Electronic Arts LA operating chief Darrell Rodriguez has been appointed president of LucasArts, the company announced today.

The announcement follows the early February resignation of former LucasArts president Jim Ward, who cited personal reasons for his departure from the company. President of Lucas Licensing Howard Roffman served as interim president.

Prior to Electronic Arts, Rodriguez served in positions at EarthLink and the Walt Disney Internet Group. His resume includes titles such as The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II (PC, X360) and Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (PC, X360).

Rodriguez will take up his position at LucasArts in mid-April.

Former LucasArts designer Mike Stemmle has joined ranks with Telltale Games, the studio announced today.

Stemmle had previously worked as a co-designer on LucasArts' PC adventure titles Sam & Max Hit the Road and Escape From Monkey Island, as well as lead designer on the infamously cancelled revamp Sam & Max: Freelance Police.

"Mere words are proving woefully inadequate to describe my delight at hooking up with this fiendishly dedicated crew," said Stemmle. "The excitement and talent swirling around Telltale remind me of the geysers of imagination that erupted across the gaming industry in the early 90's. Only this time, with rational production schedules."

Telltale Games is currently working on the second season of its episodic Sam & Max adventure series. The studio has nearly doubled the size of its workforce over the last year in anticipation of several new projects.

Update: Electronic Arts has clarified has that a new KOTOR title is not necessarily in development at this time, with the slide merely describing "past portfolio releases and the pedigree of the studio."

Original Story: A new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game may be in development at BioWare, and it may have nothing to do with the studio's still-unnamed MMO.

During an analyst meeting, a slide presented by EA CEO John Riccitiello credited BioWare with the following projects: Mass Effect, Dragon Age, KOTOR, New MMO. Though Riccitiello did not specifically mention KOTOR in the audio portion of his presentation, it was suggested that all properties on that slide denoted new or upcoming releases.

The separate listings of KOTOR and the unnamed MMO indicate that they are not one and the same, as rumors had previously suggested. However, it is still quite possible that the MMO could be related to Star Wars.

In addition to the recently unveiled PC version of Mass Effect, BioWare is known to be working on the second title in the Mass Effect trilogy. The company's long-awaited return to PC role-playing, Dragon Age, is slated to arrive within studio owner EA's coming fiscal year, which runs April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009.

BioWare developed the LucasArts-published Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on Xbox and PC, which was released in 2003 to critical and commercial success. An Obsidian-developed sequel followed, though it did not quite receive its predecessor's unanimous acclaim.

Also on GameSpot is this LEGO Indiana Jones Q&A. LucasArts producer Shawn Storc talks about gameplay differences compared to LEGO Star Wars, co-op (still not online), picking what parts of the movies to make levels of, unlockables and platform differences.

Longtime LucasArts employee and current president Jim Ward has resigned from the company and will leave his post in two weeks.

Ward cited "personal reasons" for his resignation. President of Lucas Licensing Howard Roffman will be stepping in while the company searches for a new president.

Shacknews contacted LucasArts for further information, but representatives could not comment further on Ward's resignation.

"I am so proud of all people and the work we've done together at LucasArts over the last four years," Ward wrote in an email to Kotaku, which broke the story. "It's been an incredible experience. Together we've rebooted the company and set LucasArts on a path to even greater success. This is a fantastic team and they are positioned for their best year ever."

LucasArts PR director Margaret Grohne said that Ward's departure from the company will not affect the studio's release schedule or development plans. "We have a really strong line up for 08," she said. "[Ward] is leaving us in a very good place."

Computer & Video Games and GameHelper have the latest previews of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, offering more impressions of LucasArts' upcoming action game.

GameSpot, IGN and Team Xbox have new previews of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, checking out a preview build at LucasArts.

Update: Developer Telltale Games was unable to confirm that a Wii edition of Sam & Max is in the works, though the company promises it is "actively pursuing" the possibility.

"While it's no secret that we want to bring Sam & Max to the Wii--and it is something we're actively pursuing--we don't have any official news right now," a company representative informed Shacknews. "When we're in a position to confirm that we'll be porting Sam & Max to the Wii, we'll make an announcement about it."

Original Story: Telltale Games' episodic point-and-click adventure series Sam & Max will soon appear on the Wii, according to publisher JoWooD.

A German press release issued by the company lists a Wii edition of Telltale's Sam & Max as one of its upcoming titles, further identifying the series as receiving the "Adventure of the Year" award from readers of foreign magazine PC Games.

JoWooD, which previously expressed its intent to pursue more console titles, published the retail version of Sam & Max: Season One ... Read more

Update: Namco Bandai has released a trailer of Yoda and Darth Vader's in-game antics.

Original Story: Star Wars icons Darth Vader and Yoda are officially playable characters in Project Soul's Soul Calibur IV, with Darth Vader exclusive to the PlayStation 3 edition and Yoda exclusive to the Xbox 360 version. Yes, really.

Publisher Namco Bandai announced the news today and then proved it true by releasing pictures of the two squaring off against the ever-unbalanced Tira and the well-endowed Taki, both of whom are returning characters.

Even more inexplicable than the appearance of Darth Vader and Yoda in the fantasy-oriented historic fighting game is the suggestion that the primitive weaponry and armor of the other participants is somehow able to block lightsabers.

It's the first time the Star Wars crew has dabbled in the fighting genre... Read more

Ron Gilbert, the creator of many beloved old-school LucasArts adventure games including Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island, has announced his new project: DeathSpank, an episodic RPG-adventure said to mix Monkey Island and Diablo.

Canadian developer Hothead Games, the company behind the upcoming Penny-Arcade episodic RPG series, will be publishing the series, with former advisor Gilbert now joining the studio as its creative director.

Hothead writes that the games will follow "the thong-tastic adventures of a misguided hero named DeathSpank," who has previously been featured in animated comics on Gilbert's Grumpy Gamer blog.

"I've spent over four years trying to find the right publisher for this strange little game," said Gilbert. "Now that I've done it, you just know that somewhere four horsemen are saddling up."

Neither party provided an estimate as to when the first episode, DeathSpank: Episode One: Orphans of Justice, would arrive, though a sole piece of artwork was released.

Header Image: Dan Lee/Idle Thumbs

There's a Q&A with Sam & Max designer Steve Purcell on Adventure Classic Gaming. Purcell is asked about the history of the two characters, LucasArts' cancellation of Sam & Max Freelance Police and working with Telltale Games among other things.

Perpetual Entertainment has released the first in-game screenshot of its upcoming PC MMO Star Trek Online, highlighting the game's context-sensitive interaction system.

"In a nutshell, the Interaction System controls every non-combat, player-to-NPC interaction in the game," wrote Perpetual's Mike Stemmle. Formerly of LucasArts, Stemmle is credited as a co-designer on LucasArts' cult-classic PC adventure Sam & Max: Hit The Road and was the project lead on the company's heaven-hell management sim Afterlife (PC).

"If you want to talk to a Ferengi shopkeeper, it goes through the Interaction System," he elaborated. "Need to get some additional phaser training at the local Starfleet Academy? That's the Interaction System. Want to beam down to a planet? Interaction System. Responding to a distress call from a crippled starship? That's the Interaction System, too."

In the update, Stemmle did not comment on recent reports that Perpetual is pursuing a "more casual" direction with Star Trek Online due to new management, which has allegedly resulted in a few voluntary resignations within the company.

ZeniMax Online, the recently established online wing of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, today announced it has licensed Simutronics' HeroEngine for use in its upcoming MMO.

The HeroEngine is a 3D engine and server technology platform originally developed for use in Simutronics' MMORPG Hero's Journey. BioWare Austin licensed the engine in 2006 for use in its own MMO collaboration with LucasArts.

Formed in August, ZeniMax Online is lead by Mythic co-founder Matt Firor. Details of the company's upcoming game have yet to be announced, though Bethesda's Elder Scrolls franchise is a likely candidate for MMO adaptation. ZeniMax secured $300 million in development funding earlier this month.

Growing publisher and developer Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will acquire TT Games, pending the standard regulatory approval for such a move.

TT Games encompasses developer Travellers' Tales, best known for its work on the LEGO Star Wars series, and TT Games Publishing. The company, which holds the worldwide rights for LEGO video games, is currently working on LEGO-themed renditions of Indiana Jones and Batman, both of which are slated to arrive in 2008. The latest release from Travellers' Tales, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (PS3, X360, Wii, DS), arrived in stores yesterday.

The planned acquisition of TT Games coincides with WBHE's aspirations to become a major force in the video game market. "We're in this for the long haul," senior VP of worldwide sales Ron Scott said earlier this year. "We are not just an arm of a business that is simply going to leverage the movie properties that Warner has--we are going to be a creative force as well."

"TT Games will become the cornerstone of our Home Entertainment... Read more

RPG Vault has posted a Q&A with LucasArts producer Jake Neri and associate producer Tim Temmerman, asking them about the game's Chapter 7 update.

LucasArts and BioWare today announced that they have signed an agreement to develop an "interactive entertainment product". Literally nothing else of note is mentioned in the press release, except that specifics will be unveiled at a later date and a website can be found at LucasArtsBioWare.com.

However, this announcement comes a week after reports hit the internet that claimed BioWare Austin is working on an MMO set in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic universe. At the time, a LucasArts representative would neither confirm or deny the existence of such a project.

"BioWare's mission is to deliver the best story and character-driven games in the world, delivering powerful emotional experiences to our fans," said BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka. Added president Greg Zeschuk, "The collaboration with LucasArts allows us to combine our passion for creating high quality and innovative experiences with those of a company dedicated to bringing only the finest games to market."

BioWare's eagerly anticipated MMO is set in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic universe, claims Primo Technology. The site attributes the information to a "source close to BioWare." Though the source in question must remain anonymous, Shacknews spoke with Primotech and received further information that adds validity to the report.

Shacknews attempted to verify the news directly by contacting the gamut of companies that would be involved in such a project, including studio owner Electronic Arts, Star Wars license holder LucasArts, Star Wars Galaxies publisher Sony Online Entertainment, and of course, BioWare itself. Those that responded were, unsurprisingly, non-committal. When asked about the rumored title, a LucasArts representative could neither confirm or deny the claims.

Today's report comes on the heels of Electronic Arts' purchase of BioWare and sister studio Pandemic, for which the publisher paid an exorbitant combined sum of $860 million. "In fiscal 2009 and 2010, we expect the BioWare and Pandemic properties to deliver revenue in excess of $300 million annually," said EA CFO Warren Jensen at the time. The potential earnings of an MMO from a well regarded developer, based on as lucrative a license as Star Wars, would lend credence to such a figure.

A Star Wars setting has been long-rumored for BioWare's debut MMO title, with rumors picking up steam in recent weeks. Citi industry analyst Brent Thill recently told Gamasutra that, "based on past development work," he believes the game to be a Star Wars title. Such a project could have been a major motivator in EA's decision to spend $860 million on the acquisition of BioWare and Pandemic.

BioWare developed the LucasArts-published Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on Xbox and PC, which was released in 2003 to critical ... Read more

Following the string of middleware providers adapting their products for use in developing games for Nintendo's popular console, the newest version of NaturalMotion's animation engine Morpheme features Wii support, in addition to other upgrades.

"Support for Nintendo's Wii console was a natural extension of the morpheme product offering," said NaturalMotion CEO Torsten Reil. "Wii is enjoying tremendous popularity, and we believe morpheme can help developers further expand on the new gaming experiences that the platform has opened up."

In addition to the Morpheme engine, NaturalMotion offers its Euphoria motion synthesis engine, used by LucasArts in its flagship version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3, X360). Most recently, Emergent adapted its Gamebryo engine--used by Bethesda Softworks in creating The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion--for use in developing Wii titles.

Industry print publication Game Developer has released its 2007 list of Top 20 Publishers in video games, and the top slot has changed for the first time in the history of the annual feature, with third-party industry heavyweight Electronic Arts ceding the #1 crown to first-party manufacturer Nintendo. The title is the latest in a seemingly unending string of good news for the Kyoto-based hardware giant, which recently saw its stock hit a record high.

EA moved down to #2, with Activision coming in at #3, Ubisoft moving up to #4, and THQ rounding out the top five. Take-Two Interactive and Sega of America took the next two slots. As far as the other first-party publishers, Sony Computer Entertainment came in at #8, one slot above Microsoft Game Studios. Fans of niche Japanese gaming will be pleased to know that Atlus has joined the Top 20 for the first time at #18, while ailing Atari has dropped off.

Game Developer publisher CMP Game Group compiled its list by considering detailed responses from over 300 members of the game publishing community, as well as sales and review data, release portfolios, and employee pay.

A full list of the Top 20 Publishers follows. The full 100-page report is available for purchase from Game Developer Research, with a summary in the October 2007 issue of Game Developer. ... Read more

LucasArts' upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed multimedia onslaught will now be heading to Nintendo's motion-sensing console courtesy of Krome Studios when it retails sometime in 2008. Like the upcoming Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Wii, the Wii version of Force Unleashed will grant every Star Wars fan's wish by including lightsaber control via the Wii remote.

"Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," said LucasArts president Jim Ward in the announcement. "We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force."

The announcement said the Nunchuk attachment would be used to complement the Remote's saber swinging with force power functionality. And a Wii-exclusive duel mode will let spiteful sons go head-to-head with their incorrigible fathers in dramatic two-player lightsaber fashion.

Creators of the Ty platformer series, Australian developer Krome Studios' has several titles in the works, including the E3-announced party game Viva Piñata: Party Animals for Xbox 360 and The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night on Wii. Krome is also handling the PS2 and PSP versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, with the flagship version coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 via LucasArts' internal studios, and n-Space bringing the game to Nintendo DS.