Disney closes LucasArts, cans Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault

[Mavrick]

Disney is closing LucasArts development studio, laying off a reported 150 staffers and canceling Star Wars 1313 along with Star Wars: First Assault.

A representative confirmed the news to Game Informer with the following statement:

“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games.

“As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles.”

While the Game Informer article doesn’t list the number of people affected by the closure, Kotaku is reporting that 150 people have been laid off and Star Wars 1313 along with Star Wars: First Assault have been cancelled.

We’ve reached out to Disney for confirmation of the cancellations, but if the statement given to Game Informer is any indication, it looks as though other development studios will now be able to license the Star Wars IP helping to achieve the “broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games.”

This could pave the way for licenses for studios such as Obsidian, which earlier this year said it had pitched an idea to Disney on the matter.

Back in October 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm – and Lucaarts – for the reported sum of $4.05 billion, according to multiple sources.

A representative for Disney, which had been moving away from games development, said that “for the time being,” the deal wouldn’t affect Star Wars: 1313 development, and that development on all projects was “business as usual.”

http://www.vg247.com/2013/04/03/disn...ublishing-arm/