What's Happened To Lucasarts Lately?

[random guy]

What the HELL has happened to lucasarts lately?

 

I went to their website to see if there was any news on the cancelled "sam and max 2" game - looks like its still cancelled, but worse still, if you look in their games section 5/6ths of the games they're hyping at the moment are STAR WARS games. I mean its rediculous there are about 12 on the board! How can they justify making STAR WARS after STAR WARS game and not save a couple of lousy bucks for finishing Sam and Max 2!?! This was the company, that along with Sierra, practically CREATED the adventure game industry: Monkey Island 1,2,3,4, the Dig, Full Throttle, LOOM, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Maniac Mansion and its excellent sequel, Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, and of course the original Sam & Max, were ALL made by Lucasarts! And now all they're doing is milking the STAR WARS franchise! Sierra is guilty of the same crimes, but at least they intend to release "Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude". I can only hope that this title will be the rebirth of the adventure game industry, just like "Sam & Max 2" was supposed to be, and now will never get a chance to be.

 

I've also heard the game was pretty much finished. Instead of just letting the project go to waste and rot, why not touch it up a little and release it as a Freeware game, to reward (and hopefully win back a few of) the customers they have now LOST with their capitalistic, money-the-only-goal change in business practices.

[Gryph]

What the HELL has happened to lucasarts lately?

 

I went to their website to see if there was any news on the cancelled "sam and max 2" game - looks like its still cancelled, but worse still, if you look in their games section 5/6ths of the games they're hyping at the moment are STAR WARS games. I mean its rediculous there are about 12 on the board! How can they justify making STAR WARS after STAR WARS game and not save a couple of lousy bucks for finishing Sam and Max 2!?! This was the company, that along with Sierra, practically CREATED the adventure game industry: Monkey Island 1,2,3,4, the Dig, Full Throttle, LOOM, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Maniac Mansion and its excellent sequel, Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, and of course the original Sam & Max, were ALL made by Lucasarts! And now all they're doing is milking the STAR WARS franchise! Sierra is guilty of the same crimes, but at least they intend to release "Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude". I can only hope that this title will be the rebirth of the adventure game industry, just like "Sam & Max 2" was supposed to be, and now will never get a chance to be.

 

I've also heard the game was pretty much finished. Instead of just letting the project go to waste and rot, why not touch it up a little and release it as a Freeware game, to reward (and hopefully win back a few of) the customers they have now LOST with their capitalistic, money-the-only-goal change in business practices.

You are absolutely correct! I feel the exact same way about this! I was angry when they cancelled Full Throttle 2 and felt absolutely betrayed when they cancelled Sam and Max 2.

 

But its because of this new generation of gamers that don't know anything about what we used to play. All they know LucasArts is Star Wars, so that's what the company delivers because they know it will sell well.

 

Star Wars is LucasArts' only cash machine. It's the only thing new gamers can relate to. Here's a scenario. A kid goes into a store and sees Star Wars and Sam and Max 2. Which one is he more likely to choose? Star Wars ofcourse because he's probably seen Episode 1 and 2 (and probably hasn't seen Eps. 4-6).

 

But then you must also remember that LucasArts made the best Star Wars game (besides KOTOR and JKII) back in the day when they made the awesome adventure games. Who can forget X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter? Such a great game.

 

Only game studios that don't have to answer to their corporate masters can have control over their games. Like id and 3DRealms. They can make any game they want, whenever they want, release it whenever they want because all they have to do is tell the publishers "It'll be done 'When it's done!'". The LucasArts game studio on the other hand has to finish games as soon as possible so they can roll out as many Star Wars games before Episode 3 comes out.

 

Hmm...those last 2 paragraphs make no sense and are me completely rambling. Oh well, it made sense to me.

 

flock LucasArts!!!

Edited April 24, 2004 by GryphonKlaw

[Wizard]

I wanted Sam & Max game, a new one

[random guy]

I'm glad you guys agree...and I agree with what you said about 3DR as well (DNF is the perfect example). Also, if you ask me, this way of doing things is more successful because 3DR's games are often more complete and better quality for the extra time spent programming them.

 

I was really disillusioned with what happened to Sierra because when I was a kid and addicted to 16-colour text adventure games (ie Space Quest 1,2,3; Leisure Suit Larry 1,2,3; Qest For Glory 1&2) I used to dream of going to work for Sierra because it seemed like the perfect company to work for - it was a family company. Ken Williams (the founder and husband of Roberta Williams, the author of the King's Quest series) even appeared in some of the games, for instance (like at the end of lsl1 where he comes out and tells you about Sierra).

But then it became about the $$$. Even Sierra, who got famous for its adventure games, stopped making adventure games. I mean we owe them a great debt for Half Life, don't get me wrong, but once Sierra and LucasArts stopped making adventure games, it was the death-knell for the entire adventure gaming industry. Can you guys think of one decent "traditional" point and click adventure game that has been on the market in the last 4 years?

*sigh* my favourite genre of games died when Sierra and LucasArts stopped making adventure games. That's why I had such hope for S&M2, and I still have hope for LSL:MCL, but we'll have to wait and see if that is any good, and how well it sells.

[Wizard]

I mean we owe them a great debt for Half Life, don't get me wrong

Sierra published HL, Valve developed the game.

[thedonjuan]

I also remember the greats.Maniac mansion I still want to beat again.The secret of monkey island made me wish I was a piirate when I was a kid.Sam and Max.Day of the Tentacle sheer brilliance.Lucasarts your losing your fans.WAKE UP!!!!!!!I don't know about you guys but I sorta forgave them. when they cancelled the sequel to full throttle but this one will be hard to forgive.

[Agozer]

LucasArts just said something like "We think that the time is not right for adventure games yet". Unbelievable. They just say that becaue of some action game fanboys who don't apprecial great old-school daventures.

[OverlordMondo]

Can you guys think of one decent "traditional" point and click adventure game that has been on the market in the last 4 years?

What about...that one game, it started with an S? That was a good point and click I think. Don't remember the name though...

[Agozer]

Can you guys think of one decent "traditional" point and click adventure game that has been on the market in the last 4 years?

What about...that one game, it started with an S? That was a good point and click I think. Don't remember the name though...

Syberia? That was a pretty good game.

[Inky]

Can you guys think of one decent "traditional" point and click adventure game that has been on the market in the last 4 years?

broken sword 3

syberia 1 & 2

runaway

csi 1 & 2

longest journey (new one on the way)

was the last monkey island in the last 4 years? can't remember when it came out.

 

thats enough point and click to keep anyone busy for a little while.

[Gryph]

The Longest Journey was awesome.

 

And there's also Gabriel Knights 3...which might be more than 4 years old.