Report: LucasArts planned Star Wars social, iOS games

A look back at the internal goings-on of LucasArts in its last few months reveals unannounced game projects and just how the shutdown slowly came.

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Disney has closed LucasArts, and with that closure goes several of the projects. But a look back at the last few months of the developer's life reveals that cancellations and shelved projects were already ongoing at the developer, and Disney seems to have simply accelerated the process.

Kotaku reports that before LucasFilm and its subsidiaries were acquired by Disney, several games were in development. These included Star Wars 1313, First Assault, and others that we hadn't previously heard about. Teams were working on a social game akin to FarmVille called Outpost, an iOS game, and a project from Splinter Cell designer Clint Hocking.

But before Disney took hold, several games were overhauled or canceled. We heard about 1313's revisions, but First Assault was also reportedly scaled down, and Outpost and the iOS game were canceled completely. Hocking left the company, presumably leaving his project in limbo. LucasArts planned to announce First Assault in late September, but only hours before the announcement they were told to put it on hold.

Months later, Disney acquired LucasFilm, and Disney CEO Bob Iger assured the teams should continue "business as usual." This left three projects in development: 1313, First Assault, and a small project only referred to as "Version Two." Footage of the game shows first-person perspective from inside an X-Wing, AT-AT Walkers, and other Star Wars vehicles. It was reportedly being prepped to become the defunct Battlefront 3.

More and more, circumstances left LucasArts employees concerned. After the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, Iger said he was going to take a close look at the violence in their games. The LucasArts projects were composed of a first-person shooter and an action-adventure title. Then Disney closed Junction Point, showing that the company may be cleaning house. Just before GDC, developers were given strict guidelines on what to say, and what not to say. For example, they could talk about First Assault as a Star Wars first-person shooter, but they couldn't give the name.

Disney is now reportedly shopping First Assault around to find developer to finish it. Its plans regarding other pending projects or new Star Wars game properties is unknown.

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    April 10, 2013 11:00 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Report: LucasArts planned Star Wars social, iOS games.

    A look back at the internal goings-on of LucasArts in its last few months reveals unannounced game projects and just how the shutdown slowly came.

    • reply
      April 10, 2013 11:42 AM

      A year ago, Kinect Star Wars was released. In that week's Bombcast, Patrick Klepek asked a prescient question: "What the hell has LucasArts been doing?!... It's the biggest squandering of an IP portfolio."

      It's outright Monty Pythonian that they get acquired by Disney, who since 2010 has been hellbent on shutting down internal game production. As the years pass by, we're getting clearer glimpses of the deplorable mismanagement from both LucasArts and Disney Interactive, and are left begging them to not shut away all those IPs.

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