Lucasfilm Games / LucasArts

Lucasfilm Games / LucasArts is a developer and publisher.

Lucasfilm Games / LucasArts Webpage, Facebook

This American company began as a video game development studio and publisher but has primarily operated as a licensor since 2013. Formerly called LucasArts, Lucasfilm Games is famous for its classic point-and-click adventures, especially the Monkey Island series, along with Indiana Jones and Star Wars titles.

The history of Lucasfilm Games

Beginning of business

Lucasfilm Games traces its origins back to 1979, when George Lucas established the Lucasfilm Computer Division. Inside the division - formed to explore new directions in gameplay - a dedicated video game unit was created. This unit, which eventually developed its own identity, became the Lucasfilm Games Group.

Looking back, it's somewhat surprising that the studio didn't have the rights to the Star Wars franchise in its early years. Nevertheless, it provided the team with a chance to develop new IPs, which turned out to be successful. Although its earliest games, such as Ballblazer, Rescue on Fractalus!, Koronis Rift, and The Eidolon, have largely faded from memory; later titles left a lasting mark on the history of video games.

This trend began with the Maniac Mansion project, an adventure game built on the SCUMM language, which would go on to form the foundation for most subsequent point-and-click games released under the company's name. Among its later works, notable titles included games based on the Indiana Jones franchise, as well as 1990's The Secret of Monkey Island, which launched a cult series.

Under the LucasArts name

In 1990, Lucasfilm Games relocated from Skywalker Ranch to San Rafael, California, and adopted a new name. George Lucas's company underwent a restructuring, resulting in the studio being called LucasArts. In the following years, the team not only continued developing existing franchises but also created new titles, such as Sam & Max Hit the Road and Full Throttle.

Furthermore, in 1992, the studio finally gained the rights to the Star Wars franchise. It produced a number of titles that appealed not only to fans of the film saga but also to a wider audience. This includes games developed in-house by LucasArts, along with those made by external developers. Among these, the most notable are the space simulator X-Wing (1993) and the first-person shooter Dark Forces (1995), which launched the best-selling Jedi Knight series.

Changing trends

Second half of the 1990s saw a shift in industry trends and rising video game production costs, which eventually forced LucasArts to abandon two-dimensional adventure games. Its final game of this type was The Curse of Monkey Island, released in 1997. The next game, Grim Fandango (1998), used three-dimensional graphics, and Escape from Monkey Island (2000) followed a similar approach.

The evolving video game market prompted LucasArts to gradually discontinue its adventure games in the early 2000s, leading to layoffs and the creation of studios like Telltale Games. The company decided to step back from the genre, and although it occasionally revisited it in later years, adventure games never became a central part of its business again.

Beyond Star Wars

The Star Wars franchise has gradually grown to become a central part of LucasArts' business. While efforts were made to diversify by investing in other projects, none achieved the same level of recognition as the Knights of the Old Republic series (initiated by BioWare and continued by Obsidian Entertainment), the Battlefront series, or the tactical shooter Republic Commando. Despite this, LucasArts published several notable games, including Gladius (2004) and Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (2005).

Looking at LucasArts' situation in the second half of the 2000s, it appears that the company was searching for a way to reinvent itself, but it was not particularly successful. Among the games it created and published, commercial and artistic hits were rare; one exception was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008), which, despite mixed reviews, became the fastest-selling title in the company's portfolio.

On the other hand, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010) failed to replicate the success of its predecessor, and Kinect Star Wars (2012) similarly failed to impress audiences. Among its successful ventures is Star Wars: The Old Republic, developed by BioWare and released in 2011.

The shooter Star Wars: Battlefront III, developed by Free Radical Design and expected to be a major success, was ultimately canceled after two years of development. A similar fate befell, among others, a game planned for the Nintendo Wii, which was to feature Darth Maul as its main character.

Last works

The studio's last licensed game, Angry Birds Star Wars (2012), was created by Rovio Entertainment. The company's last major venture was Star Wars 1313, an action game reminiscent of the Uncharted series, among others; however, the project was ultimately canceled when its developer and publisher found itself…

Under Disney's wing

In December 2012, the Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm, including LucasArts. Shortly after the acquisition, on April 3rd, 2013, LucasArts was officially shut down as a development studio and publisher, and its video game operations were transferred to Disney.

While LucasArts did not completely disappear from the industry, it retained only a small core team, with activities limited to licensing the company's brands. The Lucasfilm Games brand was unexpectedly reactivated in January 2021. However, under this structure, the company's role would be largely limited to licensing its brands and overseeing related projects.