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[Wario64]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/12/news_6104736.html

Reliable industry sources tell GameSpot News that numerous uncorroborated reports about layoffs at LucasArts are correct. Those reports state that up to 50 employees--including senior staffers RJ Berg, Randy Breen, Mike Lampell, and Daron Stinnett--have been let go from the company's development and production departments. Another source with close ties to the company said additional staff reductions were likely in the coming weeks.

If true, the personnel cuts would mark the second major downsizing at LucasArts in the last 15 months. Last April, the San Rafael, California-based developer reduced its payroll by 29 positions. The company has seen changes at the top as well. Longtime president Simon Jeffery resigned last October, and he was replaced by LucasFilm vice president Jim Ward. The layoffs would also come a month after LucasArts reportedly withheld annual bonuses from its entire staff.

However, none of this is official--yet. When contacted by GameSpot, LucasArts representatives declined to comment on any personnel changes.

 

[Spike]

All I'm gonna say is:

Sam and Max!!!

 

[Kobun Heat]

Is it too much to hope that one of the fired was the guy who brought the axe down on Sam and Max?

 

[Spike]

Is it too much to hope that one of the fired was the guy who brought the axe down on Sam and Max?

No, it isn't too much to hope for. In fact, I hope his ass was the first one to get the pink slip!!

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Sierra says "hi!"

 

[xsarien]

Well, maybe if they'd branch out a bit...

Does EVERY game they make have to be based on fucking Star Wars?

 

[GaimeGuy]

They ARE LUCAS Arts.

 

[Dan]

Supposedly they have another Indy game in the works. That's about as much variety as you're going to get from them nowadays.

LucasArts went from being my favorite developer back when the adventure genre was big to being nearly worthless to me now. It fills me with sadness to think about such a massive downfall.

 

[Tenguman]

they do need to branch out from starwars though. i know kotr is a great game, but damn i'm tired of star wars -- so i couldn't really get into it.

 

[AirBrian]

[Gah]

See what happens when you support GCN so little?

[/Gah]

 

[Mr_Furious]

Supposedly they have another Indy game in the works.

Imagines a game comprised of the best action elements throughout all 3 movies developed similarly to the LOTR games. That would kick all kinds of ass.

 

[jedimike]

LucasArts has been mainly just a publisher. I think the only game they've done inhouse is Republic Commando. They have better luck farming out the Star Wars franchise. Although I have heard a lot of good things about Mercanaries.

 

[Deg]

They need to sort themselves out.

 

[White Man]

What was the last AAA quality game they even put out? Remember back in the days of graphic adventures when you could expect that level of quality on a consistent basis? What the hell happened?

 

[jedimike]

What was the last AAA quality game they even put out? Remember back in the days of graphic adventures when you could expect that level of quality on a consistent basis? What the hell happened?

Episode I happened. LucasArts made a ton of shitty games based on that one movie. I think they started outsourcing soon after that.

 

[Mr_Furious]

Although I have heard a lot of good things about Mercanaries.

I thought Mercenaries was Pandemic.

 

[jedimike]

I thought Mercenaries was Pandemic.

I just mentioned it because it's rare that they would publish a non- Lucas franchise. Especially after Armed and Dangerous pretty much tanked.

 

[Dante]

Wonder if this has anything to do with the huge office they are building in the Presidio. I drove by that place the other day and it's huge!

 

[Alcibiades]

Episode I: Racer did really well on Nintendo 64, I think it was a million-seller, not to mention Shadow of the Empire and Rogue Squardon...

funny how negative news is affecting many companies that don't support Nintendo as much (Acclaim, Midway, Eideos), while Ubisoft, Activision, and EA are doing better than ever...

edit: btw, I had Episode I: Racer on 64, and it was a an awesome game, great graphics and excellent controls and speed...

 

[DrLazy]

funny how negative news is affecting many companies that don't support Nintendo as much (Acclaim, Midway, Eideos), while Ubisoft, Activision, and EA are doing better than ever

Well I don't see any cause and effect there.

I think it's more of a case of these companies cutting cube support to cut costs because they were already doing shitty then having bad financials because of a lack of cube games.

Plus Midway has been turning itself arround lately.

 

[Meier]

In Lucas Arts' case though, they're being dumb by lowering their Cube support. The Star Wars games on the system have been very successful in the past and ignoring that market just makes absolutely zero sense. As sonycowboy's thread showed us the other day, it's been their most successful system thus far in terms of averages.

XBX
Title Count Publisher           LTD          Sales Per Title    Market Share
       12   LUCASARTS        2,240,797           186,733            3.6%

PS2
Title Count Publisher           LTD           Sales Per Title    Market Share
       14   LUCASARTS        1,874,236           133,874            0.9%

GCN
Title Count Publisher           LTD           Sales Per Title    Market Share
        6   LUCASARTS         1,796,617           299,436            3.6%

 

[Alcibiades]

In Lucas Arts' case though, they're being dumb by lowering their Cube support. The Star Wars games on the system have been very successful in the past and ignoring that market just makes absolutely zero sense. As sonycowboy's thread showed us the other day, it's been their most successful system thus far in terms of averages.

XBX
Title Count Publisher           LTD          Sales Per Title    Market Share
       12   LUCASARTS        2,240,797           186,733            3.6%

PS2
Title Count Publisher           LTD           Sales Per Title    Market Share
       14   LUCASARTS        1,874,236           133,874            0.9%

GCN
Title Count Publisher           LTD           Sales Per Title    Market Share
        6   LUCASARTS         1,796,617           299,436            3.6%

not to mention that they haven't had a GOTY-type monster like KOTOR on the Cube, yet aren't far away from either PS2 or XBox sales over all (100,000 on PS2, 400,000 on XBX)...

considering the performance of Star Wars games on Nintendo systems dating back to the SNES, this is perplexing, although my guess is they'll do fairly well with new SW releases on PS2 and XBX to coincide with the Trilogy DVD release...

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

Wow, those numbers are really striking. Why the hell did they drop support?

 

[Deleted member 284]

Wow, those numbers are really striking. Why the hell did they drop support?

Well to be fair, they did commission F5 to redo Rouge Squadron yet again. But thats their own fault.

 

[Wario64]

Update:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/13/news_6104775.html

Responding to yesterday's reports that it had laid off staff, LucasArts today said in a statement it was undergoing "a major restructuring of its development studio." A noticed on the company's Web site outlined some of the restructuring's details, including layoffs of 31 staffers and the appointment of Peter Hirschmann as Vice President of Product Development. Hirschmann, a two-year LucasArts vet and former Electronic Arts producer, had been managing the development of Star Wars Battlefront and Mercenaries.

The restructuring is the first major change to be officially announced by LucasArts since Jim Ward took over as its president. “Since joining LucasArts in early May, I’ve taken a hard, critical look at our business," he said in the statement. "I’ve come to the conclusion that to make LucasArts thrive and to position ourselves for the long-term future, we need to make some fundamental changes.”

Today, LucasArts began to outline what exactly said changes would entail. Firstly, in-house development will be scaled way back, as "the company will be concentrating on fewer titles," according to a statement. While Star Wars: Battlefront and Republic Commando remain at LucasArts, the publisher has farmed out development of as-yet-untitled Episode III game to The Collective. The Southern California studio has developed several titles for LucasArts, including Wrath Unleashed and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb.

On the project front, an informed industry source said the team attached to the early stages of development on Knights of the Old Republic 3 was let go in yesterday's layoff.

 

[explodet]

On the project front, an informed industry source said the team attached to the early stages of development on Knights of the Old Republic 3 was let go in yesterday's layoff.

Huh, that's a strange one - perhaps they're waiting to see how KOTOR 2 does before they greenlight the third.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

the collective is doing the episode 3 game?


SOLD!

 

[T-1000_Model3]

"Today, LucasArts began to outline what exactly said changes would entail. Firstly, in-house development will be scaled way back, as "the company will be concentrating on fewer titles," according to a statement. While Star Wars: Battlefront and Republic Commando remain at LucasArts, the publisher has farmed out development of as-yet-untitled Episode III game to The Collective. The Southern California studio has developed several titles for LucasArts, including Wrath Unleashed and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb."

Oh dear lord. The Collective have made two of my favorite games this generation,that being Buffy and the Indy game. The Lucas Episode 3 game just went on my probable buy chart with this team working on the project.



God loves the Collective,so should you.

Damit-Zombie SupaStar beat me to it:b

 

[Ghost]

...collective...

3rd Person Action game....with lightsabers and force powers....Obi-wan but good?!?!

*swoon*

This is the second best development news ive heard this year (second to swinging ape taking over SC:ghost)

 

[akascream]

How is this possible with the steady stream of grade AAA quality star wars software over the years?

 

[element]

The Collective is making an action game on Revenge of the Sith.

 

[Deg]

Doubt it'll be any good.

 

[nubbe]

The grunts aren’t needed when the talent leaves the company

 

[CrimsonSkies]

I want to play as Darth Vadar.

The GameCube isn't getting Lucas Arts SW games because they don't have an online focus. Look at Republic Commando and Battlefront. Also, the folks making the KOTOR games are PC developers. It's only natural for them to be on the Xbox too.

 

[element]

Doubt it'll be any good.

they did buffy, which was pretty good.