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LucasArts Reaffirms Commitment to All Consoles

Posted by Zonk on Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:38 AM
from the voooom-swish dept.
Businesses Nintendo Entertainment Games
dud83 writes to mention an article on IGN, in which LucasArts confirms they'll be making games for the Wii, in addition to their already announced titles for the PS3 and 360. From the article: "During the Q&A session, a younger gamer took the microphone and asked if the company would be showing support for the newest motion-controlled Nintendo console. Sansweet's responded simply by stating the likeness between the Wii controller and a lightsaber, followed by a statement that LucasArts would be supporting every next generation system."
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[+] LucasArts Shows Interest In Wii Lightsaber Game 112 comments
Gamasutra reports that, though they're not willing to say they have one in the works right now, LucasArts is interested in a Wii lightsaber game. From the article: "At the end of the demonstration, Gamasutra inquired as to whether the company planned on creating a lightsaber game for the Wii, after many commented on the suitability of the system to the concept - especially after an internal speaker was revealed in the controller being used to demo the concept. This question produced a number of knowing smiles around the room from LucasArts employees, followed by the comments: 'We know' and 'We are looking into it', as possible concepts for the game were discussed. However, the firm has not yet made any official announcements regarding planned Wii titles."
[+] Square Enix and LucasArts Talk Next-Gen Positioning 40 comments
A number of companies have released some small details about their plans for next generation gaming. This week, Gamespot has new information from Square Enix and Lucasarts about their upcoming plans. Square, it's reported, sees the need for dramatic change in the industry; a physical game device or something for the DS might be in the offing. Lucasarts, on the other hand, has partnered with MechAssault developer Day 1 studios for an unnamed title with signature multiplayer elements and episodic content. From that article: "However, while the Day 1/LucasArts mystery project will feature downloadable content, Thorley would not say if it would adopt an episodic model a la Half-Life 2: Episode One and its two models. 'With the way [console certification works] the challenge is the economics of [episodic content],' he said. 'While we're not prepared to say whether we'll have episodic content for this new title, under certain circumstances it makes a lot of sense.'"
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  • Priorities? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by eldavojohn (898314) * <my/.username@@@gmail.com> on Monday July 24 2006, @10:41AM (#15769999) Homepage Journal
    That's great news, but what about its commitment to the fans/consumer?

    I don't know about the rest of you but games like Tie Fighter, The Dig & Dark Forces won me over long ago ... only to disappoint me time and time again with bland console games and repackaged computer games in the new millennium.

    They could seriously concentrate on their fans before worrying about which console they're going to choose to support.
    • Their commitment to profit was stronger.

    • Re:Priorities? (Score:4, Informative)

      by MaestroSartori (146297) on Monday July 24 2006, @10:57AM (#15770152) Homepage
      Saying they're working on all platforms *is* a sign that they're concentrating on the fans. It increases development costs substantially, but means that whatever platform the fans go for they'll have games to play on it.

      • Saying they're working on all platforms *is* a sign that they're concentrating on the fans. It increases development costs substantially, but means that whatever platform the fans go for they'll have games to play on it.

        It has been shown time and time again that gamers buy systems for games. I think that concentrating on making really great games (they've done it before, but it's been a long time) would be a better sign that they're working to support the fans.

        • What the hell else would gamers buy the systems for? Show and freaking tell?
          • The point, oh brilliant one, is that gamers will go where the games are, if they're good, whereas they don't give a fuck if the game is for their system or not if it sucks.
            • Yes but realistically, who's going to buy a system over a Lucas Arts game that is not a revival of a long lost series? Because we all know they'll produce mostly mediocre games that hope to sell because of the Star Wars name on them.
    • After X Wing vs Tie Fighter, perhaps the best Star Wars game was Shadows of the Empire on the N64. There was a big variety to do in that game. Quite a few unlockables. It even had a more 'real life' difficulty setting. That being that when you get hit by a lazer, you're pretty well almost dead if not dead.

      Maybe the next would be either of the KOTORs or Rogue Squadrons as each were very fun and engaging. It's just too bad that the Rogue Squadrons didn't include multiplayer modes.

      • Actually, the last one did have a multiplayer mode, I think.
        • Yup, Rebel Strike had mediocre 3rd person on the ground parts, but it did include split screen game play of all of the levels from Rogue Leader. It's still not as good as having full online multiplayer with multiple allies and enemies.
      • Have you played Jedi Knight or JK II? I thought they were really great FPS's. I love how I could go in Han Solo style and blast away the Storm Troopers with various guns, or if I were strong enough with the force, I could just throw all of them off a high-rise with a motion of my hand. The light-sabre fighting got kind of monotonous after while, but there was definately strategy involved.
          • number 4 does suck btw... really really badly...

            I just played it again earlier today actually... I was reminiscing over the Amiga days and a month or two before that I'd seen a monkey island 4 and thought it was for the PS2 only...

            well.. I acquired all 4 for a few hours just to live the glory days and went through them sequentially missing the 3rd because I'd already played it to death. I played the first... brilliant but the graphics don't hold me now.

            I played the second FANTASTIC !! again played to deat
            • I think it was the fact that they completely butchered the controls on their 3d adventures that made them think adventures aren't profitable. I know I couldn't convince my mother (avid point&click adventure gamer) to play Grim Fandango simply because of the horrible controls.
            • My suggestion to you is to get a DS then, and learn Japanese. Another Code is short, but really rather inventive for an adventure game. Project Hacker is longer, but with a much better storyline, but currently only available in Japan (nothing's been said about a US release yet). Hotel Dusk Room 215 will have a US release, but won't be out till near the end of the year, and it looks to be even more clever. Of course, those are the only old-style adventure games on the system, but if they sell well, I'm s
  • A light saber dualing game would be the ultimate on Wii. They really really need to make it.
    • I think that game would make me a very happy man.
    • As long as I can carve up Jar Jar with my light saber I will be happy. Ewok hunting would be a bonus.
      • I doubt they'd let that happen.

        I was inititally looking forward to SW:G. Open-ended roleplaying in the Star Wars universe, complete with a robust crafting system and player-created towns!

        My plan was to harvest gungans for their leathery hides, turning them into clothing and decorative lampshades. I envisioned an entire complex where gungans would be brought in on railcar, speedily dispatched by internal electrocution, and then rapidly skinned. I'd have other players paying me for those raw hides so they
  • Just imagine the wii controller in you hand. The speaker humming that lightsaber hum, the rumble as you parry your opponent. Tendrils of the force squeezing your trachea shut. . . hmmm maybe that's too much immersion. I still can't wait though, I'll buy a wii for this game alone.

      • Re:drool (Score:4, Informative)

        by masklinn (823351) <slashdot.orgNO@SPAMmasklinn.net> on Monday July 24 2006, @11:22AM (#15770343)

        You're aware that the reason why they're redoing Red Steel's controls is that they didn't "do" them in the first place?

        E3's Red Steel had barely functional controls in the sense that the game didn't actually detect your motion, only part of it to trigger specific predefined saber motions. And it sucked, and everyone said it.

        So the Red Steel dev team decided to do it right and use the motion sensor to actually detect and replicate the whole motion.

        If anything, the way they're redoing RS' controls is much closer to the GP's lightsabers desires than they were at E3.

  • That's wonderful. Now if only they would commit themselves to making some great adventure games again. Like a "Sam & Max" sequel, maybe?

    (BTW, whatever happened to the Sam & Max comic? Is it ever going to be updated? [telltalegames.com])

  • Sansweet's responded simply by stating the likeness between the Wii controller and a lightsaber,
    I don't know why LucasArts hasn't at least announced that they're working on a Star Wars game for the Wii. The first thing most people probably thought of upon the revealing of the Wiimote (after the initial "OMGWTF" moment passed) was "Holy crap this thing would make a kickass lightsaber game."

    It doesn't even need a story, just give us a character with a lightsaber and let us go to town. Imagine the thrill of moving your arm and actually hearing the "VOOM FWOOM" sounds coming out of the Wiimote! Then doing various parries, blocks, and cutting Darth Maul in half. Add in having light saber battles with someone over WiiConnect or a network, and you have a great game. We can all be the Star Wars Kid!

    followed by a statement that LucasArts would be supporting every next generation system.
    Including the Phantom?

  • Lightsaber with Wii ??? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ranton (36917) on Monday July 24 2006, @11:11AM (#15770257)
    Everyone keeps commenting about how they want a lightsaber fight with the Wii without actually thinking about how poorly that would be implimented.

    How would you possibly simulate a sword clash? Eventually the two light sabers will touch, but you cannot possibly simulate that with a Wii controller. There would have to be a great deal of hydrolics in any system that could simulate your lightsaber actually making contact with something other than air.

    This new controller could be a great addition to a number of new gaming ideas, but a sword battle is not one of them.
    --

    • Re:Lightsaber with Wii ??? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Jerf (17166) on Monday July 24 2006, @11:28AM (#15770386) Journal
      I disagree that it's impossible, while conceding that we'd need an actual implementation to try out to actually come to a consensus.

      (In other words, consider the "I disagree because I don't think that would work" reply to this message already posted.)

      I think you could make it work with a bit of cooperation from the user, and a bit of compensation given to the unreality of the situation. (Of course we're not going to be swinging as quickly as in the Phantom Menance anyhow.) When two swords cross, hit the controller's vibrator. Train the user that when that happens, they have to pull back. When they pull back past the collision point, resume control of the lightsaber.

      If they don't pull back, interpret that as a contest of strength, like you've seen in the movies. (Probably a bad idea since the opponent would probably have to always win or this would be too easy to win with.)

      I think that this wouldn't be impossibly unnatural. Certainly it's not like swinging a real sword. But then, that's not really the standard, is it? The question is, can it be better than current controllers? And the answer is probably yes.

      Again, I'm not certain this would work. But I think it's at least worth a try, and I suspect it could be made to work with a bit of trial, error, and refinement.
      • The 'contest of strength' could come from entering button sequences on the controller in some kind of fast-paced rock-paper-scissors minigame. And you'd _feel_ it in your forearm.
      • I'm thinking that if you move past the collision point your grip on the saber gradually weakens, if you overdo it you drop it. Perhaps that could be combined with the test of strength, the more accurately you can make it mimic the actual position of your saber the more your grip stabilizes (should be a bit over time so you'd have to return for a second or two to regain full grip), by pushing into the enemy saber you use strength and push the sabers towards your opponent but your grip starts weakening and yo
    • Are you then claiming that pressing the A button somehow better emulates the swing of a sword and stricking of an object?
    • Dude, there's these things called speakers, built into the wand. They make the sounds.

      When your lightsaber hits, the sound changes. And continued motion just gets translated into "push" force.

      So, in practice, it's more like Episode I, with light sabers twirled to build up momentum.
    • you cannot possibly simulate that with a Wii controller

      Uhm... you don't need to? Vibrate the controller to show the player that he has hit something. Only track motion again once the player has moved the controller back into a position where it makes sense.

    • Re:Lightsaber with Wii ??? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Brownstar (139242) on Monday July 24 2006, @02:30PM (#15771740)
      Not sure how old you are. But when I was growing up, we didn't have any of the fancy FX lightsabers that exist now to play with.

      Instead, my friends and I would often play with flashlights as lightsabers.

      Which also do not have anysort of collision detection. Fortunatly we're smart enough to see when the "blades" cross each other and had no problem simulating that the sabers had collided.

      To put this in a different video game genre, have you ever played a car racing game?

      Ever collided with a wall? The car doesn't go throught, even though I'm still pushing the game pad in that direction. Doens't seem to bother many people. I'm sure that either:
            - the dev's will figure out something that is fun, and fairly
                intuitive for all users.
            - the dev's can't come up with something fun, and don't release
                a game using the wii remote as a lightsaber.
            - the dev's come up with something that is clunky, but do to
                marketing, release it anyway. You'll hear about how poorly
                implemented it is in reviews, or you'll rent it/play it in
                store and not buy the game.

      Regardless of implementation, it will almost definatly take some hand-eye co-ordination, and will not be purely force-feedback controlled.

      Will require some of the massive computing power our brains already provide when we make believe.

      Will have some aspect that some one can bitch about no matter how its implemented.

      Also quite likely the initial games lightsaber fights will probably look and act more like the fights in Ep IV - VI than I - III.
        • Candles and a magnifying glass? Luxury! When I was young, we didn't have glass or controllable fire, so we had to spend years training fireflies to simulate a lightsaber. We had some epic battles, but the dreaded Darth Frog was invincible.
    • Developers (Nintendo SDK folk, this means you) should really make code hooks for Haptics effects in your games. The Wii already has 3d position reading code, it wouldn't take too much effort to allow support for writing force effects to a haptics controller.

      Sensable (http://www.sensable.com/ [sensable.com]) already has a great set of controllers, but they are currently super expensive (thousands of $$).
      Novint (http://www.novint.com/ [novint.com]) is claiming they'll have a controller out next year in the sub $100 range which is co

    • Rumble + speaker?

      You could fight with swords on NES to, and atleast it will be better than that, but yes, it won't be for real, who could have guessed?
  • > Sansweet's responded simply by stating the likeness between the Wii controller and a lightsaber,
    > followed by a statement that LucasArts would be supporting every next generation system."

    You know, he could have responded much more simply if he'd just said "yes". What is it with these business people that they can't just speak clearly?
  • Enough with Battlefront, bring back the Jedi! Jedi Academy (the last Knights game) was great, I really wish they would start it up again.
  • LucasArts makes some really great games... and a lot of really bad ones. I'm hoping the crappy ones pay for the good ones or something like that. I'm really happy to see they're staying multi-platform, the last thing we need is another major developer sticking to one or two consoles. You can't really blame Nintendo but any company that doesn't make a console is fair game in my book. Wii-only games, PS3 only games, XBOX 360 only games, and PS3/XBOX 360 only games are going to hurt everyone. While it's true t
  • Outside of Sony and Microsoft, has any publisher of console video games gone on record as saying they are not going to support the Wii?

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