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LucasArts used to the THE software developers...
When George Lucas first started them up, there was a lot of bumpf and banter about the companies intention to concentrate on creating innovative and groudbreaking software, rather than profits...
Dont get me wrong, for a LONG time, this was true...
From the early eighties, with Eidolon, Labrynth (superb computer game of the Henson/David Bowie movie), With games like Zak McKraken and Day of the tenticle not only beating Siearra at its own game, but devivering hefty blows to the text adventure genre...
This went on for well over a decade, they were one of the few companies who released very few titles a year, but those they did always grabbed your attention.
Even by the early ninties, around the time 3D games and CD-ROMs were becomming commonplace, LucasArts quaility titles (Sam and Max, Monkey Island) was still unknockable, and they were granted persmision to develop Star Wars titles...
And given that it was LucasArts I think everyone was rather excited. Fortunatly, they develivered, X-Wing, Tie-Fighter, etc... were all increadable, involving titles, which provided the kind of fun where you forget your playing a computer game and start playing the adventure...
Things were cool, LucasArts were producing top titles, and all was well with the world...
It was after that that things began to go a little wierd... It seems, they started off producing more and more Star War based titles, a couple of which were cool, most of which were okay, with one or two duds...
I remeber reading magazine reveiws of their duds were the reviewer compained that it was less that the game was bad, more that LucasArts had set standards of expectation...
However, this continued... with fewer and fewer 'original' (non-Star Wars releases) and more and more profit orienteated and lower quality titles, hitting an all time low around the time of the Phantom Menance release in the cenimas...
More recently they have even begun licencing out the Star Wars name for other companies produce games, which ironically has lead to the production of the best Star Wars titles in years (Jedi Knight 2, Galactic BattleGrounds)
Now this isnt to say that all LucasArts games are naff. Just that a lot are... And although it seems a shame that they did become so gready for readily avalible funds through Star Wars name its more of a shame for me that they lost their way with their own titles , their own passion for games, and thier own company identitfy. Preferring, it seems, to be less a software developer, more the Star Wars developer and distributer...
They still create the odd classic (Grim Fandango) but these seem few and far between. They stopped developing the Graphic Adventure genre, who as standard bearers ment that genre in many ways, lost its way. They even stopped producing the fighter sim (X-Wing, Tie-Fighter) the last being (I think) X-Wing Allience in 1999.
Just seems a bit of a shame?
When George Lucas first started them up, there was a lot of bumpf and banter about the companies intention to concentrate on creating innovative and groudbreaking software, rather than profits...
Dont get me wrong, for a LONG time, this was true...
From the early eighties, with Eidolon, Labrynth (superb computer game of the Henson/David Bowie movie), With games like Zak McKraken and Day of the tenticle not only beating Siearra at its own game, but devivering hefty blows to the text adventure genre...
This went on for well over a decade, they were one of the few companies who released very few titles a year, but those they did always grabbed your attention.
Even by the early ninties, around the time 3D games and CD-ROMs were becomming commonplace, LucasArts quaility titles (Sam and Max, Monkey Island) was still unknockable, and they were granted persmision to develop Star Wars titles...
And given that it was LucasArts I think everyone was rather excited. Fortunatly, they develivered, X-Wing, Tie-Fighter, etc... were all increadable, involving titles, which provided the kind of fun where you forget your playing a computer game and start playing the adventure...
Things were cool, LucasArts were producing top titles, and all was well with the world...
It was after that that things began to go a little wierd... It seems, they started off producing more and more Star War based titles, a couple of which were cool, most of which were okay, with one or two duds...
I remeber reading magazine reveiws of their duds were the reviewer compained that it was less that the game was bad, more that LucasArts had set standards of expectation...
However, this continued... with fewer and fewer 'original' (non-Star Wars releases) and more and more profit orienteated and lower quality titles, hitting an all time low around the time of the Phantom Menance release in the cenimas...
More recently they have even begun licencing out the Star Wars name for other companies produce games, which ironically has lead to the production of the best Star Wars titles in years (Jedi Knight 2, Galactic BattleGrounds)
Now this isnt to say that all LucasArts games are naff. Just that a lot are... And although it seems a shame that they did become so gready for readily avalible funds through Star Wars name its more of a shame for me that they lost their way with their own titles , their own passion for games, and thier own company identitfy. Preferring, it seems, to be less a software developer, more the Star Wars developer and distributer...
They still create the odd classic (Grim Fandango) but these seem few and far between. They stopped developing the Graphic Adventure genre, who as standard bearers ment that genre in many ways, lost its way. They even stopped producing the fighter sim (X-Wing, Tie-Fighter) the last being (I think) X-Wing Allience in 1999.
Just seems a bit of a shame?
cipro wrote:
> I also heard a rumour that Lucasarts are going
> to remake hit titles like these, But I fear that they won't be as good
> as the origanal games. It would be great if they pulled it off though.
I've heard this rumor too...
Although I think someone from LucasArts may have just said they had'nt dismissed the idea?
The one I'd heard was that they were intending to make a Sam and Max sequel... although, given their current penchent for developing toward the console, I'm a little worried it may get overly sanitised?
> I also heard a rumour that Lucasarts are going
> to remake hit titles like these, But I fear that they won't be as good
> as the origanal games. It would be great if they pulled it off though.
I've heard this rumor too...
Although I think someone from LucasArts may have just said they had'nt dismissed the idea?
The one I'd heard was that they were intending to make a Sam and Max sequel... although, given their current penchent for developing toward the console, I'm a little worried it may get overly sanitised?
I remember the good old days when lucasarts made awsome adventure games like Sam and Max hit the road and Full Throttle. These where and still are great games. I also heard a rumour that Lucasarts are going to remake hit titles like these, But I fear that they won't be as good as the origanal games. It would be great if they pulled it off though.
Tiltawhirl wrote:
> I just pray that some day they will get the bright idea of
> doing a sequel for their Western 1st Person shooter 'Outlaws' god I
> loved that game unfortunately because graphics where moving on it
> didn't do as well as it could of.
See, theres a game I'm sure must have a strong cult following. I dont remeber it making much of an impact when it was released (maybeit was more popular elsewhere?) but it seemed to have stick around for years after its release?
> I just pray that some day they will get the bright idea of
> doing a sequel for their Western 1st Person shooter 'Outlaws' god I
> loved that game unfortunately because graphics where moving on it
> didn't do as well as it could of.
See, theres a game I'm sure must have a strong cult following. I dont remeber it making much of an impact when it was released (maybeit was more popular elsewhere?) but it seemed to have stick around for years after its release?
I thought Outlaws was great too. I do hope lucasarts give it a chance with a sequel, I think an update will be great.
I remember the days when Lucas Arts where the number one games developers that I used to look out for, games like Monkey Island and Dark OFrces where some of the best of their time. God knows what went wrong, I just pray that some day they will get the bright idea of doing a sequel for their Western 1st Person shooter 'Outlaws' god I loved that game unfortunately because graphics where moving on it didn't do as well as it could of.
They were great, Zak McKraken used to be my favourite game on the amiga, funny to play and also a lot of fun. Was great for its time.
I do hope we see more great game from them as they definately have a talent for it. I must say this has made me think what did go wrong for them.
I do hope we see more great game from them as they definately have a talent for it. I must say this has made me think what did go wrong for them.
I was going to do a post about the roller-coaster ride of Star Wars games soon.
LucasArts used to the THE software developers...
When George Lucas first started them up, there was a lot of bumpf and banter about the companies intention to concentrate on creating innovative and groudbreaking software, rather than profits...
Dont get me wrong, for a LONG time, this was true...
From the early eighties, with Eidolon, Labrynth (superb computer game of the Henson/David Bowie movie), With games like Zak McKraken and Day of the tenticle not only beating Siearra at its own game, but devivering hefty blows to the text adventure genre...
This went on for well over a decade, they were one of the few companies who released very few titles a year, but those they did always grabbed your attention.
Even by the early ninties, around the time 3D games and CD-ROMs were becomming commonplace, LucasArts quaility titles (Sam and Max, Monkey Island) was still unknockable, and they were granted persmision to develop Star Wars titles...
And given that it was LucasArts I think everyone was rather excited. Fortunatly, they develivered, X-Wing, Tie-Fighter, etc... were all increadable, involving titles, which provided the kind of fun where you forget your playing a computer game and start playing the adventure...
Things were cool, LucasArts were producing top titles, and all was well with the world...
It was after that that things began to go a little wierd... It seems, they started off producing more and more Star War based titles, a couple of which were cool, most of which were okay, with one or two duds...
I remeber reading magazine reveiws of their duds were the reviewer compained that it was less that the game was bad, more that LucasArts had set standards of expectation...
However, this continued... with fewer and fewer 'original' (non-Star Wars releases) and more and more profit orienteated and lower quality titles, hitting an all time low around the time of the Phantom Menance release in the cenimas...
More recently they have even begun licencing out the Star Wars name for other companies produce games, which ironically has lead to the production of the best Star Wars titles in years (Jedi Knight 2, Galactic BattleGrounds)
Now this isnt to say that all LucasArts games are naff. Just that a lot are... And although it seems a shame that they did become so gready for readily avalible funds through Star Wars name its more of a shame for me that they lost their way with their own titles , their own passion for games, and thier own company identitfy. Preferring, it seems, to be less a software developer, more the Star Wars developer and distributer...
They still create the odd classic (Grim Fandango) but these seem few and far between. They stopped developing the Graphic Adventure genre, who as standard bearers ment that genre in many ways, lost its way. They even stopped producing the fighter sim (X-Wing, Tie-Fighter) the last being (I think) X-Wing Allience in 1999.
Just seems a bit of a shame?
When George Lucas first started them up, there was a lot of bumpf and banter about the companies intention to concentrate on creating innovative and groudbreaking software, rather than profits...
Dont get me wrong, for a LONG time, this was true...
From the early eighties, with Eidolon, Labrynth (superb computer game of the Henson/David Bowie movie), With games like Zak McKraken and Day of the tenticle not only beating Siearra at its own game, but devivering hefty blows to the text adventure genre...
This went on for well over a decade, they were one of the few companies who released very few titles a year, but those they did always grabbed your attention.
Even by the early ninties, around the time 3D games and CD-ROMs were becomming commonplace, LucasArts quaility titles (Sam and Max, Monkey Island) was still unknockable, and they were granted persmision to develop Star Wars titles...
And given that it was LucasArts I think everyone was rather excited. Fortunatly, they develivered, X-Wing, Tie-Fighter, etc... were all increadable, involving titles, which provided the kind of fun where you forget your playing a computer game and start playing the adventure...
Things were cool, LucasArts were producing top titles, and all was well with the world...
It was after that that things began to go a little wierd... It seems, they started off producing more and more Star War based titles, a couple of which were cool, most of which were okay, with one or two duds...
I remeber reading magazine reveiws of their duds were the reviewer compained that it was less that the game was bad, more that LucasArts had set standards of expectation...
However, this continued... with fewer and fewer 'original' (non-Star Wars releases) and more and more profit orienteated and lower quality titles, hitting an all time low around the time of the Phantom Menance release in the cenimas...
More recently they have even begun licencing out the Star Wars name for other companies produce games, which ironically has lead to the production of the best Star Wars titles in years (Jedi Knight 2, Galactic BattleGrounds)
Now this isnt to say that all LucasArts games are naff. Just that a lot are... And although it seems a shame that they did become so gready for readily avalible funds through Star Wars name its more of a shame for me that they lost their way with their own titles , their own passion for games, and thier own company identitfy. Preferring, it seems, to be less a software developer, more the Star Wars developer and distributer...
They still create the odd classic (Grim Fandango) but these seem few and far between. They stopped developing the Graphic Adventure genre, who as standard bearers ment that genre in many ways, lost its way. They even stopped producing the fighter sim (X-Wing, Tie-Fighter) the last being (I think) X-Wing Allience in 1999.
Just seems a bit of a shame?