LucasArts could revive graphic adventures

By David Jenkins Published 2 June, 2008

"We have looked at it."

New game Fracture looks great and everything but there's only one question you want to ask LucasArts when you've got the chance: are you ever going to make a graphic adventure again and why at least can't you just re-release them?

According to PR manager Chris Norris and Fracture assistant producer Jeffrey Gullett the answer to that first point is embarrassed laughter, a shuffling of the feet and the admission: "We get asked that question a lot."

So what about just re-releasing the games, particularly on the Wii or DS, which seem tailor made for them? After all when the sixteen-year-old Indiana Jones and the Fate of the Atlantis turns out to have a better story than the new movie (the film's ending also worked much better before it was stolen from the game) it's hard not to feel a sense of loss.

"We have looked at it," admits Norris. "It is something we are continually looking at - new venues to put out our library of games on. We're not announcing anything about that because honestly I don't know anything about it."

"The cart size of the DS makes it impossible to put out ports of any of our old graphic adventures," claims Gullett. "There's literally not enough room on those carts to put the games out."

Which seem a slightly preposterous suggestion given that the first Monkey Island game on the Amiga managed to fit onto just four floppy discs (remember those?).

"It could still happen," rallies Gullet. "We've got a lot of pride in our heritage and it's definitely something we're still leaving open."

"The decision is taken at a pay grade higher than ours," admits Norris. "I would love to see new adventure games coming out. A lot of people will say they feel like the adventure game genre is dead. I don't think it is, I think it's changed in some ways. I think we're still making adventure games but they're a little bit different than before with survival horror games and the like."

So, a Resident Evil 5 cameo for Murray the evil skull perhaps?

Picture of David.

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Comments (51) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • asphaltcowboy #1 4 years ago

    Oh oh oh pleasepleaseplease!

  • Melgo #2 4 years ago

    Not enough room? Oh sure, I mean, we haven't seen ports of other classic adventure games on the previous generation (GBA). Broken Sword never happened, nope, not at all. Oh and Monkey Island I? Yeah, I' sure that is so much bigger than Tunguska. Come on Lucasarts, this is weak. You could make easy money on this.
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 08:39

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #3 4 years ago

    "The cart size of the DS makes it impossible to put out ports of any of our old graphic adventures."

    Utter shite.

    Monkey Island 2 and Indy: fate of Atlantis were 12 megs each installed on DOS. The smallest size of DS cart you can get (according to my cursory web search) is 16 megs. And if they think people won't put up with anything other than the talky versions, perhaps someone should show them Phoenix Wright or Phantom Hourglass.

  • morriss #4 4 years ago

    Murray's my hero.

    Make MI5 you cunts! Yes I said that word.

  • bioreit #5 4 years ago

    Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max Hit The Road, Fate of Atlantis, Monkey Island 1 and 2, Full Throttle, The Dig, Grim Fandango.

    Either XBLA or Virtual Console. Would be perfect, especially the Wii remote instead of mouse.

    Not exactly behemoths in terms of file size, neither...

  • muftak #6 4 years ago

    @Mentalist(air)

    wernt they installed on a partial then need the disc for the rest of the content.

    i was going to say the voice overs take up a lot but the wonderful professor layton has fmv with voice overs , btw if you haven't imported this do it now its amazing

  • Prodigy_BE #7 4 years ago

    Dear Lucasarts people:

    Just release these games on PSP:
    Monkey Island 1 & 2 bundle
    Maniac Mansion / Day of the Tentacle bundle
    Full Throttle / The Dig bundle
    Loom / Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis Bundle
    Grim Fandango

    At 40 euro's a pop, You've just received 200 euro's of my precious money.
    That's more than you got from me the last 5 years, by the way

  • Prodigy_BE #8 4 years ago

    @ Bioreit:

    On PSN, XBL, or any other device hooked to my 46' tv, they will just look plain awful.
    I wouldn't mind, as long as they also get released on the PSP. Because point and click adventures are perfect for on the road gaming.

  • Farfarer #9 4 years ago

    Not that it particularly matters 'cause it seems like a lot of the original LucasArts staff who made those adventure games what they are jumped ship a long time ago... you know, to developers who aren't sacrificing good things for more Star Wars games.
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 09:01

  • Evolution #10 4 years ago

    Cart space argument is nonsense, I don't know what this bloke was on when he did this interview but he's wrong.

  • spongebob #11 4 years ago

    Yes, please! DS would be the perfect platform for this. Wii is good too, but I'd absolutely love to play adventure games when I am travelling. LucasArts would become my favorite developer again, if they'd do this.

  • Jheronimus #12 4 years ago

    I'm there with Prodigy, only I would like them on XBLA or DS.

    And Underneath a Steel Sky would be cool also...

    And why stop with LucasArts? I'ld love the adventures of Roger Wilco on DS!!!

  • spongebob #13 4 years ago

    PS. Are you sure DS cart size isn't 16 megabytes.. Because that's 4 megs in "normal" size. GBA was like that, 32 megs was 8 in "reality".

    Oops, I did it again! Here's a correction from Wikipedia:

    Media specifications

    Nintendo DS games use a proprietary solid state ROM "game card" format resembling the memory cards used in other portable electronic devices such as digital cameras. It currently supports cards up to 2 gigabit (2048 Mb or 256 MB) in size (with ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat being the first DS game to use a 2 gigabit card),[21][22] which is four times the amount of memory that the largest Nintendo 64 cartridge was able to store (512 Mb or 64 MB). The cards always have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM to save user data such as game progress or high scores. The game cards are 33.0 mm × 35.0 mm × 3.8 mm (approximately half the width and half as thick as Game Boy Advance cartridges) and weigh around 3.5 g (1/8 ounce).

    Based on an IGN blog by the developer of MechAssault: Phantom War, larger (such as 128 MB) cards have a slower data transfer rate than the more common smaller (such as 64 MB) cards; however, the specific rates were not mentioned.[23]

    The system's code-name was Nitro, resulting in the letters "NTR" appearing in the serial number written on the back of game cards and the system itself. NTR-XXX indicates the model numbers found on the original style Nintendo DS and its accessories.
    Edited by 2 at 02/06/08 @ 09:33

  • thesombrerokid #14 4 years ago

    you can fit any of the good lucas arts adventures inside 128mb (not including grim fandango) with audio compression anyone who's used PPC SCUMMVM knows this

    ohh and [link url=http://www.scumm vm.org/downloads.php
    ]http://www.scumm vm.org/downloads.php
    [/link]
    note the ds version!
    it was a bit buggy the last time i used it

  • MyPointIs #15 4 years ago

    RES, NON VERBA

  • Biggles #16 4 years ago

    spongebob, getting your bits and bytes a little messed up there?

  • Rirekon #17 4 years ago

    @ spongebob; "Are you sure DS cart size isn't 16 megabytes.. Because that's 4 megs in "normal" size. "

    I think you mean megabits, there are 8 bits to a byte so 16 megabits would be 2 megabytes.

  • Floppy #18 4 years ago

    The GBA port of Broken Sword was quite heavily butchered. The converstion was a good one I'll grant you, but a great many of the puzzles and dialogue in the PC original were stripped from that version.

    But as mentioned, the DS should be able to easily cope with mid-90's point and clicks. I would imagine their reluctance would be to port the games over, and figure out what to use the other screen for.

  • Laika #19 4 years ago

    bioreit: You just named my seven favourite childhood games.

    But let's not forget Hand of Fate.

  • septimus #20 4 years ago

    Ah Fate of Atlantis. Classic.

    /Digs out ScummVM DVD :D

  • Prodigy_BE #21 4 years ago

    Just do the downloadable PSN / PSP combo. No packaging cost, no transport cost.
    Heck, they can charge 25 euro's a piece, and I'll still download them all.

    I wanted to buy an iPhone just for the scumm emulator, but I'm holding out until the end of the year for the G3 edition.

    @ Jheronimus
    And yes, I'll buy all the Space Quests too!
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 09:29

  • spongebob #22 4 years ago

    @ Rirekon & Biggles:

    I know, I know, I made a mistake :) I already fixed it. The largest DS cart so far is 256 megabytes. I think that's enough for an old LucasArts adventure game, right?

  • Floppy #23 4 years ago

    That should be plenty of room, especially if you do a port of the 'non-talkie' versions that were released.

  • space_ace #24 4 years ago

    ask me about loom

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #25 4 years ago

    Thanks for the Indy 4 movie spoiler!

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #26 4 years ago

    If cart size is an issue (which it clearly isn't) and they can't be arsed converting them for use with an Xbox or PS3 controller, why not just release them on Steam? That would require virtually NO WORK, other than making sure they all run under XP/Vista.

    I would definitely buy both Monkey Islands again, and both Indiana Jones adventures, and probably The Dig and Full Throttle too.

  • InsoFox #27 4 years ago

    Never has a game company fallen from the path so far as Lucasarts Entertainment Company.

  • bitesize #28 4 years ago


    ugh, they'd be horrible to control with the useless psp analog nipple. ds version please, or if they really won't fit (really?) then surely wiiware was made for things like this?

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #29 4 years ago

    @muftak:
    wernt they installed on a partial then need the disc for the rest of the content.

    No, they installed off about 8HD (haha- high density) floppies. There were no extras.

  • Prodigy_BE #30 4 years ago

    @ Bytesize

    Well, I played lots of them with my keyboard, so I go for the better GFX the PSP has.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #31 4 years ago

    I would definitely buy both Monkey Islands again, and both Indiana Jones adventures, and probably The Dig and Full Throttle too.

    You can still buy budget label re-releases of the PC versions from Amazon etc. And then play them on any modern computer system (including smartphones or hacked consoles) with SCUMMVM.

    But it'd still be nice to have a proper, decently crafted DS version of some of the proper classics. If they can do it with SimCity (which is from the same era, after all), then why not Monkey Island?

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #32 4 years ago

    You can still buy budget label re-releases of the PC versions from Amazon etc. And then play them on any modern computer system (including smartphones or hacked consoles) with SCUMMVM.

    Not the Monkey Island games and Indiana Jones games you can't. I've even looked on eBay, sob!

    TBH, what I really want is an XBLA release. I'd love to see Achievements for Monkey Island. "10G - Got ahead in navigating"

  • bitesize #33 4 years ago

    Well, I played lots of them with my keyboard, so I go for the better GFX the PSP has.

    yeesh, point+click with a keyboard?? nasty.

    they're amiga games - i doubt the DS is gonna struggle with the graphical side...

  • Wyrm #34 4 years ago

    Like the rest of you, I simply cannot believe that statement about cart size. They fitted bloody Resident Evil onto a DS cart for godsake! Broken Sword went on a GBA cart!

    Eurogamer, you should press them on that.

    But back on topic, a new Grim Fandango would be utterly wonderful.

  • Camorrista #35 4 years ago

    I rather think they're looking into the possibility of making point and clicks for each Star Wars character in existence. Starting with their Jar Jar quintology.
    Sorry, but I don't have the least bit of faith in this :)

  • paketep #36 4 years ago

    Dear LucasArts:

    Please, don't make any more adventures. Stop fucking with our happy memories. As a matter of fact, don't develop anything at all. You've demonstrated time and again that the current team and management doesn't deserve to wear the name LucasArts anymore.

    Either that, or hire Ron and Tim and give them a load of money and independence to make a great game. Until then, LucasArt is dead to me.

  • brooza #37 4 years ago

    "The cart size of the DS makes it impossible to put out ports of any of our old graphic adventures,"

    Bollocks

  • Jheronimus #38 4 years ago

    @ Prodigy

    SQ is probably my favorite point'n'click ever. Even failing was major fun with all the ways you could put Roger to a bloody and miserable end...

    Not to mention the dry humour of Monkey Island. Went through playing the first two a couple of months ago. Spend quite a couple of weekends on that. After that, I finished Assassin's Creed in three days... Makes you long for the days where you didn't have to collect four kinds of flags to have prolonged gameplay.

  • M83J01P97 #39 4 years ago

    So they are pretty much just saying "they can't be bothered"?
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 12:05

  • HermitArcader #40 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #41 4 years ago

    I know LucasArts aren't a shadow of their 90s heyday, but they're not THAT bad, are they? Force Unleashed looks like a good laugh, Fracture might turn out to interesting (tho not my cup of tea, TBH), and when they hand their licenses over to other developers - BioWare/Obsidian for KOTOR, Traveller's Tales for the Lego games - they get really good results. I'm still awaiting a Star Wars game to rival the first Jedi Knight or the X-Wing/TIE Fighter games, and considering they've got one of the best back-catalogues of any company out there, I'm utterly flabagasted as to why they're not capitalising on it, but I've still got faith in them as a company.

  • space_ace #42 4 years ago

    star wars adventure in the style of the dig... O_O

  • Andy247 #43 4 years ago

    I really thought it said Chuck Norris and not Chris Norris, that would have been great.

  • poplin #44 4 years ago

    Considering there's SCUMMVM for both wii homebrew and DS homebrew, and people are going through great lengths to play these games already, I can't imagine an official release is either difficult to pull off nor is it unfeasible in terms of sales. The only thing keeping lucasarts from releasing these is lack of vision, not technical barriers.

    Compression has come a long way as well, so to say that the games wont fit is just silly.

    My personal dream though, is to see HD updates of the classics released on XBLA or PSN.... but that is probably never going to happen....

  • RedFoxOne #45 4 years ago

    LucasArts as come out with some of the coolest games of all times. If anyone can pull it off it will be them.

    JJ
    http://www.ULtimat e-Anonymity.com

  • Smorri #46 4 years ago

    "A lot of people will say they feel like the adventure game genre is dead. I don't think it is, I think it's changed in some ways. I think we're still making adventure games but they're a little bit different than before with survival horror games and the like.""

    Lucas Arts really doesn't have a clue. All the people who made the Lucas Arts adventure games are still making adventure games in the same style: Vampyre Tale, Sam and Max... even Ron Gilbert is back with Penny Arcade and a new game of his own. There are a lot of adventure games being put out by small publishers. Adventure games (in their original form, not "survival horror) are only dead at the BIG publishers and they are definitely buried at Lucas Arts. If the suits at Lucas had any real appreciation of their gaming history, they'd still be making adventure games. But its the height of ignorance to imply that the traditional style adventure game is no more, when the very people who created those games are still making them, just not for Luca Arts.

  • the_dudefather #47 4 years ago

    fair enough the DS cart is too sm..

    (looks at Fate of atlantis and the monkey islands on DS cart, along with lemmings, quake, nes and gameboy roms)

    ..ll

  • friendlyuser #48 4 years ago

    Not only can it be done, it already has.........

    http://scummvm.drun kencoders.com

    I have played Day of the Tentacle and Sam n' Max (full talky versions) on my DS using the CD data files and compressed audio files.

    Buy yourself a DS download card and enjoy the games today (only if you legally own them of course) - No need to wait for Lucas Arts to release them.

  • DrugBert #49 4 years ago

    If they make a new Monkey Island title for Nintendo DS there is not going to be any problems shoving existing assets into a limited space because they can make the assets fit the space available. Also the images they would need would be so small that you can't really compare with a PC or Amiga version. I'd buy that.

    (mistype)
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 22:48

  • mikeossur #50 4 years ago

    I have been a long time gamer. I have all the old Lucas games and play them on my Linux box in DOS emulation.
    I have watched Lucas Arts go down the tubes. I stopped checking out their site when they canceled Full Throttle and Sam N Max. Actually, I went to their site recently and it would not render on my Firefox after waiting for the Flash to load. There is no Skip flash link that I could see. This tells me they have crap programmers or idiots making decisions.
    I am a computer hacker and work for a small company. From my own experience I see why these (Lucas Arts) companies start to fall apart. First, they hire people right out of college with no experience and put them in key decision making positions with big salaries.. These people are trained on Microsoft and corporate products only and don't have a clue how to hack on different OS systems. We had these types working for us too. I fired them and made our company multi-OS. Mac, Linux and Microsoft.

    Supporting Star Wars only and canceling everything else was a big error on their part They just alienated many a loyal buyer of their adventure games. Sure, we are a minority in the eyes of marketing but we are steady and we give free word of mouth. Again, people with no experience making decisions - as I see it.
    Marketing their old games on different platforms is a great idea.
    Edited by 2 at 06/06/08 @ 20:54

  • mikeossur #51 4 years ago

    OK...Let me make a list of their mistakes.

    1. Put all their eggs in one basket.
    2. Canceling all adventure games that are not star wars
    3. Loosing lots of good talent.
    4. Hiring bone heads to run the game department.
    5. Making games for MS platforms only.