**** Disney kills LucasArts ****

[Monkey Mania]

My childhood...

 

 

Perhaps Ron Gilbert can finally make his Monkey Island 3.

And Full Throttle and Day of the Tentacle go to Tim Schafer.

[Gabez]

Hmm, I suppose their IPs will remain controlled by Disney -- there will just be little to no chance of anything being done with them (edit: I just thought that this news actually makes deals like TMI more likely -- since LucasArts will be all about licensing it opens up more opportunities, assuming there are 3rd parties who want to develop those IPs). I doubt Disney have any interest in exploring games as a medium for storytelling, which is what George Lucas created the company for. One of the LucasArts presidents from the early 90s talked about that in his autobiography:

 

"I sat down with a blank piece of paper and started working out my ideas. I concocted a diagram about the evolution of interactive storytelling -- concentric circles showing how interactive storytelling was or could be different from other forms of storytelling and other media. It was a crude chart, but it seemed to make sense. It excited me [...] When I finally met George, I couldn't stop talking. I whipped out my charts. I ran on about interactive storytelling and my vision for the medium. George, who had of course already given the topic a lot of thought, engaged me in a lively give-and-take about the future of games and interactive content. Whether it was my vision and enthusiasm or simply LucasArts' desperation, I don't know, but I was eventually offered the helm" (The Monk and the Riddle: The Education of a Silicon Valley Entrepreneur, p. 138-9).

I guess they tried to get back at that a few times in the last decade but never really did -- not sure why. So many cancelled titles -- Sam and Max, FT2, that Indiana Jones game, now Star Wars 1313. I never understand the logic of cancelling a game rather than finishing it and releasing it -- don't you want to see a return on investment? LucasArts must have bled quite a bit of money.

 

So I guess they really have been, mostly, a licensing company for a while, with a few exceptions like the MI SEs and Lucidity. In a sense not much will change -- but what's gone is the hope that things would ever get better.

[Gabez]

Also I am fascinated by the language used in corporate statements (e.g. 'market place realities'). This is what's being quoted from Disney:

 

"After evaluating our position in the games market, we've decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles."

 

'Minimizing the company's risk'? You are disbanding it completely! Of course there's no risk if it only exists as a game label. There's also something flippant about 'we've had layoffs across the organization'.

 

I wouldn't discount the possibility that LucasArts might -- might -- come back as a games making company in the future (e.g. 20 years time) just because of the name. Maybe when Lucasfilm is in turn sold to McDonalds or whoever is next in line.

[whipwarrior]

As if I didn't need one more reason to hate Disney more than I already do (not that LucasArts was producing anything worthwhile these days anyway, but still...).

 

At least we'll always have the classics.

[Valkian]

If it's anyone's fault, is George Lucas's. He sold the company. Disney bought the Star Wars package, of which LucasArts was a very small part of. Now, Disney is huge, it doesn't really need another video game development house. And LucasArts wasn't even a well oiled, game-making machine. It was a struggling, leaderless mess who was only developing one or two titles. Keeping it, meant a money leakage that would continue until 1313 was finished, maybe. It's sad that they didn't do that, but also understandable. But also, it was again Lucas fault for handing it over in the condition that it was. Disney inherited all of this, and it was forced to deal with it.

 

Also, Disney will own all the Lucas IPs, until the end of time (or well, for however long they manage to stretch copyright law, they keep pushing it to protect Mickey Mouse).

[cocomonk22]

All the licensing information I've seen from Disney regardng LucasArts is only for Star Wars games. Does Disney even know about the original non-Star Wars LucasArts' IPs?

[Jenni]

All the licensing information I've seen from Disney regardng LucasArts is only for Star Wars games. Does Disney even know about the original non-Star Wars LucasArts' IPs?

Given all the news surrounding the closure of LucasArts that focused on the classic adventure games, I'm sure they do.

 

They just don't care. Star Wars was the only reason why they bought Lucasfilm. Everything else is just cruft to them.

[Sven_Q45]

No SW 1313. I was glad to see this title.

 

And no more Indy.

[Sven_Q45]

Well it´s German. Most of you don´t understand it but it´s worth a look. From 7:15:

http://www.gameone.de/tv/247

[whipwarrior]

Well it´s German. Most of you don´t understand it but it´s worth a look. From 7:15:

http://www.gameone.de/tv/247

Great video! The sentiment was clear, even if I couldn't understand it. But I *LOVE* the LucasArts poster on the wall! I need to find one of those! :-)

[megarock58]

i suggest watching this video

[amberfish]

Here's another take on Lucas Arts being closed

 

[Sven_Q45]

But lucasarts.com still exists:

http://www.lucasarts.com/

[Jenni]

But lucasarts.com still exists:

http://www.lucasarts.com/

LucasArts itself still exists too (as a licensor with less than 10 employees).

 

They really should get one of the employees still left to update that website.

[Sven_Q45]

Yes I know that it´s still there as a licensor. But it isn´t really a "company".