It was with a heavy heart that I awoke this morning, finding out that my favorite developer was closing their doors. (Yes, I just woke up; deal with it.) LucasArts has had their doors forcefully closed by Disney; their staff laid off and their current projects cancelled.
This really is not that big of a surprise; we all knew this day was coming, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. For people of a certain age, and perhaps others, LucasArts holds a special place. Growing up their were three developers that I knew the name of: Maxis, Bullfrog, and LucasArts. Obviously Maxis went on to become a puppet of Electronic Arts, while Bullfrog themselves were dismantled, then reformed in part as Lionhead Studios.
Not LucasArts, they stood the test of time. Sure, the quality of their games may have stumbled as we entered the 2000’s, losing sight of the beauty that was Sam & Max: Hit the Road, Day of the Tentacle and my all-time favorite, Grim Fandango, but we still had that logo and nostalgia to hold onto.
Now it’s gone, and with it one of the last vestiges of my childhood withers and dies. Melodramatic, I know but that’s who I was when I avidly played their games; that is who I return to now, for a time.
The fate of LucasArts’ still in production projects — Star Wars: First Assault and Star Wars 1313 — are unknown. The current plan is to still use the LucasArts brand for the purposes of licensing, which means some other studio may take over the properties. The question is will they still be the same game; will Disney even want to make a mature Star Wars title?
I will update this post throughout the day, should I hear anything else. Otherwise be on the lookout for further articles of any future ‘new’ LucasArts projects.
Finally, I think I speak for everyone at both Geek News Network & Constantly Calibrating when I wish the best of luck to the people who lost their jobs today. (Generic, but heartfelt response incoming…)
May the Force be with you in the future.
What are your thoughts on the closing of LucasArts? Let us know in the comments.
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"A man of many talents; Joshua is a gamer, writer, Sith Lord in training and a wannabe Time Lord. Assuming the mantle of Director of Gaming for Geek News Network, Joshua has made it his goal to bring the gaming division of GNN forward.
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You can read more of Joshua’s semi-regular thoughts on Twitter @BearPunch. He also co-hosts the GNN Gaming Podcast and the ”Constantly Calibrating Podcast.
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