LucasArts
LucasArts, formerly LucasArts Entertainment Company and, before that, Lucasfilm Games, was the video game licensor, publisher and developer unit of Lucasfilm Ltd.. After the closure of LucasArts, the company had take there former name Lucasfilm Games.
History
During their earliest years, they became famous mostly for adventure games, such as the Monkey Island series. LucasArts broke into the Star Wars realm in 1993 with Star Wars: X-Wing. After this success, the company continued producing games based on the Star Wars universe.
Their games spread throughout the past decade to encompass almost every game genre. These include role-playing games (RPG), such as the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchise; real-time strategy games (RTS), such as Star Wars: Empire at War and its expansion pack; first- and third-person shooters (FPS), such as the Jedi Knight series; and a continued run of flight simulators, such as both the X-Wing series and the Rogue Squadron series.
LucasArts kept interest in non–Star Wars titles as well. It released sequels to its critically acclaimed Monkey Island series and created other franchises.
LucasArts re-released an assortment of games as downloads on Steam, Valve's game distribution service. While six of the ten games in the first wave were related to Star Wars or Indiana Jones, classic adventure games such as The Dig and Loom were also included. More are expected to follow.[3]
In December 2012, Lucasfilm was bought by The Walt Disney Company. This was followed on April 3, 2013 by LucasArts shut down of its development and publishing offices, in order to minimize the company's "financial risk". Most of its 200 employees were fired in the process, and development of Star Wars: 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault were stopped. The remaining staff, fewer than ten persons, were to continue LucasArts licensing activities, to coordinate with future partners publishers and developers and, in theory, encompass a broader range of quality Star Wars games.[2] As a direct consequence, Industrial Light & Magic also had to layoff some of its workforce, as it shared them with LucasArts, and the absence of video games and animated series project left the company overstaffed.[4] Two month later, on May 6, it was announced that Disney Interactive and Electronic Arts signed a multi-year, multi-title exclusive contract. While EA would focus on high quality products, Disney Interactive retained the rights to produce games for more "casual audiances".[5]
Star Wars games developed by LucasArts
Star Wars games licensed by LucasArts
Sources
"Looking At Lucasfilm" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 1- "Looking At Lucasfilm" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 2
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Limited Collector's Edition
- Star Wars: Rebellion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
LucasArts Revives Classic Gaming Titles on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- Use the Force to Fight over WWII Enemy Lines on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
"Voice of the Force" – Star Wars Insider 110
15 Easter Eggs to Find in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on StarWars.com (backup link not verified!)- Common Ground Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link not verified!)
Go Beyond The Spires in Virtual Reality: Making of ILMxLab's Tales From The Galaxy's Edge SWCA 2022 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fritz, Ben: Disney to Shut LucasArts Videogame Unit (2013-04-03). The Wall Street Journal (archived from the original on June 6, 2015)
- ↑ LucasArts Revives Classic Gaming Titles on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Cohen, David S.: LucasArts Shutdown Triggers Layoffs at ILM (2013-04-03). Variety (archived from the original on December 1, 2020)
- ↑ Electronic Arts Selected for Multi-Year Agreement for the Future of Star Wars Gaming on StarWars.com (backup link not verified!)
External links
- Official Website (content now obsolete, backup link)
LucasArts on Wikipedia