Disney closes LucasArts

The official statement from Disney (which recently acquired LucasFilm and LucasArts) reads as follows:

"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."

Source: GI

What do you guys think?

Its hard to look at this from a perspective other than killing off assets of a recently acquired company, but it seems they had been struggling a bit. The last title published was Kincet Star Wars, a terrible rail-based motion gimmick that I remember poking fun at since they teased at E3. I'm not much of a SW fan, but I know the Battlefront series was very popular, and I appreciated the attempt at something new with the Force Unleashed. Not to mention they published many titles that helped revolutionize the point-and-click adventure genre.

The games had some promise and the games would be close to finishing now. It sucks they laid people off though. If they dont come out with some awesome games now... I'll...I'll sit here and take it probably

Well a Battlefront 3 was not menitoned though

I felt my heart stop and restart yesterday. I knew they were gone.... Those Disney people used the Darkside against LucasArts. One wonders what it will be like though now that they are gone?

If they make great Star Wars movies, then I could forgive them.

www.pcgamer.com/2013/04/04/raven-salutes...ight-ii-source-code/

ATTN modders: Raven salutes LucasArts with release of Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy source code

Now Disney needs to license the properties to other studios... Imagine if BattleFront 3 was made in the shiny new FrostBite 3 engine....... What they could do with the destruction and physics engine there combined with Force powers and OP blasters would be amazing.. Not that I want EA's grubby paws raping the IP.. but it still would be cool.

The nice thing about JKII and JA is that they are built on the Q3 engine if I recall properly, which means there are only about a trillion ppl out there that know how to work with it.

L0rdG1gabyt3 wrote: Now Disney needs to license the properties to other studios... Imagine if BattleFront 3 was made in the shiny new FrostBite 3 engine....... What they could do with the destruction and physics engine there combined with Force powers and OP blasters would be amazing.. Not that I want EA's grubby paws raping the IP.. but it still would be cool.

The nice thing about JKII and JA is that they are built on the Q3 engine if I recall properly, which means there are only about a trillion ppl out there that know how to work with it.

On April 3, 2013, Disney confirmed that LucasArts would cease to operate as a video game developer and serve as a licensor, with video games being developed by either third-party companies or Disney Interactive Studios

source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LucasArts#cite_ref-CNET_3-1

L0rdG1gabyt3 wrote: Now Disney needs to license the properties to other studios... Imagine if BattleFront 3 was made in the shiny new FrostBite 3 engine....... What they could do with the destruction and physics engine there combined with Force powers and OP blasters would be amazing..

After last weeks announcement.. I feel a bit prophetic!

It always appear to suck when people loose their job. but one important lesson i got out of Econ is that it's just freeing up that talent to go somewhere else and be amazing.
If you can licence the games to studios that know how to run a profitable game, have a loyal following, and with make a good game, then more power to the franchise.