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New Prez gets Old LucasArts' broom out 06 Jun, 2008 / Comments: 26

By jp-30


As is tradition at LucasArts, the new President Darrell Rodriguez has seen fit to turn over the company staff.

Industry sites are reporting mass layoffs. From Fragland;
We've heard from multiple sources today that LucasArts has laid off approximately 50-100 of its employees, including a handful of higher profile names like VP of Product Development Peter Hirschmann.

While LucasArts public relations did not get back to us today, several former LucasArts staffers did, with one telling us that 75-100 employees were laid off from the company, including the producer of LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Shawn Storc.

According to another source, up to 80% of staff has been laid off in departments such as Production Services, which includes QA and Compliance, with jobs planned to be outsourced overseas. Cuts were also said to be made in development, with art and programming staffers being laid off


It's like déjà vu all over again... Indiana Jones 2007 2008 2015 2020?

Update: Keep your eye on the ex-LucasArts employee Facebook group. Some interesting stuff being posted in the comments.<:MORENEWS:>

Update by The Tingler: Kotaku have the news reports, and the bitter employees have spilled the beans on all the secret projects in the works (Mojo comments in italics):
- KOTOR 3 (They say it's an MMO: most likely a joint project between Lucasarts and BioWare)
- Battlefront 3 (which we've already heard about)
- "The Official Indiana Jones" game (hopefully Staff of Kings, although doesn't that 'official' make it sound like a film tie-in?)
- "another LEGO game based on the Indy universe" (Almost certainly The Complete Adventures)
- "a lightsaber game for the wii (sorry, no lightsaber peripherals)" (Could this be the Clone Wars game? If not, it's strange that it's not mentioned otherwise.)

Two internally-developed games apparently far enough along to be unaffected by the sackings are The Force Unleashed (which they say has already "passed approval with SCEA and is ready to ship") and Fracture, which they say is described by team members as "an absolute piece of garbage".
Although Kotaku does make it clear that that comment on Fracture is by an angry ex-employee so probably biased, I can certainly believe it.

Source: Google News

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26 Comments

  • Char Ell on 08 Jun, 2008, 16:13…
    So how is LucasArts supposed to develop the DMM and euphoria-based Indiana Jones game (you know, the one that was originally supposed to be released this year) if most of their production staff have been given their walking papers?
  • Udvarnoky on 09 Jun, 2008, 05:36…
    There's reason to believe those technologies won't be a part of the Indiana Jones game now.
  • jp-30 on 08 Jun, 2008, 20:27…
    Outsource. Or maybe the Indy team are still employed?
  • Sven_Q45 on 07 Jun, 2008, 12:49…
    Once again? :eek:

    LA is at the end. :rolleyes:
  • Sven_Q45 on 07 Jun, 2008, 18:50…
    I forgot:
    LucasArts it´s a shame! Lego Indy and Lego SW people after such a short time!
  • jp-30 on 07 Jun, 2008, 22:12…
    Well, those were externally developed. The laid-off games' producer was at LucasArts - the person who liased between TT Games (the developers) and LucasArts (the publisher).
  • PirateKingChris on 06 Jun, 2008, 20:36…
    KotOR MMO? Screw that.
  • Capn_Nacho on 06 Jun, 2008, 20:24…
    I love the Fracture bit. Really great stuff.

    And I'm sure Staff of Kings isn't on the "far enough along to be unaffected list" because it only just started development yesterday or something, and now the whole team has been sacked. Wouldn't that just figure.
  • Udvarnoky on 07 Jun, 2008, 01:04…
    That would suck. It's worth pointing out though that the report erroneously refers to Fracture as an internally developed game.
  • The Tingler on 07 Jun, 2008, 08:13…
    Yeah, same with Battlefront 3 and Lego Indy. They shouldn't be affected.
  • Hümmelgümpf on 06 Jun, 2008, 17:53…
    God, I sure hope that KotOR MMO by BioWare won't see the light of the day. Give me a proper sequel to TSL developed by Obsidian! Provided that they will have enough time to actually finish the damned thing, obviously.
  • Udvarnoky on 06 Jun, 2008, 16:49…
    Also, why is Staff of Kings not considered one of the "two internally-developed games apparently far enough along to be unaffected by the sackings?"
  • Udvarnoky on 06 Jun, 2008, 16:35…
    Outsourcing 80% of its staff in "some departments." Wow.
  • mish87 on 06 Jun, 2008, 15:31…
    I wish they made a Fate of Atlantis episode for Lego Indy. That would be rad.
  • The Tingler on 06 Jun, 2008, 15:38…
    Yeah, really make things full circle wouldn't it? :)
  • jp-30 on 07 Jun, 2008, 00:05…
    Given that the Batman LEGO game has an original plot, perhaps 2/3 of the new LEGO Indy game would be original (set between Last Crusade & KOCS), and then KOCS as the final level?

  • The Tingler on 07 Jun, 2008, 08:14…
    That would be so cool...
  • Gabez on 06 Jun, 2008, 10:15…
    More LucasArts insanity! Does anyone actually work at that company any more?
  • Kroms on 06 Jun, 2008, 15:04…
    Which reminds me: bugger never replied about that interview.
  • jp-30 on 06 Jun, 2008, 11:24…
    Darrell does. And, uhh... George.
  • The Tingler on 06 Jun, 2008, 12:50…
    George is rarely there though. Must be just Darrell. He has to get his own coffee and everything.
  • Capn_Nacho on 06 Jun, 2008, 08:58…
    It seems like they're not content just to look like fools to fans of their old stuff anymore; now they're pushing to make EVERYONE hate them.

    I've still got just the faintest glimmer of hope for Indiana Jones 2032, though.
  • The Tingler on 06 Jun, 2008, 08:12…
    This makes me think that this guy was one of the people that was angry about Force Unleashed and Indy not coming in 2007, despite them both still needing loads of work.

    I did have hope for their games, but if this idiot's in charge I don't.
  • jp-30 on 06 Jun, 2008, 07:45…
    Crap I wish there was a comment edit button (re: my comment below).

    Anyway, if any of the newly-ex-employees are reading this, sorry to hear about your plight. Hopefully you'll find employment in similar companies whose upper management aren't douchbags.

    I've been laid off twice in my life, and both times it's led to bigger and better things. Hopefully it will for most of you guys too.
  • jp-30 on 06 Jun, 2008, 07:34…
    I predict the facebook group I Bet I Can find 10,000 Ex-Lucas Employeeshitting its titulat target pretty soon.
  • Diduz on 06 Jun, 2008, 07:23…
    This is pathetic. It's not even "news" any longer. I really wanted to support them anyway, but I see no point in doing that if they don't support themselves!