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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

VIDEO Lucasarts to be shut down by Disney

Discussion in 'Archive: Games' started by spicer, Mar 21, 2013.

  1. Oissan

    Oissan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2001
    I don't remember it that way. Sure, he was involved in some stories, like Force Unleashed or the clone wars tv-show, but the average game, book or comic came without much involvement at all. As you said, Lucas was a filmmaker, that is what he was focusing on. I wouldn't complain about Disney doing something they haven't even done yet. Way too many people base their comments on pure speculation.
     
  2. phatdude1138

    phatdude1138 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    Even thought I don't agree 100% with the Lucas analyzation, I do agree to the heart of it Lucas (and the Lucas companies) were just a large "independent film" entities. Where the content was more important than the "business". It had the mom and pop feel. It had a "human" touch and feeling be hind it. Meaning Lucas (no mater if you hat him or not) had a passion for the details and the nuances. Lucas really cared about the continuity and the STORY. Sure, SOME people disagreed with what he did, but he he did it his way and from his heart. I also get the feel that by extension of him, the Lucas companies and it's employees had that same passion.

    That is what I really think we are losing: that personal caring for the "franchise" vs "the money making machine".

    I was against the SW buyout from the beginning, but I let people talk me into that "Disney will be hands off and the Lucas companies will maintain control (Kennedy, etc), so every thing will be fine". This obviously isn't the case. We prematurely lost TCW (and the majority of Lucas animation). Losing Darkhorse and losing Lucas Arts.

    People can say whatever they want "good business" or whatever, but changing management and the core folks does effect the final product. Take a family owned restaurant where the recipes and the family culture is ingrained in the environment. Now you want to expand that restaurant to a chain. No matter how hard you try to keep that small family feel and intimacy, it will be lost and CHANGED in the final product. Good business might be buying mass produced frozen french fries instead of cutting locally grown potatoes.

    I prefer the small "mom and pop" SW vs this new mass produced version.
     
    KudosDas likes this.
  3. GunganSlayer

    GunganSlayer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2013
    The writing was on the wall for sometime now concerning LucasArts and its future. The news doesn't surprise me at all, and in fact, I suggested in a few posts some months back the very likelihood of Disney shutting down LucasArts, and possibly even Lucasfilm Animation. We haven't officially heard closure of the latter, but we do know a significant amount of their staff has been let go. Disney already owns several animation units, so Lucasfilm Animation and Lucasfilm Animation Singapore are rather redundant.

    Likewise, LucasArts represented a rather redundant entity within Diseny. In addition to Disney Interactive Studios, Disney itself owns several game development studios, and when not personally handling game development, they simple license materiel out, which is what they've decided to do with LucasArts' intellectual property. The logo will probably live on, but only representing the owner of the licensee.

    LucasArts has had some seriously troubling times the last few years, undergoing various internal organizations and cycling through several presidents. They haven't had a real critically acclaimed game in some time, and have barely developed any game in house for the past several years. Disney probably figured it didn't want to have to deal with all that, and that for them, from at least a business standpoint, it would be cheaper and more efficient to just license games out.

    It's terrible they couldn't have simply kept a skeleton crew to wrap up 1313 and First Assault (which was basically completed and ready for release). 1313, itself filled with a history of development turmoil, was showing a lot promise, and it was certainly one of the most talked about games at last year's E3.


    I've always held LucasArts dear to my heart, as I've been enjoying their games for decades and have very fond memories of their games, particularly during their golden age. We of course will continue to see Star Wars video games in the future (some will be really bad, others good), but it's a shame this division of Lucasfilm is no more.
     
  4. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    Indeed.
    I hope we will get more than app-type games or LEGO stuff.
     
  5. RayKail

    RayKail Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2013