LucasArts will no longer develop games internally and will license out its properties to external developers, its parent company Disney first announced to Game Informer. All projects, including Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault, have been put on hold, and the company is looking for external developers to finish its games.
Kotaku reports around 150 people were laid off in the transition today. The Wall Street Journal, via Polygon, reports that fewer than 10 employees remain at the San Francisco, Calif.-based studio.
A Kotaku source says it’s unlikely both Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault will ever be released due to a previous failed attempt to license out the games.
LucasArts parent company LucasFilm representative told Game Informer, “We still believe in the video game industry, we still will provide Star Wars games, we’re just looking at different models rather than internal production… They’re evaluating everything. There’s always a possibility that it [Star Wars 1313] can still come out via licensing.”
Source: Game Informer [1] [2], Kotaku, The Wall Street Journal via Polygon
Image credit: Flickr user wallyg
No Comments