Lucasfilm Games facts for kids
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Formerly
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LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC (1990–2021) |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | May 1, 1982 |
| Founder | George Lucas |
| Headquarters | Letterman Digital Arts Center,
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US
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Douglas Reilly (vice president, games) |
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Number of employees
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10 (2013) |
| Parent | Lucasfilm |
Lucasfilm Games is a company that creates and licenses video games. It is part of Lucasfilm, the famous film company started by George Lucas. From 1990 to 2021, it was known as LucasArts.
George Lucas started the company in May 1982. He wanted to make video games alongside his movies. LucasArts became very famous in the 1990s for its fun adventure games. These games used a special system called SCUMM. Some popular titles included Maniac Mansion, the Monkey Island series, and several Indiana Jones games. Many talented game creators worked there, like Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert.
Later, LucasArts focused on action-based Star Wars games. This happened as the Star Wars movies became popular again. The company stopped making adventure games because fewer people were playing them.
In December 2012, The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm. By April 2013, Disney decided that LucasArts would mostly handle licensing. This meant they would let other companies, like Electronic Arts, make games using Lucasfilm's characters and stories. Disney brought back the Lucasfilm Games name in 2021. Now, it licenses all games related to Lucasfilm's properties.
The Story of Lucasfilm Games
How it Started
In 1979, George Lucas wanted to explore new types of entertainment. He created the Lucasfilm Computer Division. This group had a department for computer games and another for graphics. The graphics part later became Pixar, the animation studio.
The Lucasfilm Games Group first worked with Atari, Inc.. Atari helped fund the game group. At the time, Atari owned the rights to make Star Wars video games. So, Lucasfilm Games had to create new, original games. One of their first employees, Ron Gilbert, thought this was a good thing. He believed they might not have made so many new ideas if they had started with Star Wars.
Their first games were action titles like Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus! in 1984. These were made for Atari consoles. Later, they released Koronis Rift and The Eidolon. At first, other companies like Epyx and Activision published their games. But Maniac Mansion was the first game Lucasfilm Games developed and published themselves.
The early goal of Lucasfilm Games was to make new and exciting video games. Habitat was one such game. It was an early online role-playing game with graphics. It was tested in 1986 but needed too much internet power for the time. So, a smaller version called Club Caribe was released in 1988. Later, a company in Japan, Fujitsu, released it as Fujitsu Habitat.
In 1990, Lucasfilm reorganized its companies. The Games Division became part of the new LucasArts Entertainment Company. This new company also included Industrial Light & Magic (for special effects) and Skywalker Sound (for sound). LucasArts then became the official name for the game division. They also moved their offices to San Rafael, California.
LucasArts also started its own gaming magazine called The Adventurer in 1990. It shared news about upcoming games and interviews with developers. The last issue came out in 1996. A company called Lucas Learning was also created in 1990. It made educational software for schools.
iMUSE: Music That Changes with the Game
iMUSE stands for Interactive MUsic Streaming Engine. It's a special system used in many LucasArts games. It makes the music in the game change and flow with what's happening on screen. This means the music can become more exciting during a chase or calmer when you're exploring.
Composers Michael Land and Peter McConnell created iMUSE in the early 1990s. It was added to the SCUMM game engine in 1991. The first game to use iMUSE was Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. Many other LucasArts games used it, including some Star Wars titles like Star Wars: X-Wing.
Action Side-Scrolling Games
Lucasfilm Games also made several side-scrolling action games. These often involved "run and gun" gameplay, where players move across the screen and shoot enemies.
They made a trilogy of Super Star Wars games for the SNES console. Each game was based on one of the original Star Wars movies: Super Star Wars (1992), Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1993), and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1994). They also made an Indiana Jones game called Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures (1994).
LucasArts also created games that weren't based on their movies. Zombies Ate My Neighbors (1993) and its sequel Ghoul Patrol (1994) were overhead action games inspired by old horror movies. Herc's Adventures (1997) was inspired by Greek Mythology. Other games like Metal Warriors (1995) and Big Sky Trooper were also made. Even though these games didn't sell a lot at first, they later became "cult classics" and are loved by many players today.
Amazing Adventure Games
The first adventure game from Lucasfilm Games was Labyrinth in 1986. It was based on the movie of the same name. In 1987, Maniac Mansion introduced SCUMM, a special computer language that powered most of their later adventure games.
Games like Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure (1989), and Loom and The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) helped Lucasfilm Games become a top developer in adventure games. They were often seen as rivals to another big adventure game company, Sierra On-line.
The early 1990s were the best years for LucasArts adventure games. They released many classic titles:
- Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (1991)
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992)
- Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle (1993)
- Sam & Max: Hit the Road (1993)
- Full Throttle (1995)
- The Dig (1995)
As the 1990s went on, adventure games became less popular. Games with fancy 3D graphics were becoming the new trend. Even so, LucasArts kept making adventure games. The Curse of Monkey Island (1997) was their last adventure game with traditional 2D graphics.
Then came Grim Fandango in 1998. This was LucasArts' first try at making a 3D adventure game. It had amazing visuals, music, voice acting, and a great story. It even won GameSpot's Game of the Year award! Escape from Monkey Island (2000) was the fourth Monkey Island game and also used 3D graphics. It was the last original adventure game the company released for a long time.
Some planned sequels, like Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels and Sam & Max: Freelance Police, were canceled. Later, the creators of Sam & Max licensed their characters to Telltale Games. Many former LucasArts employees who had worked on the Sam & Max game joined Telltale.
LucasArts stopped making adventure games for five years, focusing on Star Wars titles. But in 2009, they returned! They announced The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition. This was a new version of the original game with updated graphics, music, and voice acting. They also announced Tales of Monkey Island, a new episodic game developed by Telltale Games.
In 2009, LucasArts also started re-releasing their classic games on Steam. This included Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and LOOM. These were the first versions made for modern Windows computers. In 2010, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge Special Edition was also released.
Thanks to a fan-made program called ScummVM, old LucasArts adventure games can now be played easily on modern computers and even phones. This has helped these classic games become popular again.
Simulation Games
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lucasfilm Games made military simulation games. These included naval simulations like PHM Pegasus (1986) and Strike Fleet (1987).
They also made a trilogy of World War II air combat games:
- Battlehawks 1942 (1988)
- Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain (1989)
- Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (1991)
These games were praised for being historically accurate. They even came with detailed history manuals! A game designer named Lawrence Holland led the team that made these games. His company, Totally Games, later made the popular X-Wing series for LucasArts.
In 1996, LucasArts released Afterlife. This was a unique simulation game where players built their own Heaven and Hell. It was full of jokes and puns.
First Star Wars Games
Even though LucasArts made games based on Labyrinth and Indiana Jones earlier, they didn't use the Star Wars license until the early 1990s. The rights to Star Wars games were held by another company until 1992.
The first Star Wars game made by LucasArts itself was X-Wing. It was a space combat simulator and became a very successful series. Another big hit was Rebel Assault. This game was a huge success and helped show how cool CD-ROM drives were in the early 1990s.
First-Person Shooter Games
After the huge success of Doom, many game companies started making 3D first-person shooter (FPS) games. LucasArts joined this trend with Star Wars: Dark Forces in 1995. This game successfully brought the Doom style of gameplay to the Star Wars universe.
Dark Forces was very popular and started a new series called Jedi Knight. The sequel, Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997), was one of the first games to look much better with special 3D graphics cards. It had an expansion pack called Mysteries of the Sith (1998) and a full sequel, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002). A spin-off, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (2003), followed.
Besides Star Wars FPS games, LucasArts also made Outlaws (1997), a western-themed game, and Armed and Dangerous (2003).
In the New Millennium
In 2000, Simon Jeffery became the president of LucasArts. During his time, many successful Star Wars games were released. These included Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2, Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars Jedi Academy, and Star Wars Galaxies.
In 2002, LucasArts realized they were making too many Star Wars games. They announced that at least half of their future games would not be Star Wars related. However, many of these original games didn't do well or were canceled. So, LucasArts mostly went back to making Star Wars titles.
Also in 2002, LucasArts released a music CD called The Best of LucasArts Original Soundtracks. It had music from games like Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, and The Dig.
In 2003, LucasArts worked with BioWare to create Knights of the Old Republic. This RPG was a huge hit. It combined modern 3D graphics with a great story and deep gameplay. Its sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004), was also popular. However, some fans felt it was rushed and had cut content.
LucasArts also entered the world of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) in 2003 with Star Wars Galaxies. This online game let many players explore the Star Wars universe together. It had expansions that added space combat and new planets.
Changes Under Jim Ward
In 2004, Jim Ward became the president of LucasArts. He found that the company needed a lot of changes. He wanted LucasArts to make its own games better and adapt to the changing game industry. Some games were canceled, and the staff was reduced from about 450 to 190 employees.
Ward also canceled a Rogue Squadron game for the Xbox 360.
In 2004, LucasArts released Star Wars: Battlefront. This game was similar to the popular Battlefield series. It became the best-selling Star Wars game at that time. Its sequel, Star Wars: Battlefront II, came out in 2005. It added new locations and playable Jedi characters.
In 2005, LucasArts published Lego Star Wars: The Video Game. This was the first game in the very popular Lego video game series. It was based on the Star Wars prequel movies. They also released Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Republic Commando that year.
In 2006, LucasArts released Star Wars: Empire at War, a real-time strategy game. They also published Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, which covered the original Star Wars movies.
In 2007, LucasArts announced Fracture, saying they wanted to create new game ideas. Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (2005) and Thrillville (2006) were other successful new games.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was released in 2008. It got mixed reviews but quickly became the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever.
Last Years Before Disney
Jim Ward left LucasArts in 2008. Darrell Rodriguez took over as president in April 2008. Around the time Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II was released, LucasArts reduced its internal game development team.
The MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic was announced in 2008 and released in 2011. It was a sequel to Knights of the Old Republic II. They also published Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes in 2009, based on The Clone Wars TV show.
In 2009, LucasArts and Telltale Games announced new adventure games. This included Tales of Monkey Island (by Telltale) and an updated version of The Secret of Monkey Island (by LucasArts). This was meant to bring old games to new players. Following its success, Monkey Island 2 – Special Edition was released in 2010.
LucasArts continued to have changes in leadership and staff layoffs around 2010. Paul Meegan became president in June 2010. In September 2010, about a third of LucasArts employees were laid off.
In 2011, LucasArts published Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, based on the Clone Wars animated series. Star Wars Galaxies online game shut down its services in December 2011.
A game about Darth Maul was canceled. LucasArts also announced in 2011 that they would use the Unreal Engine 3 for future games. Star Wars 1313, an action-adventure game about Boba Fett, was planned to use this engine but was canceled when LucasArts' development team closed.
In 2012, LucasArts published Kinect Star Wars for the Xbox 360. It received poor reviews.
Meegan left LucasArts in August 2012. The last game released by LucasArts before Disney bought Lucasfilm was Angry Birds Star Wars in November 2012. This game combined Angry Birds characters with the original Star Wars story.
Joining Disney
The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm and all its parts, including LucasArts, by December 2012. At first, Disney said there would be no big changes. LucasArts was thought to be working on three new games: an open-world RPG, an FPS, and an aerial combat game. However, Disney canceled these games, including Star Wars 1313, to focus on the new Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens movie.
On April 3, 2013, Lucasfilm announced it was closing its video game development team. Most of the LucasArts staff were laid off. From then on, any new Star Wars games would be made by Disney Interactive Studios or by other game companies under a license. A small team of fewer than ten people stayed at LucasArts to handle these licensing deals. This change helped Disney reduce risks while still getting many Star Wars games made. About 150 employees lost their jobs.
On January 11, 2021, Lucasfilm announced that the Lucasfilm Games brand would be used again for all future games. However, it would still only license games, not develop them. Soon after, it was announced that MachineGames was making an Indiana Jones game, and Massive Entertainment was making an open world Star Wars game. Electronic Arts also continued to develop several Star Wars games.
In September 2021, a new version of Knights of the Old Republic was announced. In December 2021, Star Wars Eclipse was revealed. This is an action-adventure game set 200 years before the original Star Wars movies. In January 2022, it was announced that Respawn Entertainment would make more Star Wars games, including a sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order called Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
In April 2022, it was announced that Lucasfilm Games would help publish Return to Monkey Island. This new Monkey Island game brings back the original series creator, Ron Gilbert. Also, Skydance New Media is working with Lucasfilm Games on another Star Wars game. In June 2023, it was confirmed that the Indiana Jones game would be released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S.
Logo
The first Lucasfilm Games logo looked like the Lucasfilm movie logo. This original logo was brought back when the Lucasfilm Games name returned in 2021.
The famous LucasArts logo, often called the "Gold Guy," was introduced in 1990. It first appeared in Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. The logo showed a gold-colored figure standing on a purple letter "L." The figure had its hands up, like a sun rising behind it. Some people thought it looked like an eye with sun rays as eyelashes.
The logo was updated in late 2005. The "L" disappeared, and the gold figure became more rounded. The last game to use the old "Gold Guy" was Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The new logo first appeared in Star Wars: Battlefront II. In some games, the "Gold Guy" would even do actions, like throwing a lightsaber!
In 1998, LucasArts contacted a Finnish game company called Remedy Entertainment. LucasArts said Remedy's logo looked too much like theirs. Remedy was already changing their logo, so they agreed to update it.
What Came Next
Many former LucasArts developers went on to start their own game studios in San Francisco. These include:
- Double Fine Productions (2000)
- Telltale Games (2004)
- MunkyFun (2008)
- Dynamighty (2011)
- SoMa Play (2013)
- Fifth Journey (2015)
These studios have played a big part in the game development scene in the Bay Area.
Some classic LucasArts adventure games have also been updated for modern systems. In 2014, Sony Computer Entertainment announced Grim Fandango Remastered. This new version was made by Double Fine Productions and released in 2015 for PlayStation consoles and computers.
Later, Double Fine also announced Day of the Tentacle Remastered in 2014, which came out in 2016. In 2015, Full Throttle Remastered was announced and released in 2017. These remasters let new players enjoy these classic games with updated graphics and sound.
See also
- List of LucasArts games
- LucasArts adventure games
- LucasArts Archives
- Humongous Entertainment
