With the sequel to one of the best-selling Star Wars games releasing in only a few months, it’s time to start thinking about the future. But has the new president of LucasArts already decided the fate of the whole company?
Back in the beginning of June, LucasArts named Paul Meegan as their new President, moving from his former home at Epic Games China. As the new head honcho, Meegan seems to be trimming the fat around the developer wherever he deems it necessary. This information comes not too long after Haden Blackman, executive producer on The Force Unleashed projects, just announced his immediate resignation. Coincidence? It doesn’t look likely. It is rumored that Meegan canceled development on The Force Unleashed III, a project that has never been officially announced by LucasArts. This is most likely why Blackman abruptly left the company. Since over 80 percent of the original Force Unleashed team worked on the sequel, it would be assumed that the same group of people would work on a third game. Not anymore, as the current development team will be let go. Even a top-secret project has just been put on hold following major “management and reporting changes.”
The trouble doesn’t stop there. Following the news of the cancellation of the PSP version of The Force Unleashed II, word is also out that Meegan is discontinuing most, if not all, LucasArts games licensed out to other companies, such as Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones by Traveller’s Tales. BioWare and their work with Star Wars: The Old Republic, will be the only game that will not be developed in-house at LucasArts. This has caused a great disturbance in The Force over at LucasArts, putting “morale and productivity at all-time lows.”
Hopefully, this rumor isn’t true. The Force Unleashed II is shaping up to be much better than the first game, so a third would only make sense. Star Wars and trilogies work well together. I think only one thing sums up the situation right now.
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