Disney has laid off the staff of LucasArts and cancelled all current projects which leaves fans wondering what caused the fall of this popular studio and what could have been if they had stayed in business. The studio was once revered for its production and distribution of Star Wars video games but it is no more. Promised games were cancelled, staff was laid off or moved to other departments and Electronic Arts will be in charge of Star Wars when it comes to games. But all of this news left many fans stunned and wondering what happened? Kotaku tackled this topic recently and brought some additional info on the subject. Kotaku tells us: Over the last five months, I’ve talked to a dozen people connected to LucasArts, including ex-employees at the company’s highest levels, in an attempt to figure out just how the studio collapsed. Some spoke off the record;…
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20 Canceled LucasArts Star Wars Titles Revealed
The book Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts released in 2008 but recently has made news for the list of cancelled Star Wars games that were reported to be in development at LucasArts. The book contains logos for 20 Star Wars titles that were in development at LucasArts at that time. There are some interesting titles on the list. You will find a tie-in for Episode VII subtitled Shadows of the Sith and even a third Jedi Knight title which a lot of fans say they really wanted to see. It looks like maybe they expected to continue the Star Wars movie serious via games until the Disney contract came through. Now just because these 20 titles are written as “cancelled” by LucasArts, that doesn’t mean that these concepts will never become games at some time in the future. Which on the list would you most want to see? Book Description:…
Is LucasArts Facing a Shutdown?
There is gossip around the Internet about LucasArts- the kind of gossip that makes fans a bit uneasy. After the cancellation of The Clone Wars, there have been fears that LucasArts is facing a shutdown. Reports tell us that there are incoming Layoffs for Lucasfilm Animation and it only makes sense now that Disney is on the scene to get rid of the department that does the very same thing they already do. While fans are really bummed about the cancellation of The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm has promised that the bonus content will still be made available to fans. But this isn’t the only reason people are whispering about LucasArts… A report from GamesIndustry International says that LucasArts told them that everything is going according to plan and that the rumors are just that- rumors. But not everyone is buying that, including ex employees. One ex-LucasArts employee said: “The ‘business’…
Star Wars: 1313 Development on Hold?
We’ve told you about Star Wars:1313 here in the past and have been following the production of the game to give you updates whenever possible. Well, it now seems like the development has stalled out. Will this be a temporary pause or is the whole game on shutdown? We don’t actually know right now. As Eucantina explains: The very impressive looking and possibly next-generation video game Star Wars: 1313 hasn’t been heard about since its last major showing at Star Wars Celebration VI in August. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and thus LucasArts, word started to spread that Disney’s video game focus would be more on casual games than AAA console titles like 1313 was shaping up to be. Some fans started to get nervous. What did this mean for 1313? Would development shift to a different developer as Disney decided how to best use LucasArts? Would the game be cancelled? It wouldn’t be the first time an anticipated Star…
Disney Set to Purchase Lucasfilm and make ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’
If you’ve been waiting for some new Star Wars movies, then the time has finally come! Walt Disney Pictures has issued a press release announcing that the company has “agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd.” This is HUGE news that can greatly change the future of the Star Wars franchise. According to the press release: Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas. Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments. This is not the first film company that Disney…
BioWare and LucasArts LiveStream Q&A Event
With patch 1.4 just around the corner, BioWare and Lucasarts will be holding a LiveStream event. In this, the they will answer questions from the community concerning the content within each Game Update. The first LiveStream Event will discuss Game Update 1.4 – Terror From Beyond, and the team will be taking questions via Twitter, Facebook, and the Official Forum. LiveStream Event #1 BioWare and LucasArts are excited to announce a new monthly LiveStream Q&A Event. The objective of this new LiveStream event series is to answer any questions our Community has concerning the content within each Game Update. Below is all the information you need in order to watch and participate in the first monthly LiveStream Event. Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – LiveStream 9/21/2012 4:00pm to 4:30pm CDT The first LiveStream Event will discuss Game Update 1.4 – Terror From Beyond. This Game Update brings a brand new…
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Collection Coming This Summer
LucasArts is about to re-release the KOTOR series to stores. GameStop and Amazon have listed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Collection as a bundle pack for the two single-player role-playing games. It’s only weeks from release, too. The compilation has appeared on GameStop’s internal system and is listed as a PC exclusive carrying a $20 price tag. The first game in the series (developed by BioWare) was released to critical acclaim in July 2003 for Xbox, and later for PC. KOTOR came to Mac via Steam just a few months ago. Obsidian developed the game’s sequel, which launched on Xbox in December 2004. They are both excellent games, that I recoment you try out, if you haven’t played them yet. After all, they are the prequels to Star Wars: The old republic. If you can’t wait until the games are re-realeased, you can check out the first part…
Bonnie Burton laid off from Lucasfilm
Bonnie Burton, the face and voice of Star Wars fandom (especially for females) has announced via her Twitter that they have laid her off. She was the online contact with the fandom. The ways things have been going with Lucasfilm and StarWars.com, it almost looks like they are trying to do away with things that involve the fan community. It’s really hard to say what this move was all about. Bonnie was a huge asset to the company. She wrote content for the website and handled social media. She was hired in 2003, during the run-up to Revenge of the Sith. One thing that is for certain- Bonnie can land another job easily with her experience and her skills. In my opinion, freelancing is really where it’s at these days for writing and social media anyway. Companies are too unpredictable. You never know when the next one is going to…
StarWars.com is Redoing their Blog
If you’re wondering why you weren’t able to see the StarWars.com blog, it’s because it’s on hiatus as they rework and redesign the blog. They currently have a message on the home page explaining the hiatus: The Official Star Wars Blog is now on temporary hiatus as the Lucas Online team continues to explore new directions for StarWars.com. New authors, new articles, and new points of view are in the works for the Blog that will cover the entire Star Wars experience. As with all changes undertaken on the website, we are closely examining feedback from past surveys and user actions on the site, and we want to hear from you. Feel free to let us know in the comments what you’d like to see the Official Star Wars Blog become. So here is your chance if you visit this blog to speak up about what you want, what features…