Items tagged with LucasArts
When Disney closed LucasArts earlier this year and canceled all of the games under development, it left the future of video games within Star Wars franchise in serious doubt. Now we know what that future is going to look like -- it's got a giant EA logo stamped on it. According to the joint press release, EA now has the exclusive rights to " develop and publish new Star Wars titles for a core gaming audience, spanning all interactive platforms and the most popular game genres, while Disney will retain certain rights to develop new titles within the mobile, social, tablet and online game categories." “Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe,” said EA Labels...
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When is the next Star Wars video game from LucasArts coming? It’s a trick question--the answer is “never”, because Disney, which bought LucasFilm for over $4 billion last fall, has decreed that LucasArts will no longer make video games. Instead, GameInformer reports that LucasArts will discontinue its own production and move to a licensing model, which would both minimize financial risk and allow Disney to see what other game developers can do with the properties. "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...
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When it comes to Star Wars, the gaming industry has a long history of cranking out titles of uncertain quality. For every brilliant title like Knights of the Old Republic, we've seen several clunkers (Kinect Star Wars anyone) and a few outright failures like Republic Heroes. LucasArts demonstrated a new Star Wars game at E3 this week -- Star Wars: 1313 -- and despite the brand's uneven history, we're cautiously optimistic. The 1313 moniker refers to a specific level of Coruscant that's a haven for criminals, bounty hunters, and crime lords. You take on the role of a bounty hunter looking for information on an unspecified criminal conspiracy who descends to 1313 in search of data. This will be...
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Lucasfilm has backed off the cease-and-desist demand it had made to Wicked Lasers, creator the of Spyder III Pro Arctic. Admittedly, the device sure reminds us of a lightsaber, but according to the letter that was sent to the Wicked Lasers' CEO, as long as the company puts a disclaimer on any pages that are graced by the Pro Arctic, they will drop the demand. The letter, from David J. Anderman, General Counsel for LucasFilm, stated that based on the publicity and statements that Wicked Lasers had made, it was clear that "The media and public has come to realize that Lucasfilm would never endorse or license a highly dangerous product such as your Arctic Pro Laser." In addition to the statements...
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Back about a month ago, Hong Kong-based Wicked Lasers introduced a new blue laser. This new handheld toy, built from a Casio projector, emits 1W of cerulean laser beam goodness. That's enough to burn holes in various substances, permanently blind yourself (or the neighbor's cat), and according to Wicked Lasers, the Arctic Spyder III Pro has a range of over 100 miles. At $199, it's a veritable bargain, particularly considering that the company's second-most-powerful laser, the Fusion Series S3 Spyder, is $999 for a paltry 500mW. Lucasfilms, however, is not impressed. Ol' George's legal team took one look at the Spyder III Pro and promptly issued a cease-and-desist letter to Wicked Lasers, arguing...
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Bioware's original Knight's of the Old Republic (KOTOR) was a smash hit on both the XBox and PC when it launched back in 2003. Anxious to mint fresh cash from its Star Wars IP, LucasArts commissioned the second title: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Obsidian Entertainment was tapped for the task and given just a year to develop a sequel to what was considered one of the best (if not the best) games of 2003. KOTOR II began promisingly; early stages of the game offered at least as much immersion and character development as the original. As players progressed, however, the unfinished nature of the product became increasingly apparent. KOTOR II doesn't reach a climatic finale so...
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