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Lucasfilm licenses SW to JAKKS TV Games 07 May, 2004, 18:06 / 14 comments

By jp-30


A news item on TheForce.net yesterday reveals LucasArts may no longer be the the exclusive publisher of Star Wars video games
JAKKS Pacific Signs TV Games License With Lucasfilm Ltd. For The Action-Adventure Epic Star Wars

MALIBU, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK) announced today that the Company has signed a worldwide license with Lucasfilm Ltd. to produce TV Games(TM) products based on the blockbuster, Star Wars saga.

TV Games(TM) products are slated to be developed based on all films in the Star Wars saga -- A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and the upcoming Star Wars: Episode III.
Hit the full JAKKS TV GAMES press release for the rest of the info. Interestingly there's no mention of the "LucasArts" division in the press release at all. For more products in the JAKKS TV GAMES range, check their website.

Source: JAKKS Pacific

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14 Comments

  • spaceship789 on 11 May, 2004, 05:17…
    Lucasfilm probably had a policy of not letting other games companies license starwars incase it hurts the starwars brandname. Now that these 8bit joysticks have come along they've let them through because even if they were crap games, it wouldn't erode the starwars brand name - people would just blame the eighties for having dodgey games.
  • Rapp Scallion on 10 May, 2004, 08:57…
    Well, I thought this was good news. In a way. LucasArts has god rid of the stuff that we didn't like about them. We didn't like them selling only starwars games. Well, now they wont. Maybe they'll concentrate on origingal titles now? Well, I'm allowed to dream, aren't I?
  • Bobo Donkey? on 10 May, 2004, 06:51…
    After looking at the spongebob joystick I can guess how the Star Wars joystick is gonna look. A small lightsaber or maybe even a lightsaber handle.
  • Scummbuddy on 08 May, 2004, 17:00…
    First I was going to laugh at LucasArts for first getting rid of half of the game styles that make them who they are (adventures) and then for losing some of the star wars games to another company. But then I remembered who is getting these old games. So we'll be able to play old-school Tie Fighter from the 80's. Big whoop. I hear almost all of those 'games in a controller' things get returned anyways cause they are cruddy. Too many problems.
  • El_Pollo_Diablo on 08 May, 2004, 12:42…
    WTF!?! These games will sell better than Sam and Max 2, hmmm possibly but isn't it 2004 who above the age of 10 would play these types of games? I've never even seen Jakks TV games over here in the UK.

    Well Done LucasArts for cutting funds on what you dub "not the appropriate time to launch a graphic adventure". The appropriate time to launch games like these was I believe 1977, 1980, 1983. But if LucasArts knows best then who are we to argue.
  • Dalixam on 08 May, 2004, 04:51…
    What are "TV Games" anyway? Is it those pixelated eightees-type games on their website? That's gotta be a joke. Anyway, that's not actualy a threat to Luca$Art$.
  • Jake on 09 May, 2004, 22:33…
    I get the sense we'll be getting stuff like the 80s Star Wars and Empire arcade games on TV Games before we get any new titles. (If any new titles at all)
  • jp-30 on 10 May, 2004, 00:02…
    The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones & EpisodeIII games that are mentioned in the press release will be new though, I'd assume. I'm expecting them all to look & play like "Super Star Wars" - side scrolling platformers.
  • SiN on 08 May, 2004, 01:29…
    yep, every1s jumping the gun with this one. just because another company is making TV games, doesnt mean lucasarts are dead. these guys (JAKKS) prolly specialize in tv games ... which is why they got the deal.

    SiN
  • glottis42 on 07 May, 2004, 23:51…
    Not that big a deal in my opinion. Remember, in the past THQ has published SW games for gameboy and I believe there have been other such instances. I see it personally as a move by Lucasfilm to make some cash. I dont see it as effecting LucasArts all that much, since they dont make a product similar to TV GAMES. I think it may be a cool idea in fact.
  • jp-30 on 07 May, 2004, 23:58…
    Yeah, I just remembered about the GBA games (Ep2, Droid Factory & Millennium Falcon) made by THQ that don't have any LucasArts tie in.
  • TyraaRane on 07 May, 2004, 20:33…
    This can't be good. Can it? I mean...what does it say about LucasArts if Lucasfilm is handing the rights to make Star Wars games over to another, outside gaming company?

    Am I the only one hearing the sound of nails being driven into a coffin here?
  • Shanty on 07 May, 2004, 18:14…
    Does this spell the beginning of the end for Lucasarts?! Has Lucasfilm realized that the whole division is nothing more than a ball and chain around the leg of the rest of the money-making machine?! Will we never see Lucasarts release a new, original graphic adventure?! How much is the Double Fine beta-tester crane going for on E-Bay?! You'll just have to stay tuned to find out!!
  • jp-30 on 07 May, 2004, 18:10…
    I'm imagining ports of the 3 OT video games - SW & ESB being the wire frame 3D games, and ROTJ that awful pseudo 3D diagonal scrolling Zaxon type release. And I'm also picturing side scrolling platform games like Super Star Wars & Super Empire Strikes Back. Time will tell. I do like the TV GAMES concept - those 'classic styled' & novelty controller / units on the jakkstvgames.com website are pretty cool.