape or form, they come running with lawyers.

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

I feel they discourage in many ways fan participation.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

No, in fact it would be beneficial for them to possibly re-release their older adventure games using ScummVM.

 

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

No idea ;)

 

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

The cancellation of Sam and Max: Freelance Police was the single worst decision LucasArts ever made.

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Thank you three so much for your quick response.

Gabez, how nice that you remember my previous research here. That was my very first paper on adventuregames (and quite a few have followed!)

 

Your answers were really clear and useful. Although I hope a couple more will respond (because more answers make for a better argument), but I might just take you up on that offer Gabez and ask you to elaborate further.

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Hi Linda, I hope this helps you out :)

 

About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

Most certainly

 

• Why (not)?

This is kind of hard for me to pin down. I have the reflexes of an exhausted sloth and I'm also a big fan of comedy. Through sheer chance I got given a copy of Monkey Island one birthday and the sedately paced but mentally engaging gameplay and irreverent sense of humour stuck a chord with me. I think it's probably the humour that has the most enduring appeal to me now, that and fond nostalgia.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

If you asked me that 10 years ago I would have said LucasArts, but as I get older I realise it's more specifically the humour and writing that I'm a fan of. Right now I'd say I'm a fan of the people who wrote the old adventures: Tim Schafer, Dave Grossman, Ron Gilbert etc

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

I like the people here and I'd like to think some of them like me too. The subject matter is definitely something I'm interested in, but it's more like an excuse to have something to talk about than anything else.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

I'd like to think I'm part of the community here, for sure. Whether others consider me part of the community is for them to say.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

When I first joined up here LA didn't have official forums, or at least I don't remember them having any.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

I'd say it's ticking over, even if it's not the most active forum in the world. Judging by the thread views, there's lots of people who read but don't post very often.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

None that I've actually shared with the community.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Tough question really, I can say that I definitely felt that way when Sam and Max was cancelled. As time has passed I look back from a more objective view point and I just think they did what they thought was best. I have no animosity towards them now.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Again, tough question. There's no question in my mind that graphic adventures were (and are) still financially viable, however they require a very different business model and development style to the blockbuster games that LA wanted to make. I think trying to run a single studio with two different business models would have been a mistake for LA, so it was a good move in that respect.

 

However, in abandoning the adventure genre they garnered a lot of bad will. Even today LA often refered to in the gaming press as the company that used to make awesome adventure games, but decided to milk the Star Wars license instead. It's also worth noting that LA let an awful lot of their best talent go around this time which, in my view, had a severe impact on the quality of their subsequent games.

 

It's difficult to say if it was a mistake economically, but in terms of reputation I would say it cost them a lot.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

Mostly I feel neutral towards LA, maybe slightly melancholic. I certainly don't hate them, it's more of a lingering sadness that you'd feel thinking about an old ex-girlfriend.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Now and again, but not very often. I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head, but it's not unheard of.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

I seem to recall a few C&D letters were sent out, but I haven't heard of anyone getting one for some years. I think the last one I remember was when they asked for the Star Wars soundtracks to be taken down from here, but they were fine with the rest of the soundtracks being up. In fact I'm not even sure it was an actual C&D letter and not just a polite email.

 

Other than that they seem to leave us to our own devices.

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

Well they don't really encourage us, but they don't seem to want to shut us down either. I think they're a bit nonplussed by us really.

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Not that I am aware of.

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

I am unaware of them having done so in the last five years or so.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Fostering a community is a great way to keep in touch with what your audience wants and it also keeps people interested in your products (I think Telltale Games is a good example of this). By not participating in the community I think LA is missing these opportunities so no, I do not think it is in their best interests.

 

About LucasForums

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

Whilst a disclaimer probably isn't a bad idea, just in case, I think LA realised a few years ago that sending the lawyers round is counter productive.

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

I'm more worried about the LucasForums admins than LucasArts themselves to be honest. I've never held back on what I wanted to say because I thought someone was watching.

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

I think LA is trying to reconnect with us, but they don't really know how. There have been a (very) few mentions of us and the older games recently. The new Indiana Jones game for the Wii, for example, comes with Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis as an unlockable bonus. This does show a willingness on LAs part to acknowledge their back-catalogue and that people might enjoy these old games. I'm hopeful we may see more in the future.

 

Oh and one more thing, that Maniac Mansion/Day of the Tentacle cosplay photo is terrifying. I would actually support LucasArts sending a Cease and Desist in this instance ;)

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About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

I'm a fan of their glory day games...but not so much anymore.

 

• Why (not)?

Because they lost the wonderful vision that once made their adventure and star wars games amazing.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

Any type of video game. But I haven't liked the games Lucasarts has put out since Knights of the Old Republic.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

Because I like connecting with the community that knows and loves these games (and movies)

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Yes and no. I don't really contribute as much to the IHOM nearly as much as I do other forums. I do feel like I've made a few aquaintences along the way, though.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

Because this is where the real fans are at

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Most parts of this forum are very active. Other parts are not, but that is simply because some games just aren't as popular as they used to be (ie Full Throttle)

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Not really.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

No, I don't think so. I just don't think they have the collective talent anymore to create games that can be considered "classics." They do what want to do right most of the time.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

I think they're missing out on a big part of the market, however, I don't think they could make a good enough adventure game anymore that it would satisfy anyway.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I'm personally unhappy w/ LA at the current moment. They ditched the xbox 360 version of the newest Indiana Jones game, and this is one of the biggest reasons why I got a 360 in the first place. It doesn't effect my contribution to this forum, however.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Not anymore.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

They acknowledge and allow Lucasfiles to be used to create mods. That's about it.

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

Something in between

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

I don't have a good answer for that one.

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

Once again, I don't have a good answer.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Yeah, they'd look a lot better if they showed interest in what their fans did and wanted.

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

 

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

Don't know about that.

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

Haha. I think the only people paying attention to my posts are the people on this post and maybe a few forum lurkers. Otherwise, I'm ignored by the outside world :)

 

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

Nope.

 

Best of luck in your survey!

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Very cool subject for a thesis, I must say! I'm working on my Bachelor's thesis as well, which is about Lara Croft as a celebrity, and also her fans. Very cool stuff, fan reception. But anyway. (Oh, are you writing your thesis paper in English or Dutch? If in Dutch, would it be useful to have some reactions in Dutch as well?)

 

Do you consider yourself a fan?

I do consider myself a fan, yes.

 

Why (not)?

Pretty much because my love for adventure games goes further than just the enjoyment of playing them - I have worked on several web sites related to them, and occasionally I will buy something related to them, such as Sam & Max prints, or a Monkey Island t-shirt that was once offered in Mojo's Cafepress shop (which no longer exists).

 

What exactly are you a fan of?

Mostly of the Monkey Island games, which got me into this whole community in the first place. The forums for The World of Monkey Island were the first forums I registered on, and I've just stuck around there. I also consider myself a fan of Autumn Moon Entertainment - I run a fan site about them and their games, The Pumpkin Post. My being a fan of AME derives from being a Monkey Island fan, since that's how I got to know Bill Tiller a bit, and I guess I'm a fan of him as well.

 

What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

Because the people are cool here! Nowadays there's not so much to talk about regarding LucasArts, so a lot of other topics come up on this forum as well, and I find that most people here are intelligent, fun people to chat with.

 

Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

I do. We all seem to know each other fairly well (there are a lot of regulars around here who have been a round for almost a decade, some probably even longer), and as I said in the previous question, it seems to me that most people get along pretty well, which is of course the essence in a community. I personally think that any fan community will transcend that fandom sooner or later - the thing that brought those people together may gradually disappear, but if the group is sufficiently tight, it will continue to exist as a community.

 

Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

The LA forums seem to be mostly about Star Wars these days, and I'm just not that interested in that. Over here you can still meet people online who care about the older LucasArts games more than the company itself does.

 

Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

I'd say it's reasonably active, although most of the activity seems to be focused on the main page of Mojo, not on the forums. There are new replies here pretty much daily though, and you can always find something to talk about here.

 

Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Yes, mostly related to working on web sites. I've been a news updater for The World of Monkey Island before it closed down, and now I administrate the forums there (the only part of the site which is still active). As I said before, I also run the AME fan blog The Pumpkin Post, and I've written some things on the Monkey Island wiki, which was an initiative of The World of Monkey Island. In the past I also had a web site dedicated to LucasArts fan art called The Monkey Island Art Connection. Other than that, I've drawn some not-that-brilliant fan art and wrote a short comedy story, all about Monkey Island, and more recently I contributed to the Secret History articles about Monkey Island here on Mojo, by writing the 'real history' sections therein.

 

Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Well, I wouldn't say they have turned their back on all their fans, they seem to cater to the Star Wars fans very well. But yes, they seem to have completely forgotten their glory days, and the fans of adventure games seem not to exist in their eyes. They have removed nearly all traces of their adventure heritage from their web site, and they have made it clear that they want to take the company in a different direction.

 

If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Probably in the short term it's a smart move. The Star Wars games are still very popular, and they're probably making them a lot of money. In the long term though, I think it's problematic what they've been doing. They've lost a lot of great talent (Tim Schafer is probably the best example, but there are many others), and already they're turning into a company that merely publishes games developed by others, instead of developing games themselves, as they have always done. This may be economically feasible (I'm no economist, so don't pin me down on that), but culturally it's a fiasco. I think even in 50 years LucasArts will be remembered for great games such as Grim Fandango and Monkey Island, not so much for the Star Wars games. Sadly, they've chosen to abandon that just to make a quick buck.

 

What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

Before they turned all Star Wars, I thought they were a great company. Nowadays, they seem to be just like any big video game publisher - mostly caring about money, not so much about fans. There was a time when I almost hated LA - after the cancellation of Sam & Max 2, and I think there were quite a lot of fans who shared my sentiments. But I'm over that, and acceptance has sunk in - we're just not going to get a new adventure game from LucasArts, and fortunately there are now other companies that have stepped up to the plate, like Telltale Games and Autumn Moon.

 

Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Not anymore. The only place on their site where you can conceivably talk about their adventure games is here. You cannot even buy their old adventure games in their store, and it really baffles me why they wouldn't do that, because clearly there is still a market for them. People are now forced to buy LA adventures on sites like eBay, just because LA has forgotten that those games exist.

 

Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

I think they're not too happy about fan games - I've heard in the past that they sent cease-and-desist letters to fans who were making LucasArts fan games. As for fan art, I don't think they make much of a problem of that, at least I've never heard that they've ordered fan art to be taken down.

 

If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

As I've said, it seems to depend on the medium. Games are a big problem for them, while with fan art they don't seem to care. I'd say their reaction is mostly indifferent - only when they think they might lose money, they'll spring to action, with their legal team in full force.

 

Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Not that I know of...

 

Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

Yes, the fan games, although I must admit in recent years I haven't heard much about them sending cease-and-desist letters. Perhaps they have come to a point where they stopped caring about their old IP, not caring what people do with it anymore.

 

Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

I think sending cease-and-desist letters to some of your best fans is never a good idea, image-wise. Perhaps that's a reason why they seem not to send those letters anymore. Economically, it really doesn't harm them if a fan produces a small fan game, as long as that fan doesn't make any money off it.

 

If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

I don't think this a question I can answer, the LucasForums staff will know more about this.

 

Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

I never hold back criticism of LucasArts when posting here. Actually, I think it's good that there is a critical voice around, to show that there are still people who care for adventure games, showing companies like Telltale and Autumn Moon that there is still a market for them.

 

Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

Not that I can think of at the moment, but I'll let you know when I do!

 

Veel succes met je scriptie!!! :D

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About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

Sure.

 

• Why?

All of Lucasarts' adventure games are bigger than life. Some of their other games were great too, like the X-Wing-series.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

The adventures, some of the flight simulators like X-Wing Alliance, the Jedi Knight-series and the Knights of the Old Republic-series.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

The legacy of the Lucasarts adventures lives on in all the fans and former Lucasarts developers like Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert. I'm a big fan of the developer's new companies, especially Double Fine, and I like to hear from them.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Well, I've been reading Mojo for a very long time but only recently started writing on the forums and I don't even write that often. I kind of belong to this community, I guess.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

LA has forums...? I've always liked the atmosphere here at Mojo and while Lucasarts mostly concentrates on games that I don't really care that much for these days, Mojo concentrates on the things that I'm interested in. I actually haven't even visited Lucasarts web site in years.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

The forums aren't that active but I don't really mind. The site itself on the other hand is very active.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum?

I wrote one fan opinion on a Lucasarts Secret History-article and also participated in a competition where the competitors had to come up with an origin story for one of the classic adventure games. Little things like that, nothing major.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Kind of. They've moved on and alienated quite a lot of their old-school fans but the new Lucasarts must have some fans too.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Wouldn't call that a particularly smart move but then again, I don't know anything about the "current economic and market conditions".

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

Lucasarts used to be something great but now they're kind of a shadow. Most of the great developers have moved out but the name Lucasarts brings up warm memories. I've never hated Lucasarts but it's just not that great anymore. It's like a different company with the same name.

 

I don't think they relate to me being active on this forum in any way.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

They sometimes like to remind us that they won't be making any adventure games for millions of years. They have re-released some of their adventures recently, which is nice, but that's about it

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

They sometimes try to stop some of the productions like I think they tried with ScummVM, but that wouldn't have made any sense, even economically. Can't think of any other kind of reaction to fanmade productions but I'm just talking about the adveture fans. I don't really know how they treat their "new" fans.

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

I don't really know anything about that...

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

I haven't even thought of that. Now that I have, i don't really care.

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

The Lucasarts of today isn't the same as it used to be. The Lucasarts of the old times has spread across different new companies and I'm happy about that. The only thing that remains with Lucasarts is the intellectual properties like Monkey Island. If they'd just give them up to their "rightful owners", I'd be even happier.

 

I hope that helped. Good luck with your thesis! I'm glad to be able to help with something like this.

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I personally think this thread should be an exhibit at this year's E3! I think all those companies need to take a look at Linda's thesis... and I'm thinking of showing a copy of the thesis (and people's responses) to every single gaming magazine and website I can think of!

 

Good luck, Linda! Hope you get an A!:)

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Of course you don’t have to answer all of the questions. But the more, the better.

 

About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

 

No.

 

• Why (not)?

 

Because the company stopped caring. See, I am a big fan of their back-catalogue - this, by the way, is not because of nostalgia since I have little to be nostalgic about. I've been playing these games for three years now.

 

I think the main problem is that LucasArts forgot to look at these games as games and not as "products". It's being run by non-gamers who don't get it, so naturally they're out of the loop.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

 

Their back catalogue. I'm a big fan of Tim Schafer's/Ron Gilbert's/Dave Grossman's/Mike Stemmle's/etc's stuff, even the recent stuff (which, by the way, is better than LucasArts').

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

 

I write for Mojo. Also, for me it's always been about the games, and nothing else but the games, and you're not likely to find a more hardcore fanbase.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

 

Yeah, sort of. I mean I know some of the in-jokes and whatever. I know who's who. And I seem to be liked to boot.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

 

Because the official LA forums...man, one time I emailed them, and they actually ended their email with, "May the Force Be With You." I mean, what the hell. And I didn't even MENTION Star Wars. Oh, yeah, right: they used to actually have an email you could contact them with. Not anymore. That's not much of a community-loving company, is it? They should learn from Valve, or, hey, Telltale.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

 

Somewhat. I know there's a lot of readers, but no-one bothers logging in and reading.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum?

 

Err, I drew a half-assed Grim Fandango cover. I have other stuff lying around that I haven't submitted. I will! Awesome stuff.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

 

No. It waited till we looked away and stabbed us with a large knife, except the knife was really several law-suits against the fan-community and the stab was more of a blast from a shotgun...shooting a knife.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

 

Lesser of two evils. They're afraid of losing their copyrights. I'm sure there's a compromise, though, so they should try that. Added bonus: actually giving their games time to simmer instead of making them so half-assed. That's a recipe for disaster, especially in the long-run. Think: if the new Star Wars games had been good, people would still be asking for more instead of treating them as a joke.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

 

I don't like them, but I don't care enough to acknowledge that when I get on Mojo.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

 

Selling ancient Maniac Mansion posters on random occasions once every ten years is more of a cruel joke than an acknowledgement. Well, to be fair, the Fate of Atlantis bundle was a nice move. They should try doing more stuff like that.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

 

They love to sue. Man, do they ever. Also: suing. Other than that, no, they ignore it.

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

 

Nothing like a lawsuit to bridge that gap between fan and idol.

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

 

They ask us to buy all the junk they label "games".

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

 

All the other kinds. Including emailing them, mind you.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

 

No. It'll probably harm them in the long-run - even Star Wars is an expendable resource. Image-wise, they're nothing. I think many people look at them as the people who destroyed Star Wars and cancelled Sam and Max.

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

 

Oh, well, it's on somewhat shakier ground, just not that shaky. They're legally covered.

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

 

No. I doubt they read the forums. Darrell Rodriguez and his cronies don't strike me as gamers at all.

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

 

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

 

I might give LucasArts more crap than they deserve, but they do that to us too.

 

Many thanks!

 

My pleasure

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About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

Of the company? No. But I like many of their previous employees' work.

 

• Why (not)?

I was a fan, because they used to release pure quality in the 90s. Former employees still do through other companies. LEC of today is just a bit mediocre.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

The games of the former employees. See above.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

I really don't use the forum that much anymore.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Mojo, yes. Not that I do much there anymore, but I do receive some review copies!

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

The official forums are just sad. Mojo is sad in a funny way.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Mojo is active, this forum not so much. But hey, forums are a dying thing in the age of Twitter.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Do reviews count?

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Yes. LEC used to be very active in the fan community, but that has pretty much ceased to be.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

I can't see how it's a smart move. Isn't the Interwebs 2.0 all about community?

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I don't think I have any personal feelings toward them.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

No.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

Not anymore to the best of my knowledge.

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

I don't think they care either way anymore. Don't think that really affects the company in any big way.

 

About LucasForums

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

Yeah, kinda strange, you'd think a bigger disclaimer would be present. Strange.

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

Hah. No.

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

Does anyone here care about LEC anymore? I follow Double Fine and TTG, they at least produce quality stuff.

 

Many thanks!

You're welcome!

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About you

 

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

Yes.

 

• Why (not)?

I enjoyed a greater number of LucasArts developed games than of any other studio I can think of. Throughout the 90s their storytelling skills appeared to be the most professional in the game industry. Also, their games were often interconnected in subtle ways and full of references to George Lucas and LucasFilm's movies which gave you a sense of participation in something bigger while playing them.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

I'm a great fan of all LucasArts adventure games since The Secret of Monkey Island (excluding Escape of Monkey Island).

 

Being a Star Wars movies fan I also had a blast playing some of the few good Star Wars games they made (Dark Forces and the first entries in the X-Wing series). I enjoyed the Star Wars references in many other games as well.

 

Other than that, Outlaws, Indiana Jones and The Infernal Machine, Desktop Adventures and Yoda's Stories were also great games with the special LucasArts touch.

 

I guess I'm mostly the fan of the specific style, creativity and humor that in time I've grown to identify with the people who worked on those classic titles.

 

Today I usually find some of that spirit in amateur adventure games (often inspired by the classic titles) like Nelly Cootalot for instance. Among the commercial games Insecticide is the first one (and possibly the only one) that comes into my mind that truly reminded me of the LucasArts glory days.

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

Sharing opinions, experiences and information about topics I'm interested in.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)?

Yes.

 

I used to be a rather silent visitor in the past, but since a year or so I come here a lot (I mostly stay on TIMHoM's main pages) and talk with everyone so I think it's only natural that I don't feel like a casual passerby anymore.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

I don't visit any official game company forums. There are too many much more interesting ones out there.

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Pretty active I suppose. I'm not sure how you measure that.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum?

 

I've made two comic strips related to LucasArts adventure games. I've submitted a description of my embarrassing beginnings with adventure games for one of the Secret History Articles. I've written all kinds of news and articles for several adventure gaming sites, related to both classic LucasArts games as well as the more recent work of their alumni.

 

My most spectacular fancontribution so far is taking part in the Monkey Speech Project as one of the voice talents as well as being part of the casting crew.

 

Probably doesn't count as fancontribution, but I've also conducted interviews with some of the well-known LucasArts alumni and in general I've chosen to play and review some of their adventure games over other game titles.

 

About LucasArts and the adventure genre

 

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Not really. At least I wouldn't use such dramatic expression for it. I don't think fans were ever particularly important for successfully running a company like LucasArts. The only LA employees that had real reasons to be interested in relationships with fans were the individual creators of the games. Any attempts of the management at actively supporting the fans in the past were just a nice courtesy on their part, nothing more.

 

LucasArts certainly left behind its past game production model though. They turned away from hardcore gaming and having a definite image. Now their business model relies solely on using Star Wars and Indiana Jones licenses.They don't try to make money from new ideas anymore.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Image-wise - yes, it's a mistake. They ruined their former image completely. There's no going back.

 

Economically, they were supposedly in trouble for a long time. Ultimately chaos ensued that resulted in extreme and rush decision-making. I can't say if there was anything smarter to do at that critical point, but probably they should have noticed and remedied the problems earlier.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I don't think much about the current LucasArts, they're a company entirely unrelated to the great development teams from the past. They don't even have proper crews anymore - they're mostly just a game publisher with lucrative licenses and they're mostly just a part of the general LucasFilm marketing. I don't expect anything interesting from them in the future and even if they get seriously into development again, they should better focus on creating something new instead of choosing to make a revamped Monkey Island game for the series' 50th anniversary for example. It wouldn't be the real deal.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

 

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

It does block some fan projects from time to time. Also, Fate of Atlantis is in the Wii version of the new Indiana Jones game.

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

Well, there's LucasFiles and there are a few blocked fan projects from several years ago.

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

Those actions seem too vague and unfocused for me to evaluate them, but I didn't like that they started blocking some fan project that didn't threaten them in any way.

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

I don't think so.

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

I don't know about anything else apart from I wrote above.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Yeah, at this point both. Older games fans are not a major part of people who buy LucasArts' new games, so why bother with them.

 

About LucasForums

 

Some time ago, I tried to figure out if LucasForums was in any way legally affiliated with LucasArts Entertainment Company as they state nothing on the contrary. I wrote them an email, but got no answer.

• If it is not the property of LEC, why is there no need for a disclaimer? Isn’t that a bit strange for a website which main topic is the company so infamous for it’s copyright protection? (although maybe you already disproved this during the answering of the previous questions)

No idea. Disclaimers can always be added if needed.

 

• Or, if so, do you feel like ´Big Brother is watching you´ and do you maybe take that into account when writing a post?

Your thoughts and/or facts on the subject please.

Nah. I don't think they have any reason to read the posts here.

 

In general

 

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

I think you pretty much covered all possible topics in the questions.

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About you

Do you consider yourself a fan?

Most probably yes.

 

Why (not)?

I grew up playing LucasArts games. it's verymuch tied to my childhood.

 

What exactly are you a fan of?

I would say the game designers who used to work for LucasArts. Along with some of the artists and musicians. You know their names.

 

What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

I don't read or write on this forum. I happened to come across this post when I saw the link on the right side of mixnmojo.com

 

Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Not so much. I don't participate often.

 

Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

I didn't even know there was an official LA forums until today.

 

Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Seeing as how I'm not an active participant in this forum, I can't really tell.

 

Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Yeah, some fan art here and there.

 

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

It's hard to tell if they have any fans left to turn their backs on.

 

What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

LucasArts now only exists as a name - not a very reputable one either. However I don't want it or its fan community to completely disappear. Hard to explain why. I also have a hard time describing why I still want the Simpsons on the air, even though it sucks and I don't watch it anymore.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Negatively, perhaps

 

Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

Didnt they send out a bunch of cease and desist letters before?

 

Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

None, as far as I know

 

Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

I'm guessing they secretly despise all forms of fan involvement. They want money-spenders, not necessarily fans.

 

Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

It's probably in their best interest. Their market right now is Star Wars fans and Indiana Jones fans - not LucasArts fans. Any sort of fan/community management on their part would be waste of money.

 

 

About LucasForums

I know nothing.

 

 

In general

Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

Is it "them" or "it"? I keep using them interchangeably.

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• Do you consider yourself a fan?

No.

 

• Why (not)?

LucasArts used to legitimately be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) and creatively vital game studios out there. They gradually moved away from this and are now simply another faceless game publisher, not worthy of any sort of passionate investment (whether positive or negative). I'm not a "fan" of LEC anymore than I'm a "fan" of Ubisoft or some other giant publishing entity. It's just something that exists.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

I'm a fan of the spirit of the games LucasArts put out in its heyday, which is a torch that has been picked up by a number of their former employees. I'm therefore a fan of good LEC games (particularly their classic original titles) and the story-driven games made by the talent that left the studio.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

There isn't much of a reason because it's pretty much dead these days, but hopefully in the future a community can be rebuilt that's even a shade the size of the one that existed back in the old days.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

To the extent that a community still exists, yes. The reason for considering it a such would be because these are great games that its fans tend to be really passionate about, and it's always cool to interact with fellow fans of Monkey Island and the like.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

Uh, because there's nothing to talk about but new Star Wars games? What LEC is now is something few people on Mojo are very concerned with. Besides, that web site is hideous, and the forums are as dead as ours anyway. There's clearly no interest on LEC's part to nurture an online presence, even for its current games. For examples of how to do this right see: Telltale Games.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Not really. The reason is quite simple - the majority of the people who created this community did so while they were teenagers and LEC was still at its peak creatively. Since teenagers grow up and LEC gravitated away from things that actually get people excited, the community has naturally shriveled into something much smaller and obscure. There's also the fact that in order to stay relevant and cover games that are actually worthwhile, Mojo has expanded its focus to other companies which has probably confused potential new members as to what we're really "about" and keeps us at a small but consistent number. There's also the simple fact that as great and relatively popular as things like Monkey Island and Sam & Max are, they're still kind of obscure and have MUCH smaller fanbases than things like Star Wars, so it's always going to some extent an underground thing. My opinion is that the community could potentially become much more active someday thanks to the things that Telltale and Double Fine are doing (what if Brutal Legend becomes super-famous, for example?), which hopefully isn't just wishful thinking.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Nope.

 

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

I think everybody felt that way in like, 1999 and the early 2000s, back when everyone was still really loyal to LEC (like any fans are) and believed, despite all evidence to the contrary, that the company would pick itself back up after all the stupid decisions. But it turned out that the hope was misplaced, and we got what happened in 2004. But after the initial wave of fury and disappointment it was hard to feel any kind of "betrayal" by LEC at that point, and it makes absolutely no sense to feel that way now. The time for the bitterness was 10 years ago. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could feel anything other than total apathy toward LEC in 2009.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

A mistake? From their perspective? Nah. Otherwise they would have done something. It's pretty clear that fans like us, the ones who actually cared about the state of the company as much as the games themselves, weren't actually sizable enough to matter from a financial standpoint. It hurts their image, I suppose, but what image is there to maintain anymore when they're basically just a licensor? Maybe one day it will come to bite them in the ass, and maybe not, but the point is Monkey Island fans are irrelevant to a company that is content in exploiting the Star Wars and Indiana Jones licenses, with an occasionally low-risk 3rd party original franchise on the side. They're barely a development studio anymore anyway, so there's no need to maintain some sort of image of integrity.

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I don't feel much of anything toward LEC, at least any more than I feel toward any other random publisher. In a sense that's more sad than outright hating them, because I once considered them to be the greatest game studio period. To go from that to shrug-worthy faceless publisher that will probably end up as just some licensing extension of Lucasfilm is pretty sad, more sad than it would have been if the company had crashed and burned in some spectacularly destructive faction. But these days, I don't have much interest in them. I pay mild attention to all the games they put out (since all their products are technically still Mojo territory), which probably aren't bad, but there's nothing they do that particularly excites me, and in fact I haven't purchased an LEC game since 2003 (though will probably get the new Indiana Jones). So yes, I do still follow LEC and will pursue any game they do that looks interesting (should one exist), but that's about it.

 

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Nope.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

At one time they would step in and put a halt to fan projects, but I haven't heard anything along those lines as having happened recently. Again, they don't really care. (But really, when they stop fan projects, it's for legal reasons rather than out of being malicious anyway. Companies have to protect their trademarks or risk losing them.)

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

It's nothing. There is no reaction. They'd prefer to not acknowledge that their past even exists.

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Uh, maybe with Star Wars fans to some degree? I wouldn't know. I certainly don't get the impression that they care.

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

Again, I have no idea, but if you try to sell a shirt with one of their trademarks on it, don't be surprised if you hear from LucasLegal. That's just common sense though and has nothing to do with an attitude on the company's part. If I had to guess what their attitude is toward fans, again, it's that they don't particularly care.

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

Well, I don't think they care about the image, and why should they, when they can depend on the million people who will lap up anything with Star Wars slapped on it? As far as economics, I don't know if the way they distance themselves from fan is an advantage or disadvantage - I think it's a lateral move. There's probably a lot of potential, especially in long-term benefit, in nurturing good fan relationships, but they don't see things in the long-term. And it's certainly not hurting them to exert no effort and money on the idea when they're doing just fine doing what they're doing.

 

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

LEC made some great games in the past that die-hard but unappreciated fans built a thriving community around. Today, the company is nothing but a corporate brand name and the community has dwindled, broken up and/or moved on, but the passion from the fans about the older games, as well as the new games made by ex-LEC developers, is as alive as ever. Today LEC is just something we cover more out of tradition than legitimate interest. As an entity they're not something to get angry about, but they're not something to care about either. Their legacy however is the heart of this entire community. LEC is a company whose past is to be loved, and whose present and future is pretty much irrelevant. Thankfully their old talent is still around and doing awesome stuff. And as for the fans? This community is nowhere near the size or state of activity it was back in the day (and probably never will be), but it's also much more alive than it was three to five years ago. I think the fate of this community is very much up in the air, but there's reason to hope for a resurgence. Certainly, the games we cover have experienced one.

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About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

Yes, I've been a fan of LucasArts for many years since the early 90's but mainly for their point n' click adventure work but since thats been flushed down the toilet I don't have as much love for them as I do but I'm mainly a fan of their past work.

 

• Why (not)?

N/A

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

Mainly the point n' click genre because they were unique and had very good storytelling that pulled you in as a gamer and they took you to places that any piece of literature couldn't do.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

Because I like to read other fans opinions and what they like and don't like about LucasArts in general.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to?

Yes because they like the same games I like as well and I like reading on how they feel about the company

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

Because its all about Star Wars and lately its become annoying and has caused a rift between fans in some cases.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’?

Yes

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Not at this time.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

 

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Yes because they don't care about their fans plus they don't come up with decent ideas and just make a game out of the blue and just put the two words of "Star" and "Wars" in the title so people who are fans of that genre will buy it

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move

Its a mixed bag, one could say its an economic reasoning and it maybe down to the company wanting to move on to bigger things

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I had a lot of respect for LucasArts and they were my number 1 favourite developers but since they stopped making point n' clicks and focus on making a buck to fill their pockets I don't have a lot of respect for them nowadays.

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Not as much as they use to.

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

Not really

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

N/A

 

• Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Not really, unless your a Star Wars fan.

 

• Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

They have done many times in the past in fact they even had sites or fan made games axed

 

• Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

As I said before if it has Star Wars on the cover they will always depend on those certain people to buy their games so they can make money to make even more games based on the Star Wars franchise when they can at least focus on other genres and franchises

 

About LucasForums

N/A

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

LucasArts should look more at what the fans talk about and realise that if it wasn't for games like Monkey Island, Sam & Max, DOTT etc... they wouldn't be where they are today and it feels like they seem to just brush their past glories under the rug and focus more on one fan group then they do on the other groups that the community holds.

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Do you consider yourself a fan?

That depends on the definition of a fan. I am not a fan of LucasArts in general, but of specific games and licenses owned by LucasArts.

 

What exactly are you a fan of?

Lucasarts between 1987 and 1998. Specifically the adventure games released in that time period, as well as a few other LucasArts games, like TIE-Fighter and Outlaws.

 

Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

Not really. I visit the main site a few times a week, and lurk around in the forums from time to time. I was more active in the lucasarts-fan-comunity (in which Mojo was a central figure) in the mid-nineties, and especially in the LucasArts/Monkey Island craze in the years/months before the release of The Curse of Monkey Island.

 

Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

Because what's left of LucasArts today bears little resemblance to the company I considered to be the world's best game developers in the nineties. I would guess the official LA forums are mainly focused around Star Wars titles.

 

Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

Seems active enough, but a bit slow. I guess that is to be expected, ten years after the golden period of adventure games ended.

 

Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

Not that I can think of. I did run a Monkey Island fanpage for a couple of years in the mid-nineties, though, if that counts.

 

Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

Turning you back to the fans sounds like a deliberate act, and I'm not sure that was the case, but it is no secret that many fans of the LucasArts adventure games feel alienated by the company's current focus on Star Wars games.

 

If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

It is hard to judge wether or not LucasArts would be in less financial troubles today if they had chosen to continue making adventure games. Star Wars is a huge franchise, way bigger than Maniac Mansion, Grim Fandango, Sam & Max or even Monkey Island.

 

What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

I'm pretty much completely uninterested in what LucasArts are doing these days. I'm much more interested in what Telltale Games, Double Fine, Autumn Moon and other companies emerging from the ashes of LA's adventure game development teams.

 

Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

Not that I have noticed.

 

Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

It seems to me like most fan-made games and projects don't run into trouble with LucasArts, even though they are using trademarked licenses owned by LEC.

 

If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

I guess the fact that fan made games like Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth and Zak McKraken 2 are allowed to live is positive. If you can call complete passivity - completely ignoring their exsitance - a positive act.

 

Do they encourage certain forms of fanparticipation?

Not that I have noticed.

 

Do they discourage or forbid other forms of fanparticipation?

As already mentioned. it doesn't seem like they have been doing that lately.

 

Do you think the way LucasArts treats their fans and react to fanparticipation - which ever way that would be - is in their best interest (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

I believe all entertainment-producing companies would be smart to listen to their costumers and encourage a thriving fan community. I don't feel LucasArts do a good enough job in these areas. Then again, I don't really care, since I'm not very interested in Star Wars games.

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  • 3 weeks later...

About you

• Do you consider yourself a fan?

 

I would consider myself as a fan of LucasArts adventure games, yes.

 

• Why (not)?

 

They are superior to any other adventure games and games I have played. They have wonderful characters, fantastic stories and great gameplay. They are also as immersive as any good book. That is what I like about them the most, they are bit like reading a book, you never want to stop playing them to see what lies around the corner.

 

• What exactly are you a fan of?

 

Point and Click Adventures made between 1980-1998.

 

• What is the main reason you read and/or write on this forum?

 

It just interesting. Meeting other fans (virtually) and reading the really intresting 'Secret of LucasArts' articles.

 

• Do you consider this forum and/or The House of International Mojo a community that you belong to? Why (not)

 

I only just joined really. Seems friendly enough though :D.

 

• Why this community? Why not the official LA forums?

 

This is more about the legacy of LucasArts adventure games and original offerings other than Star Wars which I never really was a big fan of. Also I really hate LucasArts now which really makes me unable to discuss things about it on a pro-lucas arts forum.

 

• Would you call the community on this forum ‘active’? Why (not)?

 

It is active but sometimes there is no new posts on the forums for days. I mean it is alive but not thriving with hundreds visiting every day.

 

• Have you ever made a fancontribution in any form, other than writing on this forum

 

No not really.

 

About LucasArts and the adventuregenre

• Do you feel like LucasArts has turned it’s back on the fans?

 

Yes in some ways. For those who want Star Wars games then they are being catered for.

 

• If so, do you think that, from their perspective, this is a mistake or a smart move (economically, image-wise, etc.)?

 

Image-wise I think it is bad. I think I recognise LucasArts as one of the best worst developers of all time. They had great games in their hey day but now they ignore all of the fans of adventure games (as well some Star Wars fans). They are probably the most fan hating company of all time in my opinion (with Valve Corporation being the best).

 

• What are your personal feelings towards LucasArts, and (how) do they relate to you being active on this forum?

 

I really dislike them. All of their adventure game makers have gone and left LucasArts are behind yes but that doesn't stop them selling off the liscenses of the games to those developers companies. If they want to make them of course...I wouldn't force ex-LucasArts employees to make a game...

 

 

About LucasArts and fancontributions

• Does LucasArts acknowledge the fans of it’s adventuregames in any way?

 

No not really. Apart from a recent addition in STAFF OF KINGS in which you can unlock FATE OF ATLANTIS. An old Indiana Jones adventure.

 

 

• Is there any reaction by LucasArts to the fanmade ‘productions’ (art, games, clips, etc.)

 

Some...

 

• If so, is it positive, negative or something in between?

 

I think it is negative. I think they tried to stop SCUMM VM (a LucasArts game emulator) from continuing development or something.

 

 

 

In general

• Do you have any other thoughts on the matter?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dear all,

 

Again many thanks for all your replies.

Quick update: thesis is due thursday and I've had a bit of a writersblock, but It'll all work out in the end

 

I was thinking that it would be a shame if you'd never hear the outcome of the study. Ofcourse it's 30 pages of academic gibberish, and it's in Dutch, so I won't bore you with the full thesis. But if you like, I could write a small article in English based on my findings?

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