[QUOTE]
[IMG]http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gamelife/2012/11/1313_2-660x370.jpg[/IMG]
[B]Concept art from LucasArts’ Star Wars 1313, in development for unspecified gaming platforms.
[/B] When Disney announced its $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm on Tuesday, the Mouse was clear about what it wanted: Star Wars.
Everything else was just gravy, and the company had little or nothing to say about its plans for any of the myriad other properties or Lucas divisions that it had just bought — including, to the great chagrin of gamers, LucasArts. Comparing the games divisions at Disney and Lucas, it’s difficult to imagine what exactly LucasArts has that Disney would want to hold on to.
Established way back in 1982, creating games on Atari platforms, LucasArts has significant emotional resonance for players of a certain age. It struck gold in the point-and-click, story-based adventure genre in the ’90s; sharp designers created fondly remembered games like Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island and Loom. Steve Purcell, co-director of Pixar’s film Brave, cut his teeth on LucasArts adventure games.
But that was long ago. When the adventure genre died, LucasArts became an all-Star Wars, all-the-time studio. And it hasn’t been particularly great at it. Games like the RPG Knights of the Old Republichit big, but its expensive triple-A action game Force Unleashed sucked, and this year’s Kinect Star Wars really sucked.
LucasArts has been a revolving door of talent. Longtime Star Wars writer and Force Unleashedcreative lead Haden Blackman left in 2010 and now works for social game company Kabam. Lucas hired well-known designer Clint Hocking away from Ubisoft, and he left within two years. The division has had three presidents resign in the past four years and is currently under interim leadership.
Disney has said little about games — but it hasn’t said nothing. On a conference call with investors on Tuesday, [B]CEO Bob Iger said that the company’s plans for Star Wars gaming were likely to “focus more on social and mobile than we are on console.”[/B]
“We’ll look opportunistically at console, most likely in licensing rather than publishing,” Iger said, but qualified this by adding that in Disney’s view, Star Wars characters lend themselves better to “the other platforms.”
As a developer, Lucas has utterly missed the boat on those other platforms. There is no Star WarsFacebook game. It’s licensed out the franchise to other publishers on smartphones, but the only LucasArts Star Wars game on iOS is the Phantom Menace-based puzzle game Pit Droids.
So what is it that LucasArts does? Its only announced game in development is Star Wars 1313, a big-budget, hyper-realistic console game that its developers say is going for a “Mature” (17 and up) rating. Not quite in alignment with Disney’s stated strategy.
“For the time being, all projects are business as usual,” a LucasArts spokesperson told Wired via e-mail this week. One may be tempted to concentrate solely on the latter half of that statement, but it’s the first part that is most telling.
In contrast to Lucas’ uneven gaming efforts, Disney’s Interactive Media Group has some major hits on its hands. Targeted acquisitions of key game developers and properties have given it strong presence in the fast-growing social and mobile spaces. It’s got a major kids’ virtual world with Club Penguin, a smash hit mobile timewaster in Where’s My Water? and a Marvel-themed Facebook game that even hardcore gamers are digging called Avengers Alliance.
Reached by Wired after the acquisition, a Disney Interactive Media Group spokesperson said the division had no comment at this time.
[B]With a small army of hit-making game studios under its umbrella, Disney already has the proven talent to start expanding its library of mobile and social games into Star Wars using its own its in-house teams.[/B]
So given Disney’s stated goals, what exactly does it need LucasArts for?
Star Wars 1313 may determine its own fate. [B]Sometime in a short while from now, the following will almost certainly happen: Like Darth Vader arriving on the Death Star, Disney executives will visit LucasArts and get a full rundown of the studio’s activities. (Note from Darth Veger: See my next post below to see what they could do..)[/B] Its sharpest gaming guys will pick over 1313 and get a sense of whether it’s a project worth proceeding with, or another boondoggle.
If 1313 looks like something really special, perhaps Bob Iger will bend on his “licensing rather than publishing” strategy and it will come to fruition as planned.
If not, LucasArts may not be long for this world.
[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/11/disney-lucasarts/[/URL]
[video=youtube;WWaLxFIVX1s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s[/video]
I'm not sure if I understand, so LucasArts is on its deathbed because Disney is gonna review the development of 1313?
I don't think it's going to be too bad. Disney owns Marvel Comics, you know.
[QUOTE]Star Wars 1313 may determine its own fate. Sometime in a short while from now, the following will almost certainly happen: Like Darth Vader arriving on the Death Star, Disney executives will visit LucasArts and get a full rundown of the studio’s activities. Its sharpest gaming guys will pick over 1313and get a sense of whether it’s a project worth proceeding with, or another boondoggle.[/QUOTE]
I'd take star wars battlefront 3 over 1313.
[QUOTE=aznz888;38292056]I'm not sure if I understand, so LucasArts is on its deathbed because Disney is gonna review the development of 1313?[/QUOTE]
Disney bought several game companies before and Disney 'did not agreed with their strategys' for the game development and so they were canceled or the project was somehow converted to a different setting.
Epic Mickey for example, after it was 'reviewed' by Disney they had to change the entire concept to be more kid friendly. According to wiki they were on the edge of being cancelled
This was Epic Mickey before the Disney review
[IMG]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/2e3u34x.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://cdn.inthegame.nl/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Epic-Mickey-Looking-More-Real-More-Amazing.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.unseen64.net/wp-content/gallery/epic-mickey/beetleworx_6.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2011/11/f642af5d287f63ba70e06e92c3dabea5.jpg[/IMG]
It was meant to be a much more mature Disney game, honestly it would swing Disney into a good direction since they could draw more audience, [del]the only mature Disney i know is Kingdom Hearts[/del] Kingdom Hearts is the closest 'mature' game that Disney has and that was also reviewed by Disney
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;38292061]I don't think it's going to be too bad. Disney owns Marvel Comics, you know.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1222841[/url]
[QUOTE=blacksam;38292078]I'd take star wars battlefront 3 over 1313.[/QUOTE]
Why don't we have both?
[QUOTE=darth-veger;38292088]Disney bought several game companies before and Disney 'did not agreed with their strategys' for the game development and so they were canceled or the project was somehow converted to a different setting.
Epic Mickey for example, after it was 'reviewed' by Disney they had to change the entire concept to be more kid friendly. According to wiki they were on the edge of being cancelled
This was Epic Mickey for the Disney review
[IMG]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/2e3u34x.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://cdn.inthegame.nl/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Epic-Mickey-Looking-More-Real-More-Amazing.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.unseen64.net/wp-content/gallery/epic-mickey/beetleworx_6.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
I haven't played Epic Mickey but the original direction and concept art i saw looked great. I hope they don't change Star wars: 1313.
[quote] CEO Bob Iger said that the company’s plans for Star Wars gaming were likely to “focus more on social and mobile than we are on console.”[/quote]
ow
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;38292089][url]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1222841[/url][/QUOTE]
Oh god I think I'm going to vomit
[QUOTE=darth-veger;38292088]the only mature Disney i know is Kingdom Hearts[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=darth-veger;38292088]mature[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=darth-veger;38292088]Kingdom Hearts[/QUOTE]
Oh you jest :v:
star wars 1313 looks like generic chest-high wall shlock anyways who cares
[QUOTE=kevlar jens;38292219]star wars 1313 looks like generic chest-high wall shlock anyways who cares[/QUOTE]
[video=youtube;BQyGu4EqZsU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQyGu4EqZsU[/video]
I don't know man but this seriously looks fucking awesome
From the wikipedia page:
"While being developed in-house by LucasArts, the game is undergoing an integrated development approach that involves [B]Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation and Skywalker Sound[/B][B]."[/B]
Thats like all the mayor development studios who worked on the Star Wars movies. Holy fuck please in fucks name don't change ANYTHING about this game
We'll never get another Battlefront or Republic Commando at this rate.
[QUOTE=Van-man;38292197]Oh you jest :v:[/QUOTE]
Or well its the closest thing you could call mature.
[QUOTE=kevlar jens;38292219]star wars 1313 looks like generic chest-high wall shlock anyways who cares[/QUOTE]
It sounded like a fresh take on the star wars universe, focusing on something else than just jedis and lightsabers.
This being said I think Disney should fuck off and stop trying to make everything kid friendly. They are big enough to start doing more things at once and trying to turn absolutely every single thing they own towards a younger audience is just dumb. It's not the children who buy their products, it's the adults, so making kid-friendly products everywhere is severing a huge part of potential business for them.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;38292259]It sounded like a fresh take on the star wars universe, focusing on something else than just jedis and lightsabers.
This being said I think Disney should fuck off and stop trying to make everything kid friendly. They are big enough to start doing more things at once and trying to turn absolutely every single thing they own towards a younger audience is just dumb. It's not the children who buy their products, it's the adults, so making kid-friendly products everywhere is severing a huge part of potential business for them.[/QUOTE]
Adults have children :)
It amuses me as to how many people here don't realize that Disney owns ABC and ESPN. They CAN do more than just Kid-Friendly schlock. Cool your tits, guys.
[QUOTE=darth-veger;38292243]Or well its the closest thing you could call mature.[/QUOTE]
Calling Kingdom Hearts for mature would be like calling margarine for butter.
It's pretending to be, but isn't
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;38292259]It sounded like a fresh take on the star wars universe, focusing on something else than just jedis and lightsabers.[/QUOTE]
Ye and instead it focuses on riding roller-coasters of set-pieces, sitting hunched behind cover and popping up to shoot enemies.
the gameplay vid posted up above there looks pretty much like uncharted. shouldn't they embrace their source-material and maybe add like jetpacks- opening up for some sweet vertical gameplay. and have cool gritty lightsaber action. but no they just make it like every fps action-adventure title.
[QUOTE=Xenomoose;38292314]It amuses me as to how many people here don't realize that Disney owns ABC and ESPN. They CAN do more than just Kid-Friendly schlock. Cool your tits, guys.[/QUOTE]
They keep those separate.
Knowing Disney they'll slaughter this to earn quick money from kids & teens
[QUOTE=Van-man;38292317]Calling Kingdom Hearts for mature would be like calling margarine for butter.
It's pretending to be, but isn't[/QUOTE]
Read again, i said "The [B]closest [/B]thing you could call mature."
I can't name any other Disney game (That was under the eyes of Disney Productions) that involved violence and story like KH.
[QUOTE=kevlar jens;38292366]Ye and instead it focuses on riding roller-coasters of set-pieces, sitting hunched behind cover and popping up to shoot enemies.
the gameplay vid posted up above there looks pretty much like uncharted. shouldn't they embrace their source-material and maybe add like jetpacks- opening up for some sweet vertical gameplay. and have cool gritty lightsaber action. but no they just make it like every fps action-adventure title.[/QUOTE]
It's a darker more mature take on Star Wars, which is what is interesting to many people. So far it doesn't involve Jedi, which is awesome. The Graphics look great as well. We've only seen a few minutes of the game so far so you don't know what the rest will be like.
I would love LucasArts to be dead.
[QUOTE=Gimme20dollaz;38292246]Okay, I'm genuinely confused. What made Battlefront and Republic Commando so great?[/QUOTE]what isn't great about stepping on Luke Skywalker with an AT-AT after giving a snowspeeder some turbolaser to the face, hopping out to shoot a few dozen rebels in the head, capturing Echo Base and then stealing a snowspeeder, shooting down the already deployed rebel air units and finally blowing up the shield generator?
or ordering your squad to tactical positions in preparation for the oncoming onslaught, stabbing a rushing trandoshan slaver in the throat with your wrist-mounted ultra lethal vibroblade knife and watching as your helmet's visor automatically wipes the green blood from your face, grabbing the killed alien's shotgun and giving the next incoming merc some lead-induced stomach pains, and then turning around and getting incapacitated by a rampaging Super Battle Terminator i mean Droid after you first shoot its left arm off with your plasma sniper, which causes the craziest one of your squadmates who happens to wear warpaint made of blood to tell you to "hold on to your guts while he rips out theirs"?
[QUOTE=Gimme20dollaz;38292246]Okay, I'm genuinely confused. What made Battlefront and Republic Commando so great?[/QUOTE]
Battlefront was just really well-done and fun to play, and it was practically the perfect game for having friends over to play on the ol' PS2 or Xbox. It was simple from the outset, but addicting once you got into it; every match had individual tales of heroism, cowardice, intellect and stupidity woven in like some grand sci-fi tapestry, and every time you got your friends together and played, another memorable, often quite hilarious tale was added to it.
Republic Commando was dark, gritty and violent, being the only Star Wars game I'd ever played that had actual blood in it. It had a squad of badass and fairly memorable characters, pretty good multiplayer, refined combat, and situations that genuinely made you think and evolve your tactics. It also took a relatively new look at Star Wars, portraying the dark deconstruction of all the action of the prequels by making you a very vulnerable clone.
They were two of the best games of my childhood, and I really wish they'll get around to making decent sequels one of these days.
I saw this coming a mile away.
[QUOTE=BurnBlackJay;38292295]Adults have children :)[/QUOTE]
Um yeah I said that in my post.
But my point is Disney would make an amazingly bigger amount of money if instead of only focusing on what the adults buy for their kids they actually started making products adults would buy for themselves, since that would potentially double the number of products bought by parents alone and create a big consumer base for any adult that does not have kids.
[QUOTE=darth-veger;38292233]
I don't know man but this seriously looks fucking awesome
From the wikipedia page:
"While being developed in-house by LucasArts, the game is undergoing an integrated development approach that involves [B]Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation and Skywalker Sound[/B][B]."[/B]
Thats like all the mayor development studios who worked on the Star Wars movies. Holy fuck please in fucks name don't change ANYTHING about this game[/QUOTE]
not even industrial light and magic can make a game that isn't brown and filled with chest high walls nowadays apparently
The only way that looks different is because it's set in the starwars universe which only really means people get blasters instead of normal guns
[QUOTE=kevlar jens;38292366]Ye and instead it focuses on riding roller-coasters of set-pieces, sitting hunched behind cover and popping up to shoot enemies.
the gameplay vid posted up above there looks pretty much like uncharted. shouldn't they embrace their source-material and maybe add like jetpacks- opening up for some sweet vertical gameplay. and have cool gritty lightsaber action. but no they just make it like every fps action-adventure title.[/QUOTE]
The entire point of 1313 is to not put jedis in it why would you add lightsabers without jedis.
Also we have barely seen anything of the game. Who knows what could have been in there.
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