LucasArts.com has updated its screenshot of the week. This time, the screenshot is from Gladius featuring a cameo from Blue Man Group. Oh, the fun! Gladius will be released for the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube this spring.
Articles
LucasArts.com has updated its screenshot of the week. This time, the screenshot is from Gladius featuring a cameo from Blue Man Group. Oh, the fun! Gladius will be released for the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube this spring.
LucasArts has updated their 20th Anniversary page with another scan of some original background artwork from Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. What's the locale? This time it's the Voodoo Lady's house, AKA The International House of Mojo. Booyah!
Take a look at it here, or click the image at the bottom of this post. This is the second Monkey 2 image LucasArts has put on the site. The first one, Captain Dread's map, is here. Fun times!
LucasArts has just issues a press release announcing a new bundle package for Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Can't you feel the excitement in the air? Here's the press release in full:
<:MORENEWS:>
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- August 14, 2002 - LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC today announced Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga, which gathers the popular real-time strategy Windows PC game Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds and its dynamic Star Wars Episode II mission expansion Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns in a single package.
The value oriented Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga , expected to release this October, will challenge players with more than 50 battle campaigns representing the classic and prequel Star Wars universe. As an added bonus to Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga, LucasArts has teamed with Wizards of the Coast, the worldwide market leader in the trading card and tabletop roleplaying game categories, to include the Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, booster packs for the highly successful Star Wars trading card game. The booster packs, available in limited quantities in the U.S. version of Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga, have an estimated retail value of $10.00."
Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga presents two of this past years' mostpopular real-time strategy games in one low priced package," says Mary Bihr, vice president, worldwide sales and marketing for LucasArts. "Together with the Star Wars trading card game booster packs, Star Wars fans will have countless hours of gaming fun." Powered by the Age of Empires: Age of Kings technology, Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga allows players to deploy vast armies, manage resources and create custom single or multiplayer campaigns on Tatooine, Naboo, Endor, Hoth, Geonosis and more.
About LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide. Based in San Rafael, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts is one of five companies in the Lucas group which include Lucasfilm Ltd., Lucas Digital Ltd. LLC, Lucas Licensing Ltd., and Lucas Online. Lucasfilm is one of the leading film and entertainment companies in the world. Lucasfilm's businesses include George Lucas' film and television production and distribution activities. Lucas Digital, which consists of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound, provides visual effects and audio post-production services to the entertainment industry. Lucas Licensing is responsible for the merchandising of all Lucasfilm's film and television properties. Lucas Online is a digital destination for entertainment, education, reference and e-commerce for Lucasfilm's intellectual properties and business units.
# # #
In additional to the recent announcement concerning Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it's possible that other upcoming titles may be delayed as well. HomeLAN is reporting that Indiana Jones and the Emporer's Tomb may have had its release date moved from Fall 2002 back into January 2003. The site also mentions that Galaxies may appear in February 2003, which we recently reported here. LucasArts hasn't commented on this yet, so we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks to Marek for the tip!
A friend pointed me to this article on music4games.net, which talks about a recording session recently held by LucasArts with the Northwest Sinfonia orchestra in Seattle, Washington.
They recorded hours of all-original (with some familiar themes) score for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, scored by ex-LucasArts in-house composer Clint Bajakian and his small team at CB Studios. Here's a snip from the story:
Clint Bajakian from The Sound Department (Outlaws, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, Escape from Monkey Island), who composed the score, explained why they went with a live orchestra:We're trying to scrape together our own report on this LucasArts first. But right now you should read theirs!
"LucasArts recognized that it was time to bring the magic that only a live orchestra can produce, into something as important as an Indiana Jones game. We recognized that the Indiana Jones film scores were great, not only due to the brilliant writing of John Williams, but on the dazzling quality of 80 world-class musicians playing their hearts out in an orchestral ensemble."
Update: Also, I've put up a smaller version of the picture music4games.net ran with their story (see, our version can actually fit on a screen) at the bottom of this post.
On the official Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic forums, producer Mike Gallo has posted a message with a new release date for the upcoming Xbox and PC RPG. Prepare yourself for his quote:
[Reviewing the schedules and task lists] has been a pretty lengthy process, but we're confident in our new release schedule of Spring '03 for the Xbox, and Summer '03 for the PC. This is a huge game with an epic story, and we want to be able to bring that entire experience to all of the fans that have been waiting so patiently for it. In the end, taking the extra time to deliver on that promise is what's most important, and both LucasArts and BioWare are committed to that promise.Nice to see that fan speculations of a rushed schedule imposed by Microsoft and a compromise of quality may be untrue. Be sure to read the full message and the reply written by project director/producer Casey Hudson.
Are you as desperate for news as we are? Then check out LucasArts.com for some new concept art from the upcoming PS2 and Gamecube title, Bounty Hunter. Granted this isn't the least bit exciting, but the concept art does look pretty good.
Update: Tomas points out that the 20th Anniversary Site has also been updated with some Day of the Tentacle character sketches! Very cool.
LucasArts.com has been updated with some new goodies. First, there is a trailer for RTX Red Rock, showing off some of the cinematics and in-game footage. Second, check out this sweet new Indy screen, which shows Dr. Jones just before he smacks the sense into some guy. And finally, if you're really looking for something to do, you can check out this concept art on the 20th Anniversary site for Star Wars Starfighter. It's pretty boring, though.
Update: QueZTone points out that in the company store, you can now find this t-shirt featuring the "Heroes for a Next Generation." Here's your one and only chance to wear a shirt with both Indiana Jones and Ben from Full Throttle on it. Of course, those of you living outside the US may be out of luck on this one.
In case you didn't believe us about Editor's Day, read something else! There's a take on the press event over at GameHelper.com Here's a clip:
It?s that time again! Time for BBQ cookouts, Sack races and LucasArts Editor?s Day 2002! Each summer the agents over at LucasArts host a secret meeting at an even more secret location in which they reveal all of their current top secret weapons to the press. Otherwise known as the LucasArts Editor?s Day this event gave us a peek at the not so top secret titles from their upcoming barrage for Star Wars fans.Check out the full article here.
Got this in the ol' mailbox:
LucasArts Entertainment Company is pleased to announce that Alexis Mervin has been promoted from Public Relations Coordinator to Public Relations Specialist. Alexis joined the public relations department two years ago and has since become an invaluable member of the team.Alexis was one of the cool PR people we met at Editor's Day. So congratulations to her! Hopefully she will be responsible for giving us exclusives for years to come! (heh) Also, hooray for Strawberry Village.
In her new role, Alexis will continue to work with domestic press as well as participate in trade show and event coordination.
Here is some news that many of you may find interesting. In our recent visit to San Francisco, Tim Schafer informed us that a few of his fellow employees work on an independent comic in their spare time entitled Hickee.
Among the people who work on this comic are Joe White, Graham Anable, Dave Bogan, and Razmig Mavillian (whose name "Raz" is being used for the main character in Psychonauts). All of these guys worked at LucasArts on such classics as The Curse of Monkey Island, Outlaws, and Grim Fandango. But that's not all! Two fellows named Nathan Stapley and Scott Campbell also work on the comic and are currently employed at Double Fine Productions.
If you're a big fan of comics and witty writing, you might want to check this out. You can find out more information on Hickee at this website, which also houses Graham's own comic called Grickle. Or, you can read an interview with these guy and view pictures here.
LucasArts.com has again updated it's 20th anniversary site with a new image, as well as making some necessary (ahem) corrections. The new image is concept art from The Empire Strikes Back, which I assume was made into a LucasArts game at some point :).
LucasArts has updated their 20th Anniversary Page with some lovely concept art from what appears to be the end of The Dig, though I guess the final product changed a lot between the time that concept art was drawn and the game shipped (go figure, it's The Dig). I haven't played The Dig forever.
Update: A-ha! I think my original suspicion that this shot is in fact from Loom and not from The Dig might be correct after all, after looking at this screenshot from LucasFans. Also you can sort of see it flying away at this site. Heh.
Update: Ok, LucasArts has fixed it at this point, but if you really want to see the goof-up, it's right here.
No, that's not the title (or at least we *hope* that's not the title), but it seems at LEC's press event, IGN beat out of them that Peter Hirschmann (Medal of Honor) and Larry Holland (Luftwaffe, XvT) are working on a World War II aerial combat title.
In this World War II aerial combat fighting game, players can engage themselves in the world of a handful of fighter pilot aces in air-to-air and air-to-ground battles in a slew of combat theaters across Europe and relative territories. A story-driven game, LucasArts' title enables players to take on the role of an elite squad of pilots who must confront military enemies in some of the most difficult and dangerous missions of the war.Check out IGN for the full article.
Source: M4r3k
LucasArts.com has been updated, featuring this new screenshot from the upcoming RTX Red Rock. The screen shows our hero EZ Wheeler encountring some unlucky skeleton. I wonder if his name is Bob.
LucasArts.com has posted the final box art for the massive multiplayer game, Star Wars Galaxies. You can view the box art under the Galaxies product spotlight or directly here. The box art design is pretty simple, yet effective. And let's face it, it's more likely that people are going to pick this game up in a shop because of the massive press and word of mouth rather than the pretty box.
Sorry for the slow news week, but a few of your Mixnmojo staffers were hard at work attending an Editor's Day hosted by LucasArts. More on that later.
For now, LucasArts has posted a link to a new interview with LucasArts President Simon Jeffery at HomeLAN.com. While the interview doesn't reveal any new groundbreaking info, it is still an interesting read. Here's a quote:
HomeLAN - Similarly, the PC platform in terms of technology continues to grow and change at an accelerated rate. In your opinion, where does LucasArts see the PC gaming industry developing in the next year to 18 months?
Simon Jeffery - The PC gaming market will continue to evolve in an organic fashion as technology improves. We will not abdicate the PC market, and will continue to develop games, particularly games of certain genres, for the PC.
Check out the full interview if you are interested.
LFNetwork graphic designer TheJackal has whipped up a nice new design for the latest board to be featured at LucasForums: LEC's 20th Anniversary! This new section contains several forums for discussing current titles, classics, and future releases from LEC, as well as a forum for giving LEC some feedback (careful, they might read it). Check it out!
I forgot to mention that in Friday's amazing 20th Anniversary update, LucasArts.com has also posted a new Gladius screenshot. This new screen features a really cool skull-like rock formation. Gaze in awe.
In the usual LucasArts.com Friday updates, long time fans of the company can sure find a lot to get excited about. It seems that LucasArts is finally getting around to celebrating its 20th anniversary properly. First, in the LucasArts Theatre, you can view QuickTime clips of cutscenes from the original Full Throttle. Not bad, although they do seem to suffer from some interlace problems.
Next, in the History Section, you can read about the early years of the company between 1982 and 1989. The feature is not unlike our own Wilmunder Memoirs, and will continue to be updated to cover the 1990-1994 years.
Don't miss the 20th Anniversary Art Gallery, where you can find some never-before-seen treasures. First, there is this amazing high-res scan of the Monkey Island 2 map, a piece of concept art from Grim Fandango, and another Peter Chan concept scan from Full Throttle!
After that, you can read an interview with Jon Knoles, who served as game designer for many Star Wars games and is currently directing Bounty Hunter. The interviews continue next month with a profile of Fate of Atlantis and RTX Red Rock designer Hal Barwood.
And finally *phew*, check out the Flashback section with a few favorite memories of some LucasArts employees. The stories include finding bugs in such classics as Grim Fandango and Fate of Atlantis. These are really interesting and remind us of the many late nights these guys have to put up with.
So there you have it. It's great to see LucasArts opening up again and taking a look at its previous products and their employees. It reminds me of the old days of The Adventurer, and I hope they keep this up.