Shacknews reports that LucasArts will be re-releasing their classic Jedi Knight/Dark Forces series on Steam and Direct2Drive on Wednesday. The release will include all of the games in the series, even the expansion pack Mysteries of the Sith. This follows from their recent re-release of Knights of the Old Republic on Steam, as well as the re-vamped Monkey Island franchise.

Direct2Drive are also having a celebration of 5 years of not-bad service by having a pretty good sale. Everything is $5/£5 in the sale, which includes Bioshock and Saints Row 2 at the time of writing. The games will change soon though, so keep checking back for the best deal.

In an age where social networking and word economy reign supreme, it’s hard to find a rumor that didn’t originate or spread through Twitter. Geoff Keighley, host of Spike’s GameTrailers TV, knows this, and recently took to his Twitter to stir the rumor mill regarding a brand new LucasArts IP to be announced on GTTV this weekend.

“LucasArts will announce a brand-new original game on this week’s GTTV – with first footage. More details soon.” tweets Keighley. Keighley, you’re such a tease! Come on, give us more than that. A name, a genre, a platform- I’ll even accept a 32 x 18 screenshot! But until Thursday, when GTTV airs (at 12:30AM) I’ll just pray that you were lying about it being original. I just want a new Grim Fandango, LucasArts.

Destructoid have posted a set of comparison shots between the upcoming Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and the original game. The best part about the update is that whichever set you prefer, at the touch of a button in-game, you can switch between them. Personally, I’m leaning more toward the old style: I prefer the art style, and the tinge of nostalgia is probably helping too.

The art style is less important, however, than the new voice acting. It had better not be bad, as that game is awash with brilliantly written dialogue- there’s every chance it has been pissed all over by voice acting. That remains to be seen (well, heard), I suppose. I’ve lined up the comparison shots after the jump.

In one of the most exciting rumours in a long time, Destructoid has received info that LucasArts will possibly be reviving an old franchise, and note Grim Fandango and The Secret of Monkey Island as possible candidates. In case you didn’t know, I’m a big fan of both. Perhaps it’s a little sad that I’m so optimistic about games being announced that I’ve already played, but I don’t care. I love them both, even with my cold, dry heart.

LucasArts has just released their second video documentary for the anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic, a sure to be intense Star Wars MMO experience developed by Bioware Austin.

This video documentary sheds some light about the story and how players will be able to interact with it. Nothing too ground shattering was revealed but besides Jedi and Sith, the video confirms that Bounty Hunter would be a playable class in the up coming title. The video also shows off some never before seen footage and concept art, which is absolutely stunning.

Please do not take my word for it, head over to the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website for a glimpse of it yourself.

While the Knights of the Old Republic series has not been the highest selling brand for LucasArts the same way that the Battlefront series has, the KOTOR games remain unique in their own way. For the first time ever, 4000 years before the events that set place in the movies, players found themselves introduced to a more dreamy time in the Star Wars space. A time when Jedi and Sith alike were in abundance and great disgust strewn between the two, a time where political affairs stood out on the forefront all while large corporations and mercenary groups extended their hand for a piece of the galaxy.

With gripping and immersive storytelling, proficient voice-acting, stunning visuals, and not to mention an incredible musical score, both KOTOR games have found themselves a permanent home in RPG and Star Wars fans alike. The only thing missing is the final piece to make it a complete trilogy. That final piece will come in the form of a MMO titled Star Wars: The Old Republic.

It is unclear whether LucasArts or Bioware initially decided to go forward with this project but unsurprisingly the two came together and is looking forward to succeeding again in the industry with The Old Republic. LucasArts will get a second undertake at a MMO after Galaxies and Bioware will take their first attempt. This has been a tough pill to swallow for KOTOR cohorts.

Support has been strong, however, but there remains a large collection of fans who have remained bitter by the MMO concept over the single player experience. It is understandable as I felt similar emotions initially after the announcement, but after elongated forethought and much optimism, I have created three points of focus as to why gamers should feel comfortable and have full faith that Star Wars: The Old Republic, while not KOTOR 3, will become an experience they’ve always wanted plus more.

Korriban, a location essential to both KOTOR titles makes yet another appearance in TOR

The first focus point is that of story. What better success has Bioware had in their previous games than the story? Many people will have their own opinions but personally, the story structures in all of Bioware’s preceding titles is the true testament of their success and with TOR, expect it to be nothing different.

“This game has more story content than every single other Bioware game put together…” -James Ohlen, Creative Director at Bioware

Bioware and LucasArts have remained steady on their efforts to press on the fact that this will be a MMO experience driven by story based in the region of the player’s class and faction. In the time spent in the TOR community, one of the primary concerns is how a MMO set 300 years later, would relate to the previous two KOTOR titles, which were strictly single player adventures. The exploits and fate of Revan and the Exile is the key concern for many of the players who will ultimately participate in TOR.

The players should realize that characteristics from the two KOTOR games such as key events, locations, and characters would be entertained. Nothing that had any type of relevance is going be deserted. This alone should give reassurance to fans of the series that while being a MMO, The Old Republic will cover all content that would have been covered if this were to be a pure single player experience as anticipated.

So the fate of Revan and the Exile will be discovered as well as the surfacing of key events and locations from the past two games will play a central role and TOR would have done it’s part in connecting the games. The desire that has been there since after the release of KOTOR 2 will finally receive the proper consideration.

Simultaneously, the player will embark on a journey which will lead the story further into a new adventure as the Republic and Empire fall into all out conflict after the return of the True Sith Empire. Ultimately, the player would not even give too much attention to the fact that TOR is a MMO because Bioware will have created an experience with the fourth pillar, story, in which it just immerses everyone into a journey of revelation, mystery, and triumph.

“The MMO industry in general has been trying to solve story in their games for a long time. With TOR, what we’re doing is putting story at the forefront of your experience, where everyone of your decisions is impactful to your end goal and character progression.” -Jake Neri, LucasArts Producer

The perspective of story is something else that players should mull over with The Old Republic. Unlike the first two KOTOR games where you had to take control of a Jedi, in TOR the range of classes would be much broader. Not only that, but the story would reflect upon each player’s class and faction.

Bioware is allowing players to experience the final pieces of the KOTOR story through the perspective of many other classes besides just a Jedi. So if you were one of those players who always wanted to experience the KOTOR games as a bounty hunter for the Sith but could not because you were forced into being a Republic Jedi? Need not to worry because that freedom is now granted with TOR, the restrictions have been lifted.

The story will lead players into new locations

Two aspects regarding story that really stand out are the addition of choice and companion characters. Just like in both KOTOR titles, TOR will have great emphasis on the choices your character makes. Furthermore, like both KOTOR titles, companions will accompany the player.

“Part of the story thing that is very important from our perspective is adding choice. Typically online games do not have a lot of choice, you do what is in front of you. But this game, you get to chose to do things.” -Dr. Greg Zeschuk, CoFounder and VP Development Operations, Bioware and VP, EA

“There are a lot of things that the companion characters have, their own stories and their own interest to pursue. Depending on what side of the force you sit on, you can help them and support them or manipulate them.” -Dr. Greg Zeschuk

This only goes to show just how similar The Old Republic will be to the two previous titles, in spite of the fact that it is a MMO. Players would be able to walk into the TOR atmosphere and contain a feeling of familiarity.

It is tolerable if a gamer remains on the fence about this title being a MMO and not being able to deliver a strong story. Bear in mind, however, that this is Bioware, a company which makes a living by delivering some of the best stories told in videogames no matter what the platform or genre they are. Do not be hampered by the verity that it is a MMO because what lies ahead is possibly one of the best Star Wars stories ever told in a videogame. Give the vote of confidence to Bioware and LucasArts and watch them perform something miraculous with The Old Republic.

Next, I will break down how an online community will facilitate into an overall great experience then I will highlight how TOR’s longevity will satisfy gamers years after the release through updates and expansion packs. Until then, may the force be with you….

Star Wars is back! But is it though? Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a mishmash of sub-par combat, mediocre platforming, exceptional storytelling and sound, and a whole lot of Wookie ass-kickery. Are the high points enough to save the game, or will its drawbacks “force” you to pass this one by?

Remember that Wookie ass-kicking I just mentioned? Well, it only happens in the beginning of the game, though it’s still worth mentioning due to the fact that The Force Unleashed starts out so strong.  Unfortunately, it begins to wane in later levels.

The game begins with the player as Darth Vader (exciting, right?!) and provides the ability to use all of the force powers one would expect of Darth Vader. However, even in this first level, the game’s overall lack of polish in the level design department begins to show. After only a few minutes of play, I managed to get Vader stuck in some nasty trees.

WOOOOOOKIEEEESSSS!!!!

Here I am, the galaxy’s most feared and powerful Sith Lord, but these blasted trees had me by the dangly parts and wouldn’t let go.

After the first level, the main meat of the game begins to take shape. Story wise, The Force Unleashed takes place in between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the first real Stars Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope.

Players wield the lightsaber of the apprentice, Starkiller, after being adopted and trained in secret by Vader himself. Wearing the cloak of Starkiller, players move from planet to planet, killing off any remaining Jedi while gaining new force abilities and combos along the way.

The story, dialog, sound design, and character motion capture are the standout gems of The Force Unleashed. Luckily, LucasArts paid a lot of attention to these aspects of the game, otherwise The Force Unleashed would not have done enough to hold my attention. Honestly, this is the best story Star Wars has seen since 1983, and for that I am grateful.

See that stuff floating behind me? Yeah, I’m gonna throw ALL of it.

Starkiller is a conflicted character with a surprisingly dark demeanor, but he has just enough soul in him to be regretful of his actions. And before it’s asked: no, the player doesn’t get to kill younglings, even if the word “youngling” is the dumbest thing ever conceived.

The combat system is fine as the game begins, but I soon learned that the depth was not there when compared to other games in the action genre like God of War or Ninja Gaiden. I found myself relying on the basic four-hit combo to defeat the enemies because it seemed just as powerful as some of the flashier combos available. The air juggling had its moments, but I still found myself rarely relying on them to get the job done.

Alongside the lightsaber combat, the game provides the player with an assortment of cool force powers to exploit – I mean, the game is called The Force Unleashed, after all. Each level is designed to give players the maximum amount of resources to use against the enemies, from ripable pipes to an ass-load of boxes and crates.

So what does the player do with all these items littered around the levels? Well, one could throw them with force grab, hit them with force push to… throw them, or electrocute them with lightning so that they will be more effective when the player… uh… throws them.

I found myself tossing all the boxes and such in the direction of the enemies as soon as I entered a room. That gave me enough time to overuse my force lighting on the stunned enemies, though once I beefed up my lightning to its apex, it became the “win” button.

The “Win” Button in action

Having the ability to electrocute everything in my vicinity was an acceptable option because a few of the levels in Force Unleashed were so poorly designed that I couldn’t see half the enemies attacking me. This design flaw also plagues Ninja Gaiden, and it made me long for God of War’s automatic camera. In this day and age of gaming, having to babysit a camera should not cross the gamer’s mind while playing.

The camera also played a horrible role while traversing some of the platforming sections of the game. In an action game, the platforming should be second nature, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how many times I fell into a bottomless pit only to have to sit through the lackluster loading times just to try again.

Work on your boss battles, LucasArts. That’s all I’ll say about that.

Overall, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a decent enough experience, but it’s plagued by a few last generation gaming pitfalls. If you are a Star Wars fan, though, the game may be well worth it for the story alone — just don’t pull your hair out during the more frustrating parts.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has become the fastest-selling Star Wars game, moving 1.5 million copies in less than a week. Not only that, but it has also become the fastest-selling game ever released by LucasArts and is on track to become the best-selling Star Wars game of all time. Full press release follows.

Star Wars®: The Force Unleashed™ Sells 1.5 Million Units Worldwide in Under One Week

Becomes Fastest-Selling Star Wars® Game of All Time

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 23, 2008 – After less than one week on store shelves worldwide, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is on track to become the best-selling Star Wars game of all time. LucasArts today announced that more than 1.5 million customers worldwide have purchased Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, making it both the fastest-selling Star Wars game and LucasArts game ever.

Released on Sept. 16 in North America, Sept. 17 in Australia and Southeast Asia, and Sept.19 in Europe, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has demolished LucasArts sales records around the globe in record time.

Sales figures are based on the first five days of sales across all platforms worldwide.

Although LucasArts shipped more than 4.3 million units of The Force Unleashed around the world in preparation for the game’s launch, unprecedented demand has led to the manufacture and distribution of additional copies.

“The record-setting sales of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed shows the undiminished power of Star Wars and its popularity across all media types, including video games,” said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. “We’re blown away by the response to the game.”

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force and casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice,” unveiling new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy seen through the eyes of this mysterious new character, who is armed with unprecedented powers.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the first next-generation game developed internally at LucasArts, and is available on the Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

LucasArts and developer Krome Studios have created an equally enthralling version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and n-Space, Inc., developed a version for Nintendo DS™. All feature the same storyline, with opportunities to unleash the Force in devastating new ways.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is more than a video game phenomenon. The novelization of the game’s story published by Del Rey was No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list the week it launched and toys and games from Hasbro, LEGO, and Wizards of the Coast based on the property are top sellers at retailers. This unprecedented promotional effort by LucasArts and Lucas Licensing also includes a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Prima Games, and Palace Press.

More information about the game can be found at the official website, www.theforceunleashed.com.

Of all the new fighting games being released this year, SoulCalibur IV represents, like, half of them. Considering it doesn’t have much competition, SoulCalibur really didn’t need to try very hard to pillage the average fighting game fan’s cash. Instead of just phoning it in like some series do (*cough, Madden, *cough), Namco Bandai Games has hand-delivered a game that makes Street Fighter 3 Turbo Alpha Pro Edition look like Street Fighter 2 Championship Hyper Tournament Edition.

I personally have been of the belief that the time of the fighting game has come and gone. At some point, there was nothing but fighting games, and all I did was sit around at home and bitch with my brother that there were too many fighters and not enough RPG’s. Then the first-person shooter craze took off, and we sat around playing Mortal Kombat II on the SNES complaining that there were too many shooters… and still not enough RPG’s.

Fast-forward ten years and we have an abundance of RPG’s, and shooters managed to survive somehow (damn shooters!), but the fighting genre has all but died. So now with the release of SoulCalibur IV, we have a rarity amongst rarities — a fighting game that is so kick-ass that I, not being a big fan of fighting games, find myself surprisingly entertained.

Some of you die-hards might read that and think that if a non-fan of fighters likes a fighter, that fighter must not be made for the hardcore fighter fans — and you would be wrong. SoulCalibur IV’s combat system is so deep it needs a lifeguard.

At first I thought that perhaps the geek in me is giving this game automatic cool points just for having Star Wars characters in it… but then I remembered how stupid I thought it was that there are Star Wars characters in it. Don’t get me wrong, Yoda is a dyslexic doofus but a pretty fun character to play, and the Apprentice is fairly awesome as well. Vader, however, seems too “animated” for me, not the lumbering super-force he’s supposed to be.

While having these Star Wars dudes in SoulCalibur is kinda dumb, it does give me the distinct impression that a full-on Star Wars fighter in the vein of SoulCalibur could Force Push some ass. Perhaps a LucasArts/Namco Bandai collaboration is already in the works, and this was just a testing ground? Excited by the possibilities I have become.

So while the Star Wars characters are an on-the-fence feature, SoulCalibur IV has plenty of awesomeness to make up for it. The game presents multiple game modes: Story mode gives you a little narrative about your chosen character’s journey and how it relates to the swords Soul Calibur and Soul Edge; Arcade mode is essentially, as you’d imagine, just like playing in the arcade, where you plow through a series of combatants to beat the game with the best score; and the Tower of Lost Souls is basically a survival mode, where you ascend or descend the tower for unique rewards.

All of these modes can also be played with a customized character. Customization is both visual and statistical — the pieces of armor, accessories, and weapon all affect the attack, defense, and hit points of your character. They also may offer points in the different areas of special skill, like Impact, Power, Gauge, etc.

These skill points can be spent on the skills themselves, which can do anything from absorbing HP to increasing the chance you will automatically counter a grapple attempt. It’s quite the balancing act to get your character to not only look cool, but to also have the points available to buy all of the skills you want.

The special skills and stat bonuses don’t apply in Arcade mode, however, because Arcade mode is essentially the pristine ranked version of SoulCalibur IV. If you are planning on competing in Arcade mode, you might as well make an alternate version of your character that focuses mainly on looking like a total douche, just because it’s fun.

See how stupid you can make them look? Oh, wait…

One of the most impressive things I experienced with my created character was the ending cinematic in Story mode. When it first started, I thought to myself “That can’t possibly be in-engine graphics” but it obviously was because there’s no way they could have predicted what my character looked like to make a pre-rendered movie. It was amazing, and it really motivated me to want to unlock more customization parts so that my character in the scene would look that much cooler.

Character customization can be used not only to create your very own combatant, but you can also customize the already-included fighters, with some exceptions. For example, you can put all of Nightmare’s armor pieces on Astaroth and then give him a nice pair of bifocals to complete the outfit. You can’t, however, customize any of the bonus characters, which includes most of the unlockables as well as the Star Wars characters.

I tried to make a custom character right off the bat but found that I had very little options. At first I was pissed and thought the creation tools sucked. I played through the Story mode once, and then went back to the character creator to find that I now had more parts. The moral of the story is that you should play the game first before you start trying to change it.

After managing to make it through the Story mode that first time, I realized that I had very little idea what I was doing. I loaded up Training and looked through the moves list. One of the things I noticed that wasn’t really explained anywhere and didn’t show up in the moves list is that your fighter attacks differently depending on how he/she is standing. My fighter would stand differently after certain attacks, which would cause some future attacks to also be different until I found myself back in my default stance.

Adding to that complexity is the Soul Gauge (Force Gauge for Star Wars characters), which depletes as you block attacks (or use Force powers) and gradually refills over time and as you land successful attacks. If your Soul Gauge is depleted, it flashes red and makes you susceptible to a Soul Crush, which essentially puts you in a Mortal Kombat-style “Finish Him!” sort of defenselessness.

Once you are Soul Crushed, your opponent can destroy you in one ultra-powerful move called a Critical Finish. The Star Wars characters, apparently having no soul, cannot be Soul Crushed and instead become dizzy and uncontrollable if their Force Gauge is depleted.

Critical Finishers are pretty impressive.

One might think that this immunity to being Soul Crushed makes the Star Wars characters kinda cheap fighters, but you’d be wrong. The only way to get Soul Crushed is by blocking a lot, and blocking is for pussies. So basically, don’t be a pussy and you will actually have an advantage over them.

Another advanced technique is the Guard Impact, which stops the attack completely instead of just blocking it. This move is something that a non-blocking non-pussy like myself would never use, and that’s a big reason why I will never enter a SoulCalibur IV tournament. Blocking, dodging, and Guard Impacting are all above the relative button-mashing and special-spamming that I find to be all that I am capable of.

If you do find yourself being a big pussy and deciding to block all the time, Guard Impact is definitely a better option. Not only does it give you an advantage, but it also prevents your soul from getting crushed and your armor from breaking. When your armor breaks, you take more damage if attacked in that area, and you also take shame-over-time damage from having your underoos exposed.

This is a situation where some people might cry “pervert” in addition to the game supposedly being so focused on top-heavy chicks. To be honest, I really didn’t notice the boobage too much while playing since the action is so furious, and if anyone cared enough to look at these girls in the near-nude, they could just take all of their clothes off in the character creation menu and even change what style they were wearing.

Ironically, my unintelligent non-pussy fighting style has won me more games than it has lost. Taking the game online via Xbox Live, I found the battles to be virtually lag-free. Knowing what I know about Xbox Live and myself, however, I kept the headset off just in case I found myself calling some kid a pussy because he repeatedly used that cursed Guard Impact on me.

SoulCalibur IV also features local multiplayer, but there was one thing I didn’t like about it. SoulCalibur IV only loads one save file, so even if a friend brings his memory card with his custom character on it, there is no way we can make him fight against my custom character. This is something that should be a relatively easy thing to accomplish, and it baffles me that we’re unable to do it.

One final thing I want to mention is that SoulCalibur IV has a fairly complex (if a bit convoluted) storyline that stretches back through all of the previous games. It’s surprising the amount of lore involved, and it goes above and beyond the story of pretty much every other fighting game, with the closest competition being Mortal Kombat.

SoulCalibur IV’s Museum menu lets you look at the “Chain of Souls” which shows how all of the characters are connected to each other, and it also lets you view unlocked cinematics, artwork, and your fight statistics.

Overall, SoulCalibur IV is a highly polished fighting game that has surprising depth while still remaining accessible to non-fighters like myself. The lag-free online versus battles give the game the longevity it needs to make it worth the price of games these days, and the character customization keeps the single-player modes relevant and worth revisiting just to unlock more parts.

The only thing really missing is the Weapon Master mode from SoulCalibur 2, but it could arguably be stated that the Tower of Lost Souls and Story mode feature most of what Weapon Master mode used to be. Regardless, SoulCalibur IV stands as one of the best fighting games I’ve ever played, and will likely be the best brawler on a console until Street Fighter IV attempts to dethrone it… which it might not be able to do.

CEO of Electronic Arts John Riccitiello confirmed at E3 that BioWare, in collaboration with LucasArts, is in fact working on the next Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game. Will it be an MMO like has often been rumored? Riccitiello replies simply, “Yes.”

Riccitiello did little to expand on the news other than to say that EA has “two of the most compelling MMOs in the industry in development.” One of those is the previously announced Warhammer MMO (Age of Reckoning), and the other one is now confirmed as the KotOR MMO, which is tentatively titled “The Old Republic”.

Riccitiello went on to talk about PC versus console and handheld systems, stating that he thinks the PC market will increase in large part due to MMOs. So, does this mean the KotOR MMO isn’t coming to consoles? Riccitiello won’t say.

EA plans on using MMOs as an icebreaker in foreign territories, suggesting that China is next on their list of countries to piss off with their douchebaggery. “We’re launching some mid-session games on a micro-transaction model,” Riccitiello says. Hear that, China? You will be nickel and dimed to death, except those nickels and dimes will cost you $5 each (that’s 34 Yuan Renminbi!). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Source: Portfolio.com

Not sure I completely understand the marketing angle being taken by LucasArts, but who am I to judge their uberness. This is the second trailer to reveal a few of the games plot twists — the first being right here.

The primary difference between the first video and this video, is that the first simply discusses a few of the games details, while this video is a 2 minute montage of actual in-game moments that should not be watched by anyone uninterested in seeing how the story possibly unfolds.

I say “possibly” because, as our own Jonathan Zungre reported to you from GDC via Ripten TV several months ago, LucasArts has mentioned that you will have the ability to make choices within the game that deccide the path you travel. He added that while you start the game off on the Dark Side — that may not neccissarily be where you end up.

So to recap, the trailer looks really nice, but you definity should not watch it unless you really like spoilers.

Source: EW

Earlier this month, details of LucasArts’ staff reductions began to surface around the web. One ex-employee has spoken up and said that key members of the team working on The Force Unleashed have been included in the cut.

With production of LucasArts’ biggest game of the moment, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, coming to an end in time for its September release, it was an all to tempting target for staff cuts during the company-wide downsizing.

Talking to Joystiq, one of the staff who lost their job has said that it’s not just the lower ranks facing losses. Joysiq have said that this individual is “one of several long-time members of the LucasArts talent pool let go” adding that many of those who lost their jobs are the same people who worked on titles such as X-Wing and Full Throttle.

They have also gone on to speculate that if a sequel to The Force Unleashed is wanted, LucasArts will have to either re-staff and try to get some of their top talent back, or simply outsource the project to another developer.

Source: Joystiq

Only a few shorts weeks have passed since Activision and Vivendi announced their departure from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and their disassociation with this year’s E3. Following in their wake, the ESA confirmed yesterday LucasArts has also separated from the organization.

After the announcement, LucasArts PR director Margaret Grohne went on the record by clarifying the company’s stance on the issue. Grohne said, “As a company we are still committed to bringing consumers the best interactive experience possible and support the ESA’s mission in the industry.”

Unlike the soon-to-be Activision Blizzard, LucasArts will be attending E3 this July in full force as they showcase their newest game line-up, including the long-awaited Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Source: Joystiq

I was browsing the interwebs and stumbled across some interesting concept art. Turns out, it was for a little game called Gladius 2, a game that up to this point has not yet been announced.

James Zhang, an artist who has done work for several projects including multiple Star Wars games, had quite a bit of concept art up on his site — JZConcepts.com. A hidden list of links was “stumbled upon” in which there were images for Gladius 2, as well as Knights of the Old Republic 3. Those links are now gone.

The existence of Gladius 2 is further proven by the simple fact that Gladius 2 is listed under “projects” if you click on the client list on his main page. Kinda hard to deny it now, right?

Let’s hope this is more than just wishful thinking or unofficial concept art by a mere fan of the game (even though he works with LucasArts). Gladius was a great game, so a sequel would be much appreciated. Announce it already, LucasArts, and how about a release date some time this year!

As if Wii owners weren’t already getting a sweet deal with the new Star Wars game, The Force Unleashed, apparently they will now also get 5 extra levels exclusive to the Nintendo console. Aren’t motion-sensing lightsaber controls enough for you?

Krome Studios, developer of the Wii version, said in an interview:

On the Wii we have places where the story veers off and we go and explore something, take the game in a different direction, like the Jedi Temple level.

This may be just another way for Krome Studios to differentiate its game from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, which are both being developed internally by LucasArts. While LucasArts may have the better-looking games, perhaps Krome’s Wii version will have them beat when it comes to gameplay. We’ll let you know in about six months or so when the game finally releases.

Source: TVG

In a press release today, LucasArts finally confirmed a long standing rumor which involved the company working side by side with Bioware to publish and develop a “ground-breaking interactive product”. Could this be the long-anticipated Star Wars MMO everyone has been hoping that Star Wars Galaxies would be? Fans of both companies will have to wait a little longer, as the press release promises more information coming at “a later date”.

Jim Ward, President of LucasArts, went on to comment, “we believe that our upcoming product will deliver an experience that will span the traditional boundaries of video game entertainment.” Assuming the product they are working on is indeed a Star Wars MMO, the fit could provide a deeper story element than most of the current titles, essentially fusing what players love most about the single player games with all the social aspects of a multiplayer game.

This is all speculative at the moment however, as nothing more than a development team has been announced thus far. That said, Bioware’s track record of making story-driven games speaks for itself.

In the same press release, CEO of Bioware Ray Muzyka went on to state, “BioWare’s mission is to deliver the best story and character-driven games in the world, delivering powerful emotional experiences to our fans.” Let’s hope we’re as floored by the new game as we were when we first saw Luke Skywalker turn off his targeting computer.

To think of LucasArts (formerly Lucasfilm Games) is to think of George Lucas, the man who created it all. The pompadour sporting and flannel wearing visionary gave us Star Wars and Indiana Jones, for which he should be canonized. Some would be happy evolving just one form of media, but it appears that forever changing the face of cinema and inventing the Wookie wasn’t enough for Mr. Lucas. He still had to revitalize another form of entertainment– video games.

In 1982 the video game industry was on a precipice after some very tumultuous years. By the end of 1983, the video game crash was in full swing. Angry gamers were becoming frustrated by aging consoles and yearned for a breath of fresh air. It may not have been the best time to form a new software company, but many of Lucas’s undertakings were never considered financially viable by economic groupthink.

The company began by making low-key action games for the Atari 5200, but would soon find success with adventure games. The adventure genre was a huge market in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and LucasArts became one of the forerunners in developing memorable titles. They got their feet wet with the 1987 classic Maniac Mansion, a hilarious adventure that played off America’s love of B-grade horror films.

Maniac Mansion was the first game to utilize the SCUMM scripting language that would go on to create the company’s most memorable entries over the next 10 years. It also introduced something that would become a staple of LucasArts’ adventure games – humor. Games like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max and the beloved Monkey Island series would set the bar for the funniest and best 2D adventure games of the day. But LucasArts didn’t stop there.

George wasn’t going to let his lucrative franchises in the film industry go unused in this newly discovered market, and Star Wars became the basis of dozens of games for the developer. These games sent fans of the series running to their nearest software retailers faster than Han Solo making the Kessel Run. LucasArts used the Star Wars name to contribute to the flight-sim (X-wing Series), first person shooter (Dark Forces and Jedi Knight Series), role playing (Knights of the Old Republic Series by BioWare) and MMO genres (Star Wars Galaxies). If it was a genre, it had a LucasArts game.

LucasArts continues to make its mark in the gaming world today, with a level of quality that has remained consistent over the majority of the last two decades. While adventure games don’t tend to be a popular commodity and some licenses have failed to make a smooth jump to 3D (I’m looking at you, Dr. Jones), Lucasarts still offers plenty of promise for the future. From the recent collaboration with Industrial Light and Magic and the huge budget that pact provides, we can only hope that Lucasarts will continue to rocket the gaming community to a galaxy far, far away.

Must Haves:
Grim Fandango (PC),
The Monkey Island Series (PC),
Star Wars: X-wing (PC)

Have Nots:
Star Wars Obi-Wan (XBOX),
The Dig (PC)

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