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Former LucasArts staff share secrets News

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News by Robert Purchese

6 June, 2008

Former LucasArts staff are letting all sorts of secrets fly including word on a Knights of the Old Republic MMO following a round of lay-offs earlier this week.

The staff cull began on Wednesday, according to Kotaku, and is responsible for over 100 terminations.

While imminent releases such as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Fracture will be unaffected, unannounced and less complete titles will apparently be increasingly outsourced.

Those mentioned were the much-rumoured and covered-up Knights of the Old Republic MMO, Battlefront 3, another LEGO Indiana Jones outing (the complete saga, perhaps), and a lightsaber game for Wii.

Presumably BioWare will make KOTOR 3 and Traveller's Tales can do the LEGO game. LucasArts has definitely not confirmed any of the above.

The reasons behind the sackings are unknown, although April-appointed boss Darrell Rodriguez (formerly EA bigwig) may have something to do with it.

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Comments: 1-46 of 46 in total

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Britesparc
06/06/08 @ 09:04
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But what about the Indiana Jones game? That looked pretty good. It was announced way before Force Unleashed but we've not heard anything for ages...

Probably cancelled, which is a shame.
thefilthandthefury
06/06/08 @ 09:06
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KOTOR! Not too keen about it being an MMO though.
Widge
06/06/08 @ 09:06
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KOTOR to actually be "good" this time please
bad09
06/06/08 @ 09:06
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Job losses are terrible always but there is no doubt at all a shake up was needed there.

It's made my day that now we have some official word (if a sacked employee can be believed) that BF3 is actually happening.
penhalion
06/06/08 @ 09:10
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Can I get an "I told you so" for the Indiana Jones complete saga thing. After the review I commented that the reason they left so much stuff out of the current lego indy was to add the fourth film and make a complete saga version with all that stuff in.

Why the heck do companies do that crap?
Maximilian
06/06/08 @ 09:11
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To LucasArts: Tie Fighter 2 or GTFO
bad09
06/06/08 @ 09:12
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"Why the heck do companies do that crap?"

Because the stupid masses will pay for it. It's a trick they've stolen from the DVD market.
sergeantdisco
06/06/08 @ 09:18
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"To LucasArts: Tie Fighter 2"

Oh god yes, I'd give a fairly integral body part for this.
Wash
06/06/08 @ 09:25
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KOTOR: MMO by BioWare would rock.

So would a new tie fighter game, and hopefully a return of Monkey Island, Grim, Full Throttle etc etc.

Indiana JonesŪ and the Emperor's Tomb was pretty good, alot better than some ppl who prolly never got round to playing it. I reccomend gettign that to fill your indy boots till teh new en comes out.

Still buying lego indy tho :)

paulf
06/06/08 @ 09:29
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'KOTOR to actually be "good" this time please'

oh come on, the first kotor is excellent - part 2 not as good but still quality
des
06/06/08 @ 09:29
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KOTOR=best game ever.
If KOTOR 3 is a MMO heads will roll,that is all i have to say!

Widge
06/06/08 @ 09:30
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KOTOR has been the only game I've sold for sheer non-enjoyment. Ever. I traded it for Morrowind GOTY and life was much better.
bengray66
06/06/08 @ 09:32
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"To LucasArts: Tie Fighter 2"

Oh god yes, I'd give a fairly integral body part for this.


+1 I LOVED all the X-Wing (& Tie Fighter) games, they were pure class. The mission structures etc were superb!

I remember my proudest moment of the entire series was taking down a star destroyer in an A-Wing! Took AGESSSS and about a hundred missile reloads :D
mingster
06/06/08 @ 09:37
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Lol they also said the Fracture game they are making is 'Garbage'
thewolfiv
06/06/08 @ 09:37
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bah KOTOR, the first was great, the 2nd so-so but who cares? i got mass effect on my Pc....
bad09
06/06/08 @ 09:38
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"If KOTOR 3 is a MMO heads will roll,that is all i have to say! "

Same here but we all know LA will think of the money coming in month after month and go down that route :(
Lebowski
06/06/08 @ 09:39
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Look, let's all stop messing about here and just to tell LucasArts to broker a deal with IW to make CoD4: Star Wars Edition. From crossbows to Force perks it'd be awesome.
gmmonkey
06/06/08 @ 09:43
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YASS KOTOR MMO! Finally confirmed! Sort of..
paulf
06/06/08 @ 09:44
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@ widge
'KOTOR has been the only game I've sold for sheer non-enjoyment. Ever. I traded it for Morrowind GOTY and life was much better.'

just curious - do you like the star wars films? I was just wondering whether enjoyment of KOTOR was linked to love of star wars, and whether it was such a good game if you weren't steeped in the lore
bad09
06/06/08 @ 09:44
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Lebowski, you sir, are a f*****g genius!!!! :)
Widge
06/06/08 @ 09:53
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I was really looking forward to KOTOR, positive reviews, the premise of being able to run about with lightsabers, I mean what else could you want.

Thought the opening to the game was dire, didn't like the combat engine, found the entire conversation structure awful with Light Side responses being po-faced earnest dullness with the Dark Side coming across as some sort of stroppy teenager rather than the icy cool of Vader. Felt a bit forced. So not liking the combat, not liking the character interaction, I found I was just going through the game for the love of swinging a saber around and stopped myself thinking "why am I bothering?". I guess its not for everyone. Good music though, nice visuals, and the psychopathic red robot was hilarious. Was put off KOTOR2 because I read comments like "the first section isn't as good as the original game" which I thought had the worst opening I've ever encountered.

Also the reason I'm a bit hmmmm about checking out Mass Effect on the PC.
paulf
06/06/08 @ 10:01
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@ widge - shame you didn't enjoy it, judging by your comments though you should give Mass Effect a go, the combat is very different to KOTOR - much more hands on and the dialogue choices are maybe of a more mature nature (I certainly didn't feel like a stroppy teenager when playing through as a renegade) - the lines of good and evil are more blurred than kotor - its more of a case of how you approach problems rather than light or dark side
Widge
06/06/08 @ 10:03
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I'm really tempted, I keep looking at screenshots and thinking "you look nice", plus there is the overwhelming support for the game wherever I go.
barchetta
06/06/08 @ 10:09
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Wasn't Free Radical 'involved' with a Battlefront Game? Interesting to see where the land lies following the somewhat lacklustre reception to HAZE.

A new Tie/X-wing based game would be a guaranteed hit going by the usual yelp of desire from fans of the old franchise. What is unbelievable is that it hasn't been done already. I can understand a lack of enthusiasm for the old GAs (though would love to see them return) but if any game-type was made for the Online MP generation then Tie/X-Wing is it. The Rogue Squadron Gamecube games were visually impressive so think of what can be achieved with current hardware.
prolific8
06/06/08 @ 10:11
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An MMO KotoR would be devastating. I don't want to pay a subscription every month so that I don't find out what happened to Revan for years.
bad09
06/06/08 @ 10:11
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@ barchetta

Although never confirmed that was the rumour and indeed FR did say they were working on something Star Wars for LA. I must admit after Haze I'm a little worried!
paketep
06/06/08 @ 10:18
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No more KOTOR if they are going to force the developers to release it unfinished as they did with KOTOR 2.

In fact, no more LucasArts, please. You suck.
RexRunti
06/06/08 @ 10:20
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Just looking at Bioware's list of games in progress, they are:

Sonic
Dragon age
Unknown MMO
Unknown Next Gen Game (surely current gen)
and "LucasArts/Bioware Interactive Product"

Whether or not the last one is an MMO is still open to rumour and speculation. I personally hope that it isn't as I want to become the most powerful jedi/sith in the universe not just another one in a party.

@Widge

You may actually prefer KOTOR II it does improve on almost all the areas you mention.
Xerx3s
06/06/08 @ 10:35
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"Unknown Next Gen Game (surely current gen) "

That will be ME2.
Skywise
06/06/08 @ 10:53
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@Paulf
Apart from the awful visuals I was positively surprised by KOTOR. I bought it because of the glowing reviews and past Bioware games, even though I don't like the Star Wars movies at all. So enjoyment of Star Wars isn't necessary to enjoy KOTOR.
Vin
06/06/08 @ 10:53
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None of this MMO rubbish, thanks.

Just give me a good, solid, SP mode that lasts ages and has optional co-op.
shamblemonkee
06/06/08 @ 11:00
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@ widge - def give Mass Effect a whirl its so, so, so superiour to the KOTOR games, which also disliked. Mass Effect is all your space opera dreams come true.
Jimbob89
06/06/08 @ 11:03
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I thought battlefront 3 was already announced but was based in the lotr universe? or is that just a completely different game.
So maybe we'll have another star wars battlefront AND Lord of the rings, awesome!
Res
06/06/08 @ 11:38
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It was announced that Free Radical are working on the next Battlefront game quite a while ago.
bitesize
06/06/08 @ 11:47
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^ different team to the one that made haze as well (as they've been in parallel development for a while i gather). so rest easy.
MaxiSleep
06/06/08 @ 12:01
#36
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A good single player game does not an MMO make.
J.C
06/06/08 @ 12:18
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LucasArts have made some massive mistakes this gen imo.

1. Battlefront 3. not even a screenshot. with Xbox live the way it is now, its insane they haven't shown anything.
2. KOTOR 3. oh dear. incredible how this has not made it to either 360/PS3 yet. fucking insane decision.
3. Fracture. generic looking game, that i dont believe gamers really want.
4. They have a back catalog of classic games that are loved by many. the gamers want these games to continue. lucasarts are you listening, no? thought not.
5. The wii lightsaber game. the silence on this, and all the above are as deafening as ever.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 06/06/08 @ 13:19
bad09
06/06/08 @ 12:59
#38
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"LucasArts have made some massive mistakes this gen imo.

1. Battlefront 3. not even a screenshot. with Xbox live the way it is now, its insane they haven't shown anything.
2. KOTOR 3. oh dear. incredible how this has not made it to either 360/PS3 yet. fucking insane decision.
3. Fracture. generic looking game, that i dont believe gamers really want.
4. They have a back catalog of classic games that are loved by many. the gamers want these games to continue. lucasarts are you listening, no? thought not.
5. The wii lightsaber game. the silence on this, and all the above are as deafening as ever."

I sure hope someone from LA is reading this, well said J.C
bongoloid
06/06/08 @ 15:20
#39
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How about a KOTOR MMO with space combat integration? 2 birds, 1 stone.
Charlie_Miso
06/06/08 @ 15:28
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Thank God, no sign of more Jade Empire.
Vin
06/06/08 @ 17:25
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Get out.

Jade Empire was fucking great.
WinterSnowblind
06/06/08 @ 19:44
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I woudn't mind if they turned KotOR into an MMO, but it'd also be nice if they would continue the actual story with a single player game, at least eventually. But I wouldn't be willing to pay another subscription fee, no matter what the game, unless it was significantly less than what other games are charging.

And yes, Jade Empire was flawed, but still brilliant.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 06/06/08 @ 20:44
Royal Fool
06/06/08 @ 20:12
#43
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How the mighty have fallen. Once one of the most prestigious publishing houses in the business, now reduced to rubble.
louyfitz
08/06/08 @ 18:15
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Bobba Fett: bounty hunter game on 360 FTW!!!!
Lamont
08/06/08 @ 21:21
#45
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I hope whomever signed up Free Radical to do Battlefront got sacked. After a terd like Haze I shudder to think what they'd do to Battlefront. I wouldn't trust them to make a TV dinner.
hiddenranbir
09/06/08 @ 10:16
#46
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More KOTOR? Really? Will my character have amnesia, again? Going through the exact same motions of rediscovering myself alongside unearthing a greater devious plot...by the Sith, no doubt!

Comments: 1-46 of 46 in total

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