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Boy, we sure have had some fun looking up trademarks for LucasArts in the past. After all, that's how we first heard about Gladius.
Well, TheForce.net broke a story yesterday that LucasArts filed for a trademark on January 14th for a game called Free Agent. Nothing else is known, although it's interesting that the word "adventure game" is mentioned in the goods and services description... of course that may not mean anything. Read about it.
Does IGN know something we don't? Well, most likely yes, but what about all things concerning LucasArts? In its "Most Anticipated Games of 2004" article, IGN lists Knights of the Old Republic 2 (though not from Bioware), Rebel X (a compilation of Nintendo Star Wars games), and a mystery Episode III game in which you play as Darth Vader.
Additionally, we at Mojo have heard a few rumors of this Darth Vader game as well, and that it may or may not be the pet project of Jon Knoles. In case you're unaware, Knoles previously wrote and directed Bounty Hunter, which was another game developed concurrently with the production of a Star Wars film.
Just a quick note letting you know that DanSky, creator of some of those nice 3D Monkey Island wallpapers, the Cooking with Spaff logo, and a lot of other fine artwork, has returned to teh Mooj. Well, he's almost returned. His full site, featuring lots of great artwork and other crazy stuff, will be back soon.
It was offline for a long time, but the Unofficial Sam & Max Website is back, with some new content. Please go take a look around, and be sure to enjoy the nice high res Sam & Max Frelance Police artwork we've got there. Thanks for waiting so long.
This just in: Apparently, if you hold down the space bar while visiting that new Star Wars Galaxies site, you can shoot stuff. That's right! Unsubstantiated rumors that holding space bar while typing "SAMNMAX" 3 times will cause Max to destroy the city have yet to be substantiated. Of course, I can't vouch for any of this, since my computer is too slow to handle that gargantuan Flash file.
According to this Gamespot report, you Xbox Livers have new stuff for your fantasical Secret Weapons Over Normandy. Let's Plagiarize:
"LucasArts has today released its third Secret Weapons Over Normandy content package via Xbox Live. The free download offers players an alternative camouflage scheme for the Ju-87 Stuka, a new fighter craft in the form of the Italian Macchi 202, and a new single-player mission entitled 'Escape from Tripoli'.
Disappointingly, this level appears to contain no sign of Kurt Russell. Shame.
LFNetwork's got a new network satellite for all you kids who are excited for LucasArts' and Pandemic Studios' upcoming title, Star Wars: Battlefront. It's called, well, SWBattlefront.Net, and...err...you should visit it right now...for news and game info, as well as miscellaneous rumor-mongering on their new discussion forums. SWBattlefront.Net!! (!!!!)
IGN has released its Best of 2003 Awards with LucasArts earning some recognition. (Too bad it's all Star Wars)
Star Wars Galaxies was named "Best Persistent World Game", Rebel Strike won "Best Sound (Gamecube)", and Knights of the Old Republic walked away with "Best RPG", "Best Story", "Best Sound (Xbox)", and yes, "Overall Game of the Year." Congrats.
Not at LucasArts, of course, but if you download the sample issue of ZiffDavis's new "Gaming Industry News" magazine, and point your PDF viewer to page 3, you can hear Simon talk about LucasArts, and the games industry, one last time. It's pretty short, but if you miss Simon, or want to hear his post-LucasArts attitudes on the games industry, its worth taking a look.
The official LucasArts website has been graced with a brand new, flash-rich information site for Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. While the official game site remains hosted by Sony Online Entertainment, The new page has some good information and gives a feel for the look and sound of Galaxies. So check it out, already, And be sure to have the latest version of Flash.
It?s time again for the Game Developers Conference. Like the previous years, several current and former LucasArts employees will be speaking. The conference isn?t open to the general public (boo), but if you?re willing to spend the money, you can order audio and video cassettes of the various lectures. Among those speaking are:<:MORENEWS:>
Former LucasArts Employees:
Clint Bajakian, composer and sound designer
Hal Barwood, writer and designer (currently unemployed?)
Julian Kwasneski, sound designer
Michael Land, composer
Tim Schafer, The Man
Current LucasArts Employees:
Chuck McFadden, senior QA lead
Nick Porcino, senior systems Engineer
Well there you have it. The Game Developers Conference will be held in San Jose, California from March 22 through 26. Anyone who manages to sneak in and write an investigative Mojo report will receive a free pack of Skittles.
Adventure Gamers forumer ATMachine pointed out a lovely thing in this month's PC Gamer (US): A one page preview of Sam & Max Freelance Police. The one page preview is part of PCG's look at hot titles to look for in 2004. (This is strangely reminiscent of a particular game's appearance in PCG's "hot titles to look for in 2003" article from last year, but that's irrellevant. Right? Right.)
In the Freelance Police preview, PC Gamer talks to designer/writer Mike Stemmle about the game's genre orientation, plans for after the game has shipped, and of course, Minigames! Max in what sounds like a DDR-style rhythm dance game? Anything called "Back-a-Rat?!" Woot. Check it out.
Or so GameSpy would have you believe. In a recent Top 10 article, GameSpy counted down the top 10 greatest videogame sidekicks. No fewer than three LucasArts characters made it into the top five spots in this countdown, and one even took the top spot. First up is Max (of Sam and Max, guy) at number 4, followed by Murray, the talking skull of CMI (and to a lesser extent, EMI) fame in third place. But the top spot went to none other than HK-47, the murderous yet lovable protocol/meatbag-killing droid from Knights of the Old Republic.
I don't know whether Mojo readers would agree to the ordering of the list, but I happen to like HK (maybe not more than Max, however). Check out the article to read about the other sidekicks who made the list, and also a few who totally didn't.
LucasArts has officially announced Star Wars Battlefront for the PS2, Xbox and PC. Described as an "intense open-ended multiplayer action game," the game will take place in both the classic and prequel era of the Star Wars universe. Twelve highly impressive screenshots can be viewed here.
<:MORENEWS:>
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - January 13, 2004 - LucasArts officially announced today the exciting details regarding Star Wars Battlefront, an intense open-ended multiplayer action game set in the Star Wars? universe due out this fall for the PlayStation?2 computer entertainment system, Xbox? video game system from Microsoft and the PC. Star Wars Battlefront will put fans and gamers in the heat of the action as they re-live all of the epic battles from the classic and prequel eras of the Star Wars universe.
Both console and PC players will be able to participate in the most memorable Star Wars battles set in over 15 environments across 10 diverse planets including Hoth, Geonosis, Yavin, Tatooine and Naboo. Players will be able to select one of over 20 different soldier types from four factions: Rebel Alliance, Imperial Army, Clone Army and Droid Army. Each soldier will have specialized abilities and the freedom to use ground-based turrets found on the battlefront as well as over 15 diverse ground and air vehicles including the AT-ST, X-wing and speeder bike.
Star Wars Battlefront will be optimized for PS2 online, Xbox Live and PC online. Console gamers will be able to battle against 16 players over the Internet or 32 players connected via LAN. PC gamers will be able to battle against 32 players over the Internet or 64 via a LAN. The game will also support voice chat through compatible headsets for the PS2 and Xbox console systems as well as PC.
In addition to the single-player and various multiplayer modes offered in Star Wars Battlefront, a unique "Conquest" mode adds an innovative and strategic gameplay element to the action. After each battle is completed and the planet is conquered, the winning team will be rewarded with a special "bonus" ability that can be deployed in future battles in an attempt to take over the Star Wars galaxy planet-by-planet.
Star Wars Battlefront is published by LucasArts and developed by Pandemic Studios. For more information, please visit the official product website at www.starwarsbattlefront.com
LucasArts has released the first bonus level for Armed and Dangerous for the XBOX. No word yet on when or if the level will be available for PC gamers.
"The very first Armed and Dangerous bonus mission has been officially released and is now available for download on Xbox Live. In the all-new mission titled "Summer Home", the King's troops are looking for payback and are determined to destroy Lily's lovely Summer Home sitting high upon a hill. It is your mission to prevent the ogres from destroying her idyllic house. If they succeed, Lily would have nowhere to summer and would wind up living on the streets. Keep her relaxing abode safe from harm! Log into Xbox Live and download today!"
We just got word from LucasArts that Wrath Unleashed has gone gold for XBOX and PlayStation 2. The game won't actually come out until February 10, but now it's officially okay to wait expectantly. For more info on the game, check out the official site. It's Flash-tastic.
As pointed out on our forums (which seem to be down at the moment), both GameSpot and IGN have uploaded some new, early looking screens from Star Wars Battlefront. Battlefront is a Battlefield 1942-like Star Wars multiplayer squad combat game being developed by Pandemic Studios.
For all of you who have been waiting to see some actual screenshots from Star Wars: Republic Commando you now have the chance thanks to Computer and Video Games. Allegedly the game is a "dramatic military-style action experience featuring brutally realistic Star Wars combat". Word. Read and view it all here.
Computer And Video Games has conducted a short interview with Mike Stemmle, director of the latest Sam & Max game. Among the new information are some tidbits about the plot:
The story of Sam & Max: Freelance Police is really six stories, loosely held together by a thrilling ?ber-plot. The individual stories are wide-ranging cases of the Freelance Police, featuring exotic locales (such as a low-rent space station, and a lame-ass neopagan desert bacchanal) and freakish bad guys (like an exceptionally honked-off Miss Congeniality, and a rogue artificial intelligence made out of tortilla chips).Interesting, no? Read it all here.
Source: Adventure Gamers
Its 2004, and Double Fine Action News has been updated. Now that you're all gone to read the update, I'll summarize it! Basically Tim Schafer is telling us that Christmas and Thanksgiving will be obliterated by the government to make way for all new Psychonauts celebrations, come "Holiday 2004" when the game ships. Furthermore, there are new Psychonauts screenshots in this months issue of Official XBox Magazine (on newsstands now). Also he tells us he may be appearing naked in the magazine but is not sure.