LucasArts is Dead

Disney has announced that it is shutting down Lucasarts, one of gaming’s longest running studios. The longtime developer of classic adventure games such as The Secret of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, and Loom, as well as many of the Star Wars video games, was purchased by Disney last year in a package deal that included Lucasfilm and their subsidiaries. LucasArts game development dates as far back as 1982, and consistently produced games that both fans and critics held in high regard.

The official statement released from Disney, obtained by GameInformer, states

"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 Wars games. As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles."

This comes as no surprise after LucasArts track record in recent years. After the cancellation of Star Wars: Battlefront III, and the overall aimless direction of the studio over the past several years and most recent console generation, the studio has been without a proper retail release for some time.

After last year’s acquisition by Disney, development seemed to be picking up with titles like “Star Wars 1313” and “Star Wars: First Assault”, but it has been confirmed that, with the closure, these titles are effectively cancelled. While some speculated that with “Star Wars 1313” nearing completion, Disney could outsource the remainder of development to another studio. Unfortunately, a second source confirmed to Kotaku that the probability of this happening was "effectively zero".

The loss of LucasArts as a studio is exceptionally sad and is a disappointment for gamers and industry professionals, but what does this mean for the future of gaming’s most beloved franchises? It’s hard to see the good in the closing of one of the most respected and loved studios around, but this may lead to a resurgence of fan favorite titles from the last 30 years. With this new model, Disney is essentially licensing its properties to external studios for development instead of handling it in-house. This means that for the development of its most beloved franchises, it can choose whoever is best suited for that title. We all wanted a new Battlefront game, but what if we got a Battlefront developed by Crytek? What if 1313 got licensed to Epic Games? What it Day of the Tentacle 2: Night of the Tentacle (Maniac Mansion 3, really) was developed by Telltale Games? These are only a fraction of the possibilities in store for consumers now that LucasArts has been dissolved. Many have been shelved for years just hoping to see the light of day. With this closure, we may see some shady cash-ins, but the possible revival of many long forgotten properties makes this tragedy a little more bearable.

Source: Game Informer

via: Polygon