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[ManaByte]

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/03/gamesetinsight_disgruntled_of.php

"Whether Jim Ward resigned or was asked to leave is up in the air. However, one thing is clear and that is Mich (& company) was unhappy with his delaying of the Force Unleashed and Indiana Jones titles. They also didn't trust his numbers for increasing expected sales as a basis for delaying the game.

LucasArts has a motto and that is to release kickass games, on time, on budget. Of the three Jim chose chose to prioritize kickass games over "on time" and "on budget", for that he should be commended (most games that go on to become blockbusters were delayed to improve quality).

Additionally, LucasArts is a "young company" in the fact that it fired every engineer save four in 2004. So they've had to rebuild from scratch - including a substandard engine. This is where Jim comes in, rebuilding the company from the ground up.

Now the head of licensing (Howard Roffman) is now interim president for Lucas Arts and this could spell trouble for the LucasArts division. There are some that believe that more money can be made by licensing the SW and Indiana Jones IP to third party developers than through in-house development. Whether Mr. Roffman's taking over the reins of LucasArts represents such a shift will be only be revealed in time.

But one thing is for sure, Jim Ward was in a no win situation from the start, trying to meet unrealistic expectations - young team and some of the worst tools in the industry to work with. He chose kick ass games over selling out early on a game that was half done. It will be too bad that he will not be with LucasArts to reap the rewards of a job well done. The Force Unleashed will be a stellar success (aka won't suck) because of Jim Ward.

And their tool for convergence with ILM is a joke. Zeno is garbage for game design (everything is 4x to 10x more complicated because it's forced to be shared tech with ILM). Saying that it is one of the worst first party developement tools out there would be a fitting description.

This may be shocking to the outside but really this is widely accepted as fact by the engineers, designers, artists, producers and animators working at LucasArts. The fact that they they present this in SIGGRAPH as a standard for convergence is a laughable farce. As far as Zeno is concerned it's the model of how *not to do it*. It can be fixed but it won't because the people on the top really don't know how bad things are."

 

[Choke on the Magic]

Where's he going?

 

[TaeOH]

LucasArts has not made many good Star Wars games. The best Star Wars game came from Bioware. The fact that Unleashed got delayed for quality reasons is a good sign, but I still expect a fairly mediocre title at best. I will be pleasantly surprise if wrong.

 

[fallengorn]

There are some that believe that more money can be made by licensing the SW and Indiana Jones IP to third party developers than through in-house development.

Weren't some of the recent, better games that came out from LEC from third-party developers?

 

[JDSN]

Thats pretty bad, even tho im sure FU is gonna suck, they really seem to be putting a lot of work into it.

 

[alistairw]

Star Wars shmar wars. Ward deserves to have left his job simply for not having taken the chance to re-employ Ron Gilbert to make Monkey Island 3.

 

[neight]

This fills me with hope for the upcoming Unleashed and Indiana Jones. Lucasarts' last good games?

 

[Truespeed]

Where's he going?

To make quality games at Infogrames.

Spoiler

I have no fucking idea, really

 

[Darth Sonik]

I don't know if I buy this.

Ward was very critical of games being delayed and not being released at the same time as the film or property they were related to. He called out Spider-man 3 in particular for not being released with the cinematic release of the film.

This seems like it may be part a pre emptive attempt to spin his departure before a possible unflattering leak from Lucasarts.

However despite my above speculation, the leaked story is very believable and could very well be true.

 

[uncdeez]

He chose kick ass games over selling out early on a game that was half done. It will be too bad that he will not be with LucasArts to reap the rewards of a job well done.

Bullshit much? Ward was the guy at the helm of LucasArts when they forced KotOR II out in an unfinished state.

Now the head of licensing (Howard Roffman) is now interim president for Lucas Arts and this could spell trouble for the LucasArts division. There are some that believe that more money can be made by licensing the SW and Indiana Jones IP to third party developers than through in-house development.

They make it sound like licensing out their kickass IPs is a bad thing. LucasArts of today is not the same company that made TIE-Fighter, Dark Forces, or Grim Fandango. The talent behind those games left a long time ago. An internally developed KotOR III would in all likelihood be a complete mess and I wouldn't trust them with the Jedi-Knight franchise either. Bring back Raven for Jedi-Knight and Obsidian or BioWare for KotOR.

 

[Spoit]

Bullshit much? Ward was the guy at the helm of LucasArts when they forced KotOR II out in an unfinished state.



They make it sound like licensing out their kickass IPs is a bad thing. LucasArts of today is not the same company that made TIE-Fighter, Dark Forces, or Grim Fandango. The talent behind those games left a long time ago. An internally developed KotOR III would in all likelihood be a complete mess and I wouldn't trust them with the Jedi-Knight franchise either. Bring back Raven for Jedi-Knight and Obsidian or BioWare for KotOR.

Really, the ones they farmed out to 3rd parties ended up being some of their best games. Since it's clear that they don't want to make adventure games, they really did the right thing by letting the sam and max contract go, look at how well telltale is doing now.

 

[Kagari]

Quarity.

 

[Matt]

Ward was very critical of games being delayed and not being released at the same time as the film or property they were related to. He called out Spider-man 3 in particular for not being released with the cinematic release of the film.

Spider-Man 3 WAS released with the film...

 

[ThirdEye]

Who?

 

[bigswords]

LucasArts has not made many good Star Wars games.

Ermm X-wing series?

 

[Spire]

LucasArts has not made many good Star Wars games.

Wrong. They just haven't made any good Star Wars games in a long, long time.

 

[disappeared]

You see, this is what happens when KotOR III isn't announced.

 

[alistairw]

Ermm X-wing series?

That was Totally Games.

 

[BocoDragon]

modern LucasArts

 

[ManaByte]

LucasArts has not made many good Star Wars games.

WRONG

 

[Death Dealer]

Didn't think much of Republic Commando.

 

[Darth Sonik]

Spider-Man 3 WAS released with the film...

Damn too late to edit

It was Superman Returns delay he criticised EA for.

Thanks for correcting me Matt.




MMMMM...Freakin...UUUUU...Blue & Red...MMMMM...spandex...BBBBB...wearing...LLLLL...Bastards...EEEEE

:lol :lol :lol

 

[JJConrad]

This story is stupid. It says nothing as to the reason why Ward left. 'He wanted quality games' ... really now? When you definition of "a stellar success" is "won't suck," what are we suppose to think of your 'quality games.'

Then the bit outsourcing and making sound like it is a bad thing... LA's best games and best selling games last-gen were all outsourced. Outsourcing is good... especially here with their crappy tools.

 

[SamBishop]

The really sad thing is that, based on what I've seen so far, Force Unleashed has the potential to be a Force-powered version of a Devil May Cry-type action game that actually gives Star Wars freaks a link between the second and first trilogies. There is a stupid amount of potential, but I honestly feel a little worried that they might not be able to pull the trigger. Fingers crossed.

 

[Grayman]

Well at least Indy and ForceU may be great games.