LucasArts Layoffs Spark Many Rumors, Including KOTOR 3

It seems that LucasArts has laid off somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 employees, sparking all sorts of interesting leaks and rumors. Chief among the rumors seems to be another carrot in the chase for the LucasArts/Bioware MMO project, which according to one employee, will take the shape of KOTOR 3. "Most interesting, however, is the information they provide on how the layoffs leave the company severely short-staffed as they approach a packed development schedule, one which it appears may be increasingly outsourced. Some of the titles they report LucasArts apparently have in this stacked pipeline, whether as publisher or developer, include: KOTOR 3, Battlefront 3, 'The Official Indiana Jones' game, another LEGO based game based on the Indy universe, and 'a lightsaber game for the Wii.'"

KOTOR3

[Anarke_Incarnate (733529)]

You get to play as an aging Han Solo who finds an artifact and meets aliens..........wait........redundant?

Meh.

[Fieryphoenix (1161565)]

I stopped caring about LucasArts when they stopped making space combat simulators.

make a new version of Xwing vs Tie Fighter

[by Anonymous Coward]

Amen

They need to make an up to date version of Xwing vs Tie Fighter... Imagine a 20 ship scrum going on with shinny new graphics...

Re:

[Jor-Al (1298017)]

I'd prefer an update of just the original X-Wing game. I still remember the first time I blew up a Star Destroyer in that game. For all the times I died trying, it was just cool when I finally accomplished it.

Re:make a new version of Xwing vs Tie Fighter

[Prien715 (251944)]

For what it's worth, X-Wing Alliance was the last game in the series and has actually aged pretty well. Since it's actually entirely 3D, people have created new models for it that are much more complex than the originals and fit in well with the missions provided. Plus, they actually got Mark Hamil to do some of the voice-overs;)

Re:make a new version of Xwing vs Tie Fighter

[MBGMorden (803437)]

While still fun it it's own right, EVE Online isn't really space combat like Lucasarts did it. That genre of being inside the combat of a "space fighter", in the style of X-Wing, Wing Commander, Descent Freespace, etc, is something that I really miss.

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[Fozzyuw (950608)]

I'd prefer an update of just the original X-Wing game.

My friend just found his copy of Tie Fighter. I guess that's why I haven't seen him in a long time. He prefers blowing up Rebels.

Re:make a new version of Xwing vs Tie Fighter

[mako1138 (837520)]

There's a TIE Fighter Total Conversion [gaylenol.com] that combines TIE Fighter with the XWA engine. I haven't tried it, because I still haven't finished XWA!

That site also has ship model upgrades, it seems.

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[moderatorrater (1095745)]

Agreed. I don't think any game has matched the sheer amount of fun I've had while flying a tie fighter against a bunch of a-wings, x-wings and y-wings. I say this as a man who primarily plays RPGs and RTSs.

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[Ephemeriis (315124)]

I stopped caring about LucasArts when they stopped making space combat simulators.

I miss space combat simulators... I really enjoyed the FreeSpace games, and X-Wing, Independence War, and Wing Commander...

Hmmm... Does anybody make space combat sims anymore? I can't think of any in recent history...

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[quanticle (843097)]

Not really. Eve Online isn't a flight simulator, its an RPG. You don't have the visceral fun of actually dodging around and flying maneuvers in an effort to get the perfect angle on your enemy. Instead (like in many other MMORPGs) you fly in, select your target and your ship does all the work for you.

The real fun in Eve Online is in outfitting and customizing your ship, which is why many people say that Eve Online is fun if your idea of entertainment involves Excel spreadsheets.

Re:Meh.

[Alinabi (464689)]

I stopped caring when they stopped making adventure games

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[Sciros (986030)]

Did you ever play Jedi Knight II? Heck of a game on PC, especially with how much work the mod community put into it. Fantastic online multiplayer where I used... Link with the Master Sword (in place of a lightsaber) hehe. That, Shadows, and KOTOR are probably the 3 best SW games I've ever played.

NOOOOO!!!!

[Hatta (162192)]

KOTOR3 as an MMO? That's awful. KOTOR 1 and 2 were the best adventure games to come out in a long time. That's what I want more of, adventure games.

I want a game with a compelling story, and interesting puzzles interwoven into the plot. I don't think that's possible to do with an MMO. I want to be the (singular)hero, the protagonist to the story. You can't have a compelling story with thousands of protagonists.

This is really bad news.

Re:

[Alzheimers (467217)]

Relax -- it'll only be your favorite game for about a year.

Eventually, they'll find some way to cock it up.

It IS Lucasarts, after all -- they have a reputation to uphold!

Re:NOOOOO!!!!

[Taibhsear (1286214)]

This is really bad news.
I got a bad feeling about this.

Fixed that for you.

Re:

[Hatta (162192)]

I just don't see it. Only one person can save the galaxy. I don't want to have to compete with thousands of people to be that person.

YESSSSSSSS!

[argent (18001)]

Only one person can save the galaxy. I don't want to have to compete with thousands of people to be that person.

Saving galaxies, can you stop at one?

Galaxies, save all you want, we'll make more!

We replaced this young Jedi's galaxy with Folger's Crystals. Let's see if he notices!

****click****VOOOOOOORN****SWISH****THUMP****

LucasArts just hasn't been the same...

[by Anonymous Coward]

LucasArts just hasn't been the same since the late 90's. Deciding to solely exploit the Star Wars franchise instead of the incredible IP they had built up over the last decade was probably the worst decision they could have made.

Now, we're all a little tired of the endless Star Wars games (and not even the great ones, like Tie Fighter!), and they're laying off staff and outsourcing to continue producing the same Star Wars crud.

Not a good sign for LucasArts' future if you ask me.

Re:LucasArts just hasn't been the same...

[servognome (738846)]

I think the key problem was once the adventure game genre dried up, Lucas arts couldn't reinvent themselves and ended up with just the Star Wars franchise to exploit.

Do I have to hand in my nerd badge...

[NewbieProgrammerMan (558327)]

...because I have no fucking clue what KOTOR is?

Re:Do I have to hand in my nerd badge...

[by Anonymous Coward]

Knight of the Old Republic

Re:Do I have to hand in my nerd badge...

[hidannik (1085061)]

Yes, violating a cannon is only one of the ways to take liberties with it. But be careful that someone doesn't fire the cannon while you're violating it, or you just might find out how much bigger one of its balls is than yours.

Shocked to not to see Monkey Island 5...

[stardude82 (1030976)]

Or Grim Fandango 2 on the list. Sigh...

NDAs

[pak9rabid (1011935)]

I see those NDAs that LucasArts probably made their employees sign went a long way.

Bad news!

[cashman73 (855518)]

Plans for partnering with 3D Realms to assist in programming Jar Jar Binks as the head "bad guy" to kill at the end of Duke Nukem Forever have been put on hold. Oh darn! =)

dammit

[Shinra (1057198)]

I don't really care about the other games, but I want a KOTOR 3 dammit! =(

Layoffs; The Remake!

[mandark1967 (630856)]

When the inevitable happens and a disgruntled former employee goes berzerk when told he is laid off and is then shot by a security guard, you can bet George Lucas will edit the security cam footage to make it appear disgruntled worker shot first.

Deathstar go boom!

[Jackie_Chan_Fan (730745)]

I felt a great disturbance in the Force...as if a 100 voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Lucas the great rebel... is really just another corporate dick.

Re:Fuck George Lucas

[plasmacutter (901737)]

i'm surprised and delighted to see this concise summation of my opinion given this information.

1 - the guy is not only beating dead horse franchises to powder, but he's going necro too, dragging them up from decades ago for a second round, this time using light sabers to beat the leftover powder into vapor.

2 - he's laying off experienced, skilled american labor who have demonstrated their loyalty for god knows how many years of work to replace them with offshore labor. He doesn't even bother to invent a pretext like "there just aren't enough talented americans". It's like watching your spouse make mad, horny love to whoever theyre cheating with on your dinner table in front of your 5 year old children.

3 - not only is he doing this, but he's adding insult to injury to both his remaining american staff and his customers by cutting this staff from dev and QA, meaning more pissed customers putting dents in the devs' reputations when it was the head honcho himself who overworked, understaffed, and partially repopulated his departments with trainees who in all likelihood barely meet minimum qualifications.

so yeah.. the conclusion.. (explative deleted) george lucas... it's absolutely brilliant. it boils down 3 paragraphs into a 3 word post title.

Re:

[Dan667 (564390)]

When they work in a foreign country and their family hates it and they are tired of weird squishy food and odd customs they will wish they had not gone.

The difference for a company is that work will suffer as there are all kinds of new barriers to putting out good work including culture, time zones, and language. It can be done, but generally it is not.

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[servognome (738846)]

Just to play devil's advocate... There are plenty of countries that can do just about everything we can, for slave wages. Why not just outsource all of our jobs?

Because in many cases it doesn't make business sense. Almost half the time outsourcing fails [bizjournals.com]. And with oil prices rising the ROI for labor cost is becoming negative [google.com]. For the most part, outsourcing is the worker's boogeyman, something that is blown out of proportion.

would certainly be more profitable for the wealthy

Outsourcing is also beneficial f

Re:Fuck George Lucas

[D Ninja (825055)]

Double bladed lightsaber?

Re:Fuck George Lucas

[Sponge Bath (413667)]

The triple bladed light-saber gives a closer shave.

Re:Fuck George Lucas

[ichthyoboy (1167379)]

Fuck everything, we're doing five blades.

Re:

[hansamurai (907719)]

Isn't that essentially what Lucas did with General Grievous?

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[Apathist (741707)]

Ah, the good old Gillette 3000... (aussie irreverancy at it's best)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gStI9ysPrhs [youtube.com]

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[jedidiah (1196)]

Conjures up some imagery of Diana Jones and the Dungeon of Doom... ....many many whips. ...mebbe even a few snakes for the benefit of the poor victim (Henry Jones Jr).

Re:

[gstoddart (321705)]

We call that one the "Darth Rimjob"

No, we call that Darth Goatse. :-P

Cheers

Re:Wii, lightsabre game?

[SBacks (1286786)]

You can make your own now, just strap a bunch of LEDs to a Wiimote and run around hitting people.

Re:Wii, lightsabre game?

[BigAssRat (724675)]

The Wii-mote probably would do a great simulation of a light sabre considering both would have about the same balance type. Since a light sabre would not have any weight where the blade would be either. Kind of a cool concept for the wii-mote. And you can sell a light sabre "handle" for the wii-mote to fit in.

Re:Wii, lightsabre game?

[gstoddart (321705)]

And you can sell a light sabre "handle" for the wii-mote to fit in.

Already exists. Don't know what games it's for.

As to the weight of the light saber -- have we established it would have no weight? Certainly, any of the scenes in which a light saber flies around, the physics seem modeled to indicate weight.

Not that, in the grand scheme of things, the weight of a light saber is a meaningful discussion. But, you know. It's Friday. :-P

Cheers

Re:

[Jacer (574383)]

Several of the books describe it not as a beam of light, but as a plasma circuit that extends one meter and curves 180 degrees back to the base, which is why the tip is round. While not much that would give it some mass. As an aside, it would also be 5000c, hot enough that holding the handle would be a sure fire way to get some serious burnination.

Re:Wii, lightsabre game?

[oldmacdonald (80995)]

I guess the name LIGHT sabre is what confused me.

That just means it doesn't weigh very much!

Re:

[CannonballHead (842625)]

I have always wondered why good swordfighting games have never come out... it's always been just the default moves, combo moves, blah blah blah. Hopefully, since it would use the wii controllers, this will be cool :)

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[Torvaun (1040898)]

Because the Wii-mote will not stop when it hits their blade. My brother fences, and he assures me that a Wii sword-fighting game would be terrible.

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[CannonballHead (842625)]

To a purist fencer (something I'd love to get into, as an aside), or to a gamer?

I'm sure the original SNES "Duck Hunt" with the little gun thing wasn't the most accurate simulation, either, but it was more fun than shooting with a mouse...

Re:

[Torvaun (1040898)]

OK, but tactile feedback is a very important part of sword-fighting, much more so than recoil is for shooting. Maybe vibration will be good enough, but I'm still not convinced.

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[Tebriel (192168)]

Emperor Palpatine: Nope, she died like a bitch. You hungry? Let's go get a taco.

Re:

[Hoi Polloi (522990)]

Emperor Palpatine: Ha ha! Just kidding. No, she got drunk at a clone party and slept with a stormtrooper while you were away. Don't ask me which one, they all look alike to me.

Darth Vader: Ok, NOW I'm going to kill her.