So, Disney is closing down LucasArts (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/04/03/disney-closes-game-publisher-lucasarts.aspx).
For many of us, I'm sure, this was the company that introduced us to adventure games. They may have been only a shadow of their former self, but it's sad to see them go.
Just saw this on twitter. Having a beer. Not like there were any good Lucasarts games in development anymore, so it's purely a 'theoretical' end-of-an-era kind of thing. Still.
Aghhh! Snarky, you beat me to the punch on this thread by 3 minutes!
Yeah, all this was sad, but not surprising, especially since they were doing so poorly. My nostalgia feels are still crying though regardless. :~(
Damn. Looks like we're never going to see Sam and Max: Freelance Police. And I was really looking forward to a fifth Monkey Island game. Now it looks like literally none of those things will ever happen. :sad:
Thank you, LucasArts, thank you for my beloved Monkey Island, Fate of Atlantis and Day of the Tentacle, the games I grew up with which caused me to fall in love with the genre...
I played the hell out of the demo of Outlaws! Loved the intro cutscene and the stunning soundtrack of this overlooked masterpiece. The 3D was dated, yes, but that's forgiveable.
Quote from: Bluke4x4 on Wed 03/04/2013 20:39:10
Damn. Looks like we're never going to see Sam and Max: Freelance Police. And I was really looking forward to a fifth Monkey Island game. Now it looks like literally none of those things will ever happen. :sad:
I actually feel like those things are more likely to happen, depending on how much they want for the licensing. Am I wrong to think this?
Here's Ron Gilbert's response (http://grumpygamer.com/4103820).
Sad news. And a shame that people have to lose their jobs. I hope they are all snapped up by good companies. But it makes little difference really, unless you're a massive fan of their Star Wars games. We still have the same memories and nostalgia we always did.
Awwwww I actually feel really sad about this!!
However we do have the knowledge that Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman, Steve Purcell etc(many many great people) have all gone on to do great things. e.g Steve Purcell was a driving force behind the film Brave.
Which fair enough was a kids film but hey still its really nice visually..
I don't think Ron would make another Monkey Island if he had the rights. I really believe he just says this things to keep the fans on his side.
I tip my hat and raise my glass. Fare thee well. That company gave me hours of fun; no Whatever Quest game ever felt that fun and well-rounded to me. But clearly this can not be *the* end. I was promised a DOTT sequel and a live-action Captain Future movie by the Interwebs, that's gotta count for something!
Let's face it, Lucasarts wasn't exactly turning out impressive new content and their remakes of the first two monkey islands looked and felt very half-hearted. I'm actually suprised they weren't closed sooner.
I wouldn't mind it if Tim Schaefer or Ron Gilbert acquired the rights to one or more of the classic franchises if only to keep them out of the hands of people who would do shitty cash-ins that would do nothing but befoul the memory of the originals.
Dark Forces, X-Wing, and Full Throttle are still among my most cherished gaming experiences ever. As others have pointed out, LucasArts wasn't good for much these last few (ten?) years, but once upon a time they were very special. :sad:
Quote from: DoorKnobHandle on Wed 03/04/2013 19:57:40
Just saw this on twitter. Having a beer. Not like there were any good Lucasarts games in development anymore, so it's purely a 'theoretical' end-of-an-era kind of thing. Still.
Quote from: DoorKnobHandle on Wed 03/04/2013 19:57:40
Just saw this on twitter. Having a beer. Not like there were any good Lucasarts games in development anymore, so it's purely a 'theoretical' end-of-an-era kind of thing. Still.
Star Wars: 1313. I wanted it so much...
Quote from: Armageddon on Thu 04/04/2013 02:59:25
Quote from: DoorKnobHandle on Wed 03/04/2013 19:57:40
Just saw this on twitter. Having a beer. Not like there were any good Lucasarts games in development anymore, so it's purely a 'theoretical' end-of-an-era kind of thing. Still.
Quote from: DoorKnobHandle on Wed 03/04/2013 19:57:40
Just saw this on twitter. Having a beer. Not like there were any good Lucasarts games in development anymore, so it's purely a 'theoretical' end-of-an-era kind of thing. Still.
Star Wars: 1313. I wanted it so much...
So much you quoted it twice? I can understand that. It looked pretty cool. :wink:
As a single company they probably have more games that suited my tastes than any other. Just from memory, here are some of the games I've enjoyed:
1. Monkey Island 1
2. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
3. Maniac Mansion
4. Day of the Tentacle
5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Adventure version)
6. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
7. Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
8. The Dig
9. Full Throttle
10. Sam and Max Hit the Road
11. Star Wars: Dark Forces
13. Star Wars: Jedi Knight
14. Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Mysteries of the Sith
15. Grim Fandango
16. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
17. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
18. Star Wars: X-Wing
19. Super Star Wars
20. Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
21. Super Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi
Looking back, that's a lot of memorable games from one developer.
22. Outlaws (and the Fist Full Of Missions add-on pack)
Fanning the hammer on the pistol was so much fun. But having to reload it (and all the other guns) one bullet at a time was such a cool idea at the time. I hated it but I also thought it was very cool. It made me approach every firefight with a completely different mindset from Doom or Duke 3D.
EDIT: At least they were able to release their true masterpiece before they were gobbled up by Mickey.
[embed=425,349]http://youtu.be/x_xJqkzngBI[/embed]
Quote from: Snarky on Wed 03/04/2013 19:55:27
So, Disney is closing down LucasArts (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/04/03/disney-closes-game-publisher-lucasarts.aspx).
For many of us, I'm sure, this was the company that introduced us to adventure games. They may have been only a shadow of their former self, but it's sad to see them go.
Not even a shadow.
It was a mercy kill from Disney, I say. Better to die when the glory days are only 15 years behind you than to continue such joke existence as LucasArts has fallen into.
Don't forget JKJA and Republic Commando.
Disney is probably going to shop around for a good dev to become THE Star Wars game maker that will pump out awful games every year, starting with a watered down 1313. :(
And what's about Handsome Halibut? :(
Quote from: Ponch on Thu 04/04/2013 04:25:47
22. Outlaws (and the Fist Full Of Missions add-on pack)
Fanning the hammer on the pistol was so much fun. But having to reload it (and all the other guns) one bullet at a time was such a cool idea at the time. I hated it but I also thought it was very cool. It made me approach every firefight with a completely different mindset from Doom or Duke 3D.
EDIT: At least they were able to release their true masterpiece before they were gobbled up by Mickey.
[embed=425,349]http://youtu.be/x_xJqkzngBI[/embed]
How did I not know about this? Freaking hilarious. I just laughed my ass off.
Disney are shutting down LucasArts.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/disney-to-close-lucasarts/
I just read that Disney is shutting down LucasArts (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=47955.0) and thought this was a thread fit to mention it.
In other news, Snape Kills Dumbledore.
Quote
1. Monkey Island 1
2. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
3. Maniac Mansion
4. Day of the Tentacle
5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Adventure version)
6. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
7. Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
8. The Dig
9. Full Throttle
10. Sam and Max Hit the Road
11. Star Wars: Dark Forces
13. Star Wars: Jedi Knight
14. Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Mysteries of the Sith
15. Grim Fandango
16. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
17. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
18. Star Wars: X-Wing
19. Super Star Wars
20. Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
21. Super Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi
Let's not forget Loom.
I'm sorry Bobbin for not mentioning you eariler!:-)
Monkey Island was probably among the first games I ever played. Good memories I wouldn't have if it wasn't for Lucasfilm Games.
Saw this on Tumblr today and thought it was relevant.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/587164da9d9e9392ae4dd3ce97d6efd9/tumblr_mkqku3BGKv1rg0pjgo1_1280.jpg)
They were the best thing about my computer youth, but you know, 20 years later - there's a lot left to be desired. This move could be interesting.
Quote from: Mods on Fri 05/04/2013 00:10:15
Well then, perhaps Dave Gilbert will be working on the Blackwell Throttle Dig ;) (or icey will, and Dave will publish it)
Er... Ghoulish biker ghosts seek out mild-mannered medium to restore the seven seals of sanity in an teh epic boss fight?
Man, I'd totally play that.
Hopefully, Ron and Dave Gilbert will work together on a game and I can finally give up trying to remember which one of them is which. :=
Quote from: Ponch on Fri 05/04/2013 03:16:45
Hopefully, Ron and Dave Gilbert will work together on a game and I can finally give up trying to remember which one of them is which. :=
I thought Dave was just Ron from another dimension, come to save humanity through the medium of point and click adventure games!
Well, thanks for releasing MI and MI2 special editions before being shut down. I still love the newly recorded soundtracks (especially MI2).
But to be honest, I haven't played a good Lucas Arts game in ages.
Thanks for the memories LucasArts - though most of my fondest (SoMi, Zak McKraken, Indy and the Last Crusade) came way back when they were called Lucasfilm Games. (Or at least I think they were... my memory plays strange tricks on me sometimes!)
They used to create the most amazing advanture games - full of zany, loveable characters, imaginative stories, and clever puzzles. The worlds they created just blew my mind. Each game was truly a joy to play. :grin:
Then they turned their backs on all that, and churned out star wars game after star wars game. :undecided:
Quote from: CaptainD on Fri 05/04/2013 09:50:01
Thanks for the memories LucasArts - though most of my fondest (SoMi, Zak McKraken, Indy and the Last Crusade) came way back when they were called Lucasfilm Games. (Or at least I think they were... my memory plays strange tricks on me sometimes!)
They were indeed called Lucasfilm Games until late 1990 / early 1991. Looks like
The Secret of Monkey Island was the last game published under the old name.
Thank you LucasArts(Films) for great adventure games!
I have the feeling that even Double Fine productions or if Ron Gilbert keeps making adventure games, the outcome will be something really different from those classic LucasArts games. It's not even a feeling, it is a fact.
I mean, to make retro-like adventure games you don't need millions of dollars, you need a solid small and talented team.
I read that Double Fine were asking for 18M to make Psychonauts 2!!! The investor (minecraft) lost interest...
So, will we get something of a mix between Psychonauts and Grim Fandango? Would it work?
We hope so, but anyway we should not feel nostalgic about LucasArts, they belong to the Classic Age now and that's a good thing.
Quote from: miguel on Fri 05/04/2013 10:12:08
I mean, to make retro-like adventure games you don't need millions of dollars, you need a solid small and talented team.
And AGS! ;-D
I think that the Telltale Games episode was carrying some hope and renewal, and started well, but very quickly they got lazy after the success of the first MI chapters, and started screwing up MI and Sam&Max.
They started going downhill when they dropped the point and click interface.
Point and click was so easy to play. Having to use the letter and arrow keys was a pain in
the butt.
I guess Lucas was just collecting on his investments later in life.
The last Monkey island game was ruined by having to use arrow keys.
Nice little article from the BBC remembering the old days of LucasArts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22028682
Thank you for Yoda Stories, LucasArts.
Quote from: Trapezoid on Fri 05/04/2013 21:54:34
Thank you for Yoda Stories, LucasArts.
Oh, very much THIS. For the better part of a decade, I had that game and the Indiana Jones one on more office computers than I care to think about. (ahhhhh... the sweet embrace of nostalgia... ;-D )
This might be a strange thing to say on an adventure game forum, but this thread really makes me want to play some adventure games!
Thank you for such greats as Monkey Island and Loom, LucasArts. You shall never be forgotten.
Quote from: Ghost on Thu 04/04/2013 00:48:22
But clearly this can not be *the* end. I was promised a DOTT sequel and a live-action Captain Future movie by the Interwebs, that's gotta count for something!
Well, it still is my pipe dream to see Maniac Mansion 3: Rise of the Tentacle by Pendulo Studios (http://www.adventure-treff.de/kommentar.php?newsid=346) ;) Sometimes I even try to imagine what could it look like...
Pendulo? Hell no!
I remember Telltale wanted to buy rights to LOOM a while back...
Quote from: Snarky on Sun 07/04/2013 08:24:21
Pendulo? Hell no!
Yeah Pendulo isn't the best for that.
Telltale Loom might be cool, they seem to have finally found their niche with making TV show adventure games though. And canceling King's Quest is a sign they're going to be milking Walking Dead for awhile.
Quote from: Armageddon on Sun 07/04/2013 08:40:10
Telltale Loom might be cool, they seem to have finally found their niche with making TV show adventure games though. And canceling King's Quest is a sign they're going to be milking Walking Dead for awhile.
They run out of time to make King's Quest - they've lost the license rights.
I'll be surprised if Telltale's ambition doesn't reach farther than living off spin-offs to popular comic books and TV shows.
Telltale wants to make a sequel (or more likely reboot) of Loom. I'd like to see that. I wish they'd spent their Jurassic Park money on that instead. :undecided:
So about that logo (http://home.comcast.net/~ervind/leclogos.html)...
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b241/ATMachine/lucasartslogo7a.png)
The head, arms, and that arc thing above the guy was meant to form the shape of an eye, right? That's why it has eyelashes?
Quote from: Snarky on Sun 07/04/2013 21:04:44
The head, arms, and that arc thing above the guy was meant to form the shape of an eye, right? That's why it has eyelashes?
It's an eye? I always thought it was supposed to be the sun.
But now that I've seen the eye... I can't unsee it... (wtf)
Darn it. What else have I been wrong about for the last twenty years?
Quote from: Ponch on Sun 07/04/2013 22:44:30
Quote from: Snarky on Sun 07/04/2013 21:04:44
The head, arms, and that arc thing above the guy was meant to form the shape of an eye, right? That's why it has eyelashes?
It's an eye? I always thought it was supposed to be the sun.
But now that I've seen the eye... I can't unsee it... (wtf)
Darn it. What else have I been wrong about for the last twenty years?
It's the sun. The end of George Lucas's THX 1138 had a guy on a hill with his arms up as the sun went down, that's where the logo came from.
Quote from: Armageddon on Mon 08/04/2013 01:56:13
It's the sun. The end of George Lucas's THX 1138 had a guy on a hill with his arms up as the sun went down, that's where the logo came from.
Oh yeah? Cool. Given Lucas' love of 1138 eggs, it makes sense. But I can't see the sun anymore. All I see is a big eye now. :P
I'm sure the similarity to the eye is not unintentional. I always saw both!
Quote from: Babar on Mon 08/04/2013 02:49:32
I'm sure the similarity to the eye is not unintentional. I always saw both!
But staring directly into the sun is very bad for your eye (which is also a sun, apparently). (laugh)
Quote from: Ascovel on Sun 07/04/2013 09:55:20
They run out of time to make King's Quest - they've lost the license rights.
Wait, when did that happen? Could you link to an article please?
Quote from: Radiant on Mon 08/04/2013 10:18:43
Quote from: Ascovel on Sun 07/04/2013 09:55:20
They run out of time to make King's Quest - they've lost the license rights.
Wait, when did that happen? Could you link to an article please?
If you start here - http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45247 - you'll be able to trace it around the net. The confirmation came with an interview of Paul Trowe ( http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45247 ) and Dan Conners of Telltale. ( http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/telltale-games-ceo-dan-connors-on-the-walking-dead-fables-and-building-a-television-studio-model-for-games/ )
They'd lost the rights almost a year ago, but it wasn't discusses publicly until now.
Bt
Quote from: Snarky on Sun 07/04/2013 08:24:21
Pendulo? Hell no!
As strange as it may sound, I think this actually
could work. Come to think of it, the two installments of the series were very different from each other: Maniac Mansion was a horror B-movie spoof, while DOTT was themed after Saturday morning cartoons. So perhaps Pendulo's trademark multilayered plots and criminal intrigue would make an interesting combo with DOTT's universe.
Came back from vacation to hear the sad news about LucasArts. They created some of my most favorite adventure games, so this was definately a sad day for me. :( However I kind of figured that something like this might happen as Disney already has several inhouse game studios. I know Disney was mostly after Star Wars, but I hope they don't just sit on the other LucasArts properties, like Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Loom, & Grim Fandango. I'd love to see sequels or reboots of those games. If they do plan to just sit on them, I'd hope they'd either license or sell them to people that will do something with them. I know that Ron Gilbert has been very vocal that he wants Monkey Island back.
Been meaning to get some LucasArts artwork printed so felt it was time. Started with MI2 canvas.
(http://custardsclutter.com/mi2.jpg)
30x40", currently in my kitchen.
Nice. Very nice.
If any London based AGS folks are about, I just found out there's a LucasArts party today.
https://www.facebook.com/events/559396310757890/
WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS THREAD YESTERDAY?!
Any time spent not checking the AGS forums is time wasted.
On the upside since you did't see this there was extra cake, so I had two slices.
Bit of a bump, sorry. Thought I'd share this, the second canvas.
(http://custardsclutter.com/samnmax-1.jpg)
Don't know where I'm gonna put it though..