The International House of Mojo

Ok... I really enjoy this new LucasArts approach towards their heritage... but revealing the Secret?! The guys at at Lucas don't even know the Secret! Please... Mr Craig Derrick... Don't go over your head! Remember the last game which tried to explain it (EMI)? Remeber the fan reaction to such explantion? Everybody knows that if it isn't revealed by Ron Gilbert or under his consent, it is never going to be acepted as "the secret"

Intriguing... I for one shall remain ever hopeful. They're learning and hopefully improving. Fingers crossed... WHAT IS THE SECRET?!

I'm reading that a few guys got angry after reading Derrick's interview. I believe that doing some "Mario Kart-ish Mash Up" would at least make me smile, and it's a good way of saying "we love our heritage", and also introducing the adventure world to the Star Wars crowd. My first contact with adventure games were the three demos in Star Wars: Rebel Assault, so there you have an example.

You just can't pull a blockbuster out just like that if there's no market. Period. Snnuglecakes wants a blockbuster adventure, and so do I, but it's really not possible today without some market research (Steam re-releases do that job pretty well for them, and so do TellTale's numbers). Jim Ward's direction was very wrong IMHO, it was like going to Coca-Cola and saying "now we're only gonna make PowerAde, because it sells more". Lucasarts can go back to its roots, but we have to give them time...

EDIT: This doesn't mean that I believe that they're working on a Lucasarts Mario Kart/paint/party/tennis/soccer or any of that. Just making sure. The true point of this is: let Lucasarts show us what they're doing, because some of you ask the impossible. Remember the Ward (god bless him, don't get me wrong) days and you'll feel happy about the Lucasarts present.

Moan, moan, moan. Why don't people actually wait until we can see what LucasArts really has in mind rather than mindlessly spewing hate across the Internet.

Because the frequent visitors to this website have been coming here for 10+ years, myself included. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and a lot of people are waiting for LucasArts to make up for the lost time. TMI and Sam N Max are amazing, I love them but it's not LucasArts, it's TellTale games that's the big difference.

I think there's a lot of young readers.

LucasArts is just a brand. People respond to brands, but the teams that made LucasArts what it once was have split and a large chunk of 'em are at Telltale. So, Telltale is the new LucasArts, I guess?

Close enough. I'm always baffled when people say they would only play a new MI game if LucasArts developed it; the people there today have nothing at all to do with the crew that made magic 10+ years ago.

Who the fuck says that? There's a bloody huge LucasArts logo on the screen on each of my ToMI chapters.

Well said.

I would say that the breeze of insanity has blown through the LucasArts offices but that clearly happened a long time ago. I'm constantly amazed at how it seems that no one over there has the slightest clue. Taking adventure characters to a new genre is the sort of thing that really gets right up my nose. Yes, it might sell a few copies and make some money but talk about selling your soul. It will devalue the adventure games and besides, all they need to do is look back at the awful Indy action games from 1989.

And the reason people are still talking about Monkey Island has nothing to do with the Secret. That's just daft. The Secret accounts for the odd forum post every few years but c'mon, don't be ridiculous. As for revealing it, or what I suspect is the current LucasArts take on it, would once again do nothing but devalue all our memories of the IP.

This is all a total load of bollocks. I wish LucasArts would just give it up already rather than constantly insisting on making what amounts to their version of Jurassic Park 3. Stop milking it and ruining it, come up with some new ideas.

What's with all the rage? Get some perspective dude, if it's crap don't buy it: problem solved. It's mere existance is not going to wipe your childhood memories or make the old games less fun to play.

I'm just saying they should make something NEW! It's about time. And then they should get some talented people to make it rather than the collection of misfits they have at the moment.

You say it won't ruin my childhood memories of the games... then what did the awful MI:SE do? Still trying to erase it from my memory... hope it goes away soon.

The "collection of misfits" is talented and learning. "Lucidity," flawed as it is, is a work of talent.

Yeah it is, but it's basically a budget title. I just don't see why LucasArts can't do what they used to. Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island, The Indy adventures, Sam & Max, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango... these were massive, blockbuster-like works of art in every respect. They did however require big name developers. Now we get re-releases and half-arsed remakes, with one original budget title. When people think about the Lucas empire they see Indiana Jones, Star Wars and other massive movies, and the awesome games mentioned above. I still don't quite understand what happened, and their current way of doing things leaves me completely baffled every time.

Look at Telltale. For me, they are now the best, and importantly, most lovable company in adventure gaming. They seem to do everything right. LucasArts can't hold a candle.

You forget that the games made the big names, and not the big names that made the games.

The SMI remake wasn't half-arsed. It's not as good as it could've been, but it was made with heart. You have to remember that. You also have to remember that LucasArts just doesn't *do* that anymore. It's called "marketplace realities," and, like you might expect, is very real. Telltale is very much structured around the idea of episodic content. It was a gamble that piad off. Lucas are doing great licensing out their games to other companies. Zero risk, all profit.

Each company is doing what works. I wouldn't be so quick to judge the "misfits" either, if I were you.

Your only reason for defending them seems to be that they work for LucasArts. I'm probably wrong, but as a team they've only put out MI:SE and Lucidity, right?

Hey, I'm not really LucasArts' flagship boy. I'm just saying that it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. Their games have had heart put into them, and that's good. It's very rare to get a homerun on your very first effort.

You're right about their ludography, yes.

I'm with Kroms on this one. The level of vitriol from some people is absurd.

I can understand people saying "Meh, the new teams track record isn't great so I'm not really interested." but that's not what we're arguing against - it's all the "Rah! Rah! Ruining my childhood! Rah! Rah!" silliness.

It's not exactly vitriol but you know... I guess I've been around this community since 1995 and us old people probably are still quite angry at decisions made over the years. They unloaded a great deal of talent and are now suffering the consequences. I can't get my head around the fact that they are basically starting all over again, and ok maybe that's just my own problem. It's just a far cry from the glory years, and back then the rise to brilliance happened quite fast.

Well, you know, Lucas had been developing games for a long time before hitting their stride. They'd been doing *adventure* games for 4 years before finally doing Maniac Mansion.

For sure... but you can't deny it's odd that such a huge company is starting all over again. But enough of that, I don't really care about them anymore. Telltale is where it's at.

LEGO Lucasarts!! I think it'd be awesome to see Guybrush beat the shit out of Darth Vader. And all things LucasArts getting merged haha.
As a kid I did that all the time, that's what toys are about! Often, Luke Skywalker would be fighting against He-Man or the Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters 2.

I think I might top myself if I see Lego Monkey Island

Hahahaha, awesome! Idk, I'm reading that a few guys got angry after reading Derrick's interview. I believe that doing some "Mario Kart-ish Mash Up" would at least make me smile, and it's a good way of saying "we love our heritage", and also introducing the adventure world to the Star Wars crowd. My first contact with adventure games were the three demos in Star Wars: Rebel Assault, so there you have an example.
You just can't pull a blockbuster out just like that if there's no market. Period. Snnuglecakes wants a blockbuster adventure, and so do I, but it's really not possible today without some market research (Steam re-releases do that job pretty well for them, and so do TellTale's numbers). Jim Ward's direction was very wrong IMHO, it was like going to Coca-Cola and saying "now we're only gonna make PowerAde, because it sells more". Lucasarts can go back to its roots, but we have to give them time...

Again Jp that's really badass hahha, did you do that?

People can play the cynic all they want if that's what makes them feel better. Everyone knows they'd be first in line to buy Super SCUMM Bros. Brawl or Extreme Corley Motors: Demolition Dermy.

I don't know what to make out of either of those quotes, but it's awesome that LEC's claims that they're recommitting to their legacy IP wasn't just a short-term thing. Keep the re-releases coming.

Keep the re-releases coming, sure, but unless they are planning to become the LucasArts Historical Society then they have to come up with something better than Lucididy.

Unfortunately I'm 100% cynical about them. I think they're revisiting their old IP because it's massively cheaper (and faster to make) than original IP. Has everyone forgotten Bombad Racing all of a sudden? I don't mind seeing spin-off games or whatever they're planning, I just don't trust them to make a good game.

If they want to re-release their old games on Steam, or even on consoles, then fine, great. If they want to remake them even, then sure - go ahead. I just wish they wouldn't approach them like Eastern European plastic surgeons.

Hehe awesome

Bombad was a LucasLearning title, I don't know why it gets judged alongside LucasArts titles.

Well fair enough. I really have no reasons I'm just cynical ;

I respectfully disagree :)

They are not only resting on their laurels, but ruining their history. Time to move on.

Super SCUMM Bros. Brawl does sound oddly compelling...

"It's funny that you mention Ron Gilbert, because one of the ideas we had was to have it be Ron's voice telling you what to do to solve his puzzles. Hmm...maybe next time."

What is this I don't even...

Hmm, determined not to read too much into that comment regarding the secret. It's tempting to know but concerned they could bugger it up, still trying to block out the EMI giant-monkey-head-robot from the canon.

Although I would buy a game based on The Demonic Adventures of Murray :)

Yeah, as I recall Ron Gilbert said he only ever told the Secret to one guy and he doesn't remember it. So I really doubt Lucasarts is gonna do that unless they're dumber than I'd really prefer to give them credit for.

Well, it looks like somebody finally listened to my Lucasarts Vs. Capcom Idea!

I have an image of Ben dragon punching Akuma in my head. It's pretty cool.

This is officially the greatest thing ever.

The REAL Monkey Island 5!

You mean the REAL Monkey Island 4 ;)

Well, if we're splitting hairs here, technically it would be the real Monkey Island 3, considering CMI was non-canon. You know, Word of God and all that.

Hell Yeah!

Super Smash Bros. : LucasArts Edition.

Oh great news. I trust LucasArts with this about as far as I could throw Manhattan.

I'm taking a wait and see approach. The new LucasArts is still finding it's feet. MI:SE and Lucidity may have been flawed but, to me anyway, they showed promise.

Whacha talkin' about? Don't you want Monkey Island: eXtreme Fighter Rogue Squadron?

The Dig 2: Cocytans Unleashed, a rollicking sci-fi FPS using the TFU engine.

Full Throttle 2: Hell on Wheels, a beat-em-up game in the Full Throttle universe. Oh, wait...

Sam and Max: Freelance Police!

...Force of habit.

(Facepalm)

I think you've got the best analogy there, clone2727. They're not going to do anything stupid like Guybrush Paint or Zak McKracken Power Tennis.

But then again... wtf are they doing?