Iconic Gamedev Studios of the 90s and How They Disappeared
The history of computer games isn't only about fondly-remembered titles and their sequels, but also about the studios and publishers behind them. Let's recall those most notable companies from the 1990s that, for various reasons, failed to survive.
Table of Contents
- Iconic Gamedev Studios of the 90s and How They Disappeared
- MicroProse
- Origin Systems
- Psygnosis
- Bullfrog Productions
- Sensible Software
- Westwood Studios
- Strategic Simulations, Inc. (aka SSI)
- Interplay Productions / Interplay Entertainment
- LucasArts Entertainment
- Other notable studios
LucasArts Entertainment
What we remember it for: adventure games on SCUMM engine and Star Wars
Years active: 1990–2013
LucasArts is not exclusively associated with the 90s, as it was already doing quite well at the beginning of the new century. However, it was then that their most respected titles were released. The studio's activity began in 1982, when it was founded by George Lucas himself, but the name LucasArts didn't appear until 1990, after some restructuring. Like Sierra, the brand first became famous for addictive and hilarious adventure games based on the SCUMM engine. Then we got such classics as the Monkey Island series, Maniac Mansion or games with Indiana Jones.
Then came the X-Wing space simulator and the golden age of Star Wars games. There was no end to playing TIE-Fighter, the spectacular Rebel Assault showing off the capabilities of the CD-ROM drive, and Doom fans got the FPS Dark Forces. Then there was Jedi Knight, Star Wars: Racer and a few other gems, such as Knights of the Old Republic created in cooperation with BioWare. The adventure genre practically didn't exist anymore back then, certainly not on the mainstream market, and LucasArts rightly abandoned its former specialization in favor of a film license.
What happened to LucasArts?
Activities as a game dev studio and publisher lasted sometime until 2012, when Lucasfilm and all its brands were acquired by Disney. Initially, the new owner didn't announce any changes and did not intend to interfere with the studio's operations. LucasArts reportedly was actively working on an RPG with an open world, an FPS, and a few games in which the player was supposed to sit at the helm of a fighter. At that time, announced games included Star Wars: 1313 and the online Star Wars: First Assault. Unfortunately, in April 2013, Disney scrapped all LucasArts projects and all game development activities to "minimize the risk of failure and gain a rich portfolio of high-quality Star Wars games." The license stayed with Electronic Arts for years, and Disney Interactive Studios took care of the production of casual mobile games. About 150 LucasArts employees lost their jobs at the time. We know all too well how it ended for the Star Wars game.
