LucasArts: 'We're Not Shutting the Door on PC'

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Though LucasArts' physics-intensive effort Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is hitting every major system this fall except PC, the longtime PC developer has reassured fans that it is not abandoning the platform.

"We're not shutting the door on PC at all. For this project, it happens to be that we don't have a PC SKU," producer Cameron Suey told VideoGamer. "We do hear that complaint [that PC gamers want The Force Unleashed]. I definitely wish it had been possible."

While acclaimed PC developer Crytek has referred to piracy as "the core problem of PC gaming" and its reason to pursue multi-platform development, Suey attributed the missing PC edition of Force Unleashed to the platform's wide array of possible hardware configurations.

"[If we made the game for high-end PCs], someone with a low-end PC would have a watered down experience, they would have to turn all the settings down and it wouldn't be the same game," he continued. "On the other hand if we made that game for as many people as possible then it's not taking advantage of what those $4,000 systems can do."

While LucasArts is internally developing the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of The Force Unleashed, outside developer Krome was brought on to handle the PlayStation 2, Wii, and PSP versions, with n-Space behind the Nintendo DS iteration. All are slated to arrive on September 16.

But what of the time when LucasArts' delivered such notable PC efforts as X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Day of the Tentacle?

"There wasn't such a variance [in the past] and it made a lot more sense to develop on PC [then]," Suey concluded. "We're definitely not out of the PC market. It's just with our choice for this game."

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    May 12, 2008 10:43 AM

    No one cares, give us a new X-Wing game

    • reply
      May 12, 2008 11:08 AM

      Yeah!...for consoles.

      • reply
        May 12, 2008 11:10 AM

        preferably 360

        • reply
          May 12, 2008 11:43 AM

          Hell freakin' no.

          Do you HONESTLY think that an X-Wing/TiE Fighter game can actually be created that uses a joypad?

          • reply
            May 12, 2008 11:56 AM

            a joypad is two little joysticks.

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              May 12, 2008 11:57 AM

              It goes beyond the joysticks into all the button controls that those games employed for changing shield/engine/weapon power ratios, etc.

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                May 12, 2008 9:51 PM

                I would gladly deal with some quick menus or something rather than direct buttons if it meant getting a new XWing/TIE game on console vs none at all on PC.

                • reply
                  May 12, 2008 10:04 PM

                  you coudlnt use quick menus in hte heat of the moment, just wouldnt work

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                    May 12, 2008 11:24 PM

                    How would reaching to tap a keyboard key a couple times be any easier than either holding a modifier button and tapping another, or holding a button and pressing a direction on the right stick? (assuming the left one is used for flight control.

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                      May 13, 2008 3:02 AM

                      one hand on joystick, with all the buttons on the joystick. Left hand on the keyboard managing controls.

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            May 12, 2008 1:01 PM

            Sure, it's called Rogue Squadron and it sucks fucking balls.

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              May 12, 2008 11:13 PM

              I think you went overboard there. Rogue Squadron rocks.. just not nearly as much as x-wing.

          • reply
            May 12, 2008 11:38 PM

            See, for you console only people, we're talking a flight sim, not an action game. The last thing I need is having to use 5 button hotkeys to play a sim on a console.

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