Unlike the ending of Clone Wars, reports of a possible LucasArts shutdown in the works are anything but surprising. While Kotaku’s report on the future of 1313 was mostly based on sources, the absence of the game – perhaps LucasArt’s hottest upcoming property – from any recent industry events is rather telling.
This week, another report from GamesIndustry International has been making the rounds. LucasArts told them that the speculation of a shutdown is “one hundred percent not true” and that “everything is moving ahead.”
Ex-employees are less optimistic, echoing much of what you’ll hear from gamers themselves these days:
The studio’s performance in recent years has not impressed former LucasArts employees. One ex-LucasArts employee had this to say: “The ‘business’ has been on life-support since the Star Wars license and subsequent development for their best title went to Bioware/EA. I’m frankly amazed that they’ve stayed in business this long. No stomach for truly original product, and slender means to produce their previous cash cows – Indy and Star Wars.”
Given Disney’s history with their gaming divisions, along with some other hints, you can’t blame anyone for worrying about the future of LucasArts these days.
On the one hand, I’d be seriously shocked if they closed LucasArts. On the other hand, it would make sense. It’s been a long time since LucasArts made anything that was truly impressive or noteworthy, and while every gamer must – at some point – have hoped for LucasArts to get back on track, the last truly impressive LA game I remember was the first Jedi Knight. The Battlefronts were nice, the first Force Unleashed not too bad but Jedi Knight was the last game I played because it was a great game, not because it had Star Wars printed all over it.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Lucasarts gets shuttered. That studio has been an absolute mess since at least 2008, if not longer. Countless changes at CEO, poorly received games, numerous cancelled titles, extreme aversion to innovation. They’re becoming the next 3D Realms in terms of vaporware.
This one really has nothing to do with Disney buying Lucasfilm. If Lucasarts closes shop, it’s almost entirely their own doing.
I wouldn’t worry about E(vil)A’s BioWare keeping the SW license for long…not after the $300M losses of TOR.