[Jake]

Spotted this over on Mojo (yes, my own site ¬ lets just say I don't read it as religiously as I used to)... Anyway George Lucas gave the keynote speech at this year's Siggraph conference and started talking about games for a bit. What did he say?

Originally Posted by George

"I want to get to a point where you can talk to the game and it will talk back," the movie mogul said during an hour-long question-and-answer session.

According to Lucas, a system with artificial intelligence is the "ultimate goal" of those working in the gaming industry.

"I'm really pushing for advances in artificial intelligence and intelligent voice-recognition technology," he added in front of the crowd of thousands.

Lucas believes such technology would allow gamers to be the stars of games that are even more like movies than the current crop of video games: "I think that will change games from first-person shooter narratives to intelligent and challenging first-person shooter-type dramas."

You've got to wonder 1) if he'll actually fund this sort of development at LucasArts, 2) if he's played Facade.

Even though LucasArts has seemingly been run by the marketing and licensing divisions for about 15 out of its 20 years in existence, it was founded by Lucas as a sort of experimental game shop, and I've heard a couple times in the last year or so (post-Freelance Police, post-management turnover) that he wants to try and return it to that.

The thing is, I think he's always sort of wanted to return it to that, but doesn't actually give enough of a shit about it / give enough of his time to it for it to ever happen. I don't think he really cares, and just thinks these things might be a cool idea maybe somewhere.

I mean, as much as he can talk about this sort of thing, and despite LucasArts' history of blazing trails in immersive interactive storytelling and crazy things like that with their adventure lineup and things like Habitat, I don't think he'll ever do it.


I really miss the awesome 80's and 90's "benevolent special effects house, sound studio, and cutting edge video game studio funding" George Lucas, which starting in the late 90's was replaced with the "big spending, clinging to his own old successe, bad director" George Lucas He is decidedly less awesome.

[Udvarnoky]

I for one can't wait for first-person shooter dramas!

I've never really thought of George Lucas as a driving force for the company. I'm sure if he wants something, they listen, but it doesn't appear as though he really gets himself involved with anything.

[Jake]

Nope. It seems like he used to be a little bit, like, 20 years ago when he started the thing. But immediately after people were hired and it existed on its own it seems like he ditched it (probably for the best). Like I said though, I've heard that there are now a decent amount of requests coming down from "high up" in the company (as in, George) requesting more original development and less leaning on Star Wars.

Whether or not that will happen is another matter, because it's pretty obvious that for the past 8 years or so the company has been physically incapable of selling a game that didn't say Star Wars on the box, let alone making a good game regardless of whether or not it says Star Wars on the box. I think the past and present management of LEC enjoys the fact that they don't actually have to, you know, work, since things like Episode 3: The Game and Star Wars Battlefront sell themselves simply by sitting in a store, whether or not they're a good game or whether or not they were marketed well.

As you said, George is never really involved (which is probably a good thing), but what that means to me is that if he gets the crazy idea in his head that the games division is going to make interactive first person shooter dramas or whatever he's blabbering about (I wouldn't be too hard on him personally, as I liked the spirit of what he said despite his bumbling misuse of terms) but the current LEC management really doesn't want to bother, what is most likely is that the games division will just get dissolved and go away, resulting in Lucasfilm not making original games, and EA producing games with the Star Wars license by way of a big fat pricey exclusive rights license.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Jake

EA producing games with the Star Wars license by way of a big fat pricey exclusive rights license.

Then you just know that we'd never get a decent Star Wars game...

[VoodooFX]

Well I for one still respect the man and at his age (sixty something) being still very much involved in many of his company's divisions deserves admiration.

When I look at my dad, who's 10 years younger with the will and determination that of a 90-year old, I admire GL even more.

[Outasync]

I believe this to be good news for both Lucasarts and us. Lucas, has be quoted as saying many time that he believes that video games are the future of entertainment.

Some may recall that there was a Mandate at Lucasarts in the 80's and early 90's that they divide up their development. Where about 30-40% of games were based on existing IP (Star Wars, Indiana Jones) and the rest was to be original IP. They stuck to this until the late 90's. Then after several failures, mostly in the form of crappy SW games, things had to be tightened. However, since they cannot stop making SW games it was the original games that got the axe. Which lead to losing several key figures from the company. Which finally resulted in the bean counters taking over. Hence the flood of almost exclusively SW IP games from Lucasarts because that what brings in the cash.

There is one other thing I would like to point out. There is one other event that coincides almost exactally with the decline in Lucasarts. That event is the start of production on the prequel movies. For the last 8 years or so, every bit of Lucas's attention has be focused on completing those movies. With those now complete I'd be very surprised is Lucas is not sitting and looking at Lucasarts, shaking his head, and asking what the hell happened.

Lucasarts will never be shutdown or the licenses sold excusively to anyone. Even is they exist only and as the game IP management, as they pretty much are now, there would still be Lucasarts name on every SW game box.

George Lucas may not be a the greatest director or writer, but as for as I'm aware he always does what he sets out to do. I expect that Lucasarts will be cleaning house and aggressively adding development staff in the next year. Followed by announcement of several original in house titles at next years E3.

[Supa]

Originally Posted by RLacey

Then you just know that we'd never get a decent Star Wars game...

There are good SW games. X-Wing, Tie Fighter, Knights Of The Old Republic. At some point, Jedi Academy (I remember great MP games ).

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Supa

There are good SW games. X-Wing, Tie Fighter, Knights Of The Old Republic. At some point, Jedi Academy (I remember great MP games ).

I never said that there weren't. My comments were directed at Jake's (truthful) suggestion that Star Wars would become an EA franchise were LucasFilm ever to licence the video game rights for cash.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I think that when LEC began outsourcing their SW licensed games the quality went up. I thoroughly enjoyed, KOTOR, KOTOR II, and Jedi Knight II. I still need to get Jedi Academy (it's annoying that it's still too pricey even though it's old).

[Supa]

Originally Posted by RLacey

I never said that there weren't. My comments were directed at Jake's (truthful) suggestion that Star Wars would become an EA franchise were LucasFilm ever to licence the video game rights for cash.

My bad, I misread your message.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Supa

My bad, I misread your message.

No harm done .

[JHousequake]

You've got to wonder how much of it is lip service. Speilberg was spewing some schtick a while back like "Soon they'll create games that make you CRY!" as if the last twenty years of video games had no emotion. How is George Lucas going to 'push' for advances in technology? Shake his fist harder yellling "Work faster!"

[jp-30]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

I think that when LEC began outsourcing their SW licensed games the quality went up. I thoroughly enjoyed, KOTOR, KOTOR II, and Jedi Knight II. I still need to get Jedi Academy (it's annoying that it's still too pricey even though it's old).

Outsourcing is nothing new for LucasArts though. Totally Games was used to make the X-Wing series. Factor 5 made the Rogue Squadron series.

Originally Posted by Outasync

Some may recall that there was a Mandate at Lucasarts in the 80's and early 90's that they divide up their development. Where about 30-40% of games were based on existing IP (Star Wars, Indiana Jones) and the rest was to be original IP. They stuck to this until the late 90's

Actually, the first LucasArts Star Wars titles were in 1993 (X-Wing / Rebel Assault). Granted there were Indiana Jones games since Last Crusade in 1989 (see also the mojo link I provide at the bottom of this post)

Originally Posted by Jake

what is most likely is that the games division will just get dissolved and go away, resulting in Lucasfilm not making original games, and EA producing games with the Star Wars license by way of a big fat pricey exclusive rights license.

I really can't see that happening at all. However it is interesting to note that pre 1993, LucasArts were forbidden from using the Star Wars IP. The reasons behind that can be researched from this starting point on Mojo.

Originally Posted by That Mojo News Item

The second constraint was that although we had a fairly high level of creative freedom, we were absolutely forbidden from doing anything that made use of the company's film properties, especially Star Wars. That was viewed as just like spending money, since these properties were, in effect, money in the bank. If somebody else wanted to make a Star Wars game, they had to pay a hefty license fee, and so we made money no matter how well or how poorly their game did, whereas if we made such a game ourselves we would be taking all the risk if it bombed (and never mind that we'd also get 100% of the upside if the game was a hit).

[Scoville]

Originally Posted by jp-30

Actually, the first LucasArts Star Wars titles were in 1993 (X-Wing / Rebel Assault). Granted there were Indiana Jones games since Last Crusade in 1989 (see also the mojo link I provide at the bottom of this post)

No. LucasArts developed the Star Wars console games, the first of which (for NES) was released in '91, I believe.

[samIamsad]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

I think that when LEC began outsourcing their SW licensed games the quality went up.

X-Wing, Tie Fighter and the first Jedi Knight (for which they made one of the best expansion packs ever released) were awesome games, too. To an extent, even Dark Forces. Yeah, I know, you're too young to care and such.

[BerserkerTails]

Originally Posted by Scoville

No. LucasArts developed the Star Wars console games, the first of which (for NES) was released in '91, I believe.

Weren't the Star Wars console games by JVC? I thought they just had the Lucasarts logo on them because of the Star Wars IP.

[VoodooFX]

Originally Posted by jp-30

Outsourcing is nothing new for LucasArts though. Totally Games was used to make the X-Wing series. Factor 5 made the Rogue Squadron series.

Only Xwing vs. Tie Fighter and X-wing Alliance were done by Totally Games, if I remember correctly. First X-wing and Tie fighter were done while Holland was still at LEC.

Could be wrong though.

[jp-30]

Originally Posted by VoodooFX

Only Xwing vs. Tie Fighter and X-wing Alliance were done by Totally Games, if I remember correctly. First X-wing and Tie fighter were done while Holland was still at LEC.

Could be wrong though.

That sounds right. Still, my point stands that LucasArts comissioning out-of-house development isn't such a new concept.

Originally Posted by Scoville

No. LucasArts developed the Star Wars console games, the first of which (for NES) was released in '91, I believe.

No. Sculptured Software made the Super Star Wars series. LucasArts just clipped their ticket on the way through, as was their MO back then.