The Walt Disney Company announced today that it is acquiring Lucasfilm -- the global entertainment company founded by George Lucas and the home of the legendary "Star Wars" franchise. Official Press Release
You may be wondering how this ordeal will effect "Star Wars 1313" considering Lucasfilm is a large part of the games creation. Anthony Gallegos from IGN has reached out to LucasArts and received the following statement:
For the time being all projects are business as usual. We are excited about all the possibilities that Disney brings.
Disney's CEO Bob Iger has stated that the company will now focus more on mobile and social development than consoles going forward. However, he also said they'd pursue console games "opportunistically," licensing out the franchise to other companies. Hopefully under new management LucasArts will be given the chance to complete some of its older game trilogies such as: "BattleFront III" "KOTAR 3" and of course "The Force Unleashed III"
You can vote for "Star Wars 1313" by clicking HERE.
Voting closes October 22nd, with the awards themselves taking place on the 26th.
Launched in 1982 during the infancy of videogaming’s life, the Golden Joystick Awards is the world’s best-known gaming awards. The Golden Joysticks are the only annual awards voted for by gamers – you awesome lot who go out and buy the games – not a stuffy voting panel of ‘experts’ who haven’t actually ventured into a game store – like this year’s lovely sponsors HMV for example – for 10 years. We reckon this adds both authenticity and relevance to our awards.
As well as being very much a ‘people’s choice’ the Joysticks are also a fixture of the games industry calendar. They stand as one of the few opportunities outside of trade shows like E3 and GamesCom for the vibrant industry to get together under one roof to celebrate the year’s greatest gaming achievements. - Golden Joystick
"Star Wars 1313" is a game revolving around bounty hunters. Unlike
previous "Star Wars" games, 1313 needs to have real bounty hunting missions, not
some random story related quests about saving a princess. In 2002 Lucas Arts
released a 3rd person shooter called "Star Wars: Bounty Hunter".Official PlayStation Magazineconsidered the game, "Good fun,
but promised more." As the title suggest, the game promised bounty
hunting. However, what little bounty hunting that was featured in the game was
limited and generally optional.
"Star Wars 1313" has an opportunity to show a fan
favorite side of the "Star Wars" universe by focusing on bounty hunting. The Hutt
clans tend to put out bounties so large every bounty hunter in the galaxy looks
for the target.We want missions so that we can cash in on that huge bounty!
4. Cool Bounty Hunting Weapons
With great bounty hunting, comes great weapons. In "Star Wars 1313",
we want to see guns and assorted weaponry not seen in the films. We also want
to be able to use our bounty money to buy guns off the black market. Better
yet, customize our guns in such a way that the imperial police
droids will arrest us just by walking through a metal detector.
An illegally modified weapon? We hope so!
Who wouldn't want to use an outlawed sniper rifle and blow away cocky smugglers, who dump their cargo at the
sight of an imperial cruiser? Is the competition about to redeem the
bounty? No problem. Hit him with a stun ray and collect the goods.
One of the most exciting
things about Star Wars 1313 is the amazing graphics combined with epic combat. In the 2nd
gameplay teaser, we saw one of the most beautiful looking combat shoot out in
Star Wars history. Lucas Arts has promised us "engaging exotic weapons and
a combo of environmental agility and cover combat."
Lucas Arts might have
been taking notes from Mass Effect and Uncharted since the combat mechanics
look similar. They need to make the combat feel like Star Wars and not an Uncharted clone. We cannot wait to get our hands on the game and
"experience awe-inspiring and action-packed playable cinematic sequences
that constantly keep you engaged in the threat, pressure and tension of this
criminal underworld."
#2. Expanded Universe
Star Wars has a rich
expanded universe that exists outside of the motion pictures. By going
into the Underworld of the Star Wars universe Lucas Arts has a chance to bring
out some old Expanded Universe characters, technology, locations and stories
that have not been heard about in many years. Perhaps we get to see what
happened in crime riddled parts of the underworld after the Clone Wars, or perhaps we can play as Boba Fett and his gang before Empire Strikes Back.
Taken From The Clone Wars Season 5 Trailer
Compare
Taken From Star Wars 1313 Gameplay Trailer
Judging from these two
images, we might get to see the lower levels of Coruscant
during the next season of the Clone Wars TV show. If you look at the image from the
game, you can see the exact model of ship that Anakin and Ahsoka use in the
Clone Wars.
Be sure to check back here next friday for another article about what we want to see in Star Wars 1313.
The official Star Wars 1313 website has been updated with some new concept art. Check it out below.
Star Wars 1313™ is the first mature themed interactive
entertainment experience from LucasArts where you are a lethal bounty
hunter in the most dangerous place in the Star Wars™ galaxy, the ruthless criminal underworld of Coruscant's level 1313.
"Star Wars: 1313 has all the potential to be the best video game the franchise has seen in years." - Anthony Gallegos
The first public viewing of Star Wars: 1313 isn't in a room full of press waiting to see what's next for LucasArts. It's just me...and the team. A collaborative effort from the teams at LucasArts, Lucasfilm Animation, Industrial Light and Magic, and Skywalker Sound, 1313 is the first internally developed Star Wars project since The Force Unleashed 2. With producers, creative directors, PR and more from the project standing around me as the lights raise after the 1313 E3 demo, I found myself looking into the anxious faces of people awaiting judgment. And judge them I did -- as a gamer, as a critic and as a hardcore Star Wars fan.
LucasArts isn't revealing much at this point, but we do know the basics on 1313's setting. It takes place between the trilogies, and is set on level 1313 of the Imperial capital, Coruscant. Coruscant has over 5,000 levels, and 1313 is a part of the planet's underworld, a seedy place full of criminals and lawlessness. The setting itself has never been delved into all that deeply in the girth of Star Wars novels, but LucasArts hopes that this will provide an appropriate stage to tell a mature Star Wars narrative.
While LucasArts wouldn't rule out a "Mature" rating for 1313, the team is definitely not trying to toss in gratuitous gore to make sure you're shocked into paying attention, either. No one was ever dismembered or disemboweled during the short demo, and the lead character never tossed out swear words as he reloaded or beat down an enemy. This isn't the black and white portrayal of Star Wars set up by the films or cartoons, but a complicated world where the "good" and "bad" people tend to be harder to discern. LucasArts wants 1313's maturity to come across in its themes, in the way it tackles heavy moments, and presents a darker side of the Star Wars universe -- expect more Mos Eisley cantina, less Ewok village.
You play as a yet unnamed bounty hunter (Lucas is again being cagey with his details because they have plans about "how" to reveal the story -- maybe alongside that long-rumored live-action TV show?), who apparently gets wrapped up in a criminal conspiracy during his time on Coruscant.
The core of the game revolves around a combination of cover-based shooting and platforming, all of which apparently ties back into your hunter's arsenal. It's a bit too early for them to showcase much, but the demo did have our hunter wielding a very Han Solo-esque blaster that could fire normal shots as well as concussion blasts that knocked opponents out from behind cover. Other gadgets have yet to be disclosed, but it'd be awesome to see jetpacks, flamethrowers, darts -- basically anything and everything I've ever read about being a part of famed hunter Boba Fett's Mandalorian beskar armor
Much of the level design in Star Wars: 1313 will revolve around giving you opportunities to make use of your various gadgets, as well as making sure to maintain a sense of verticality. Your hunter is a lithe, lethal professional, and the aim is to have levels that reflect that. For instance if you're fighting a group of five enemies, you wouldn't find yourself in a Gears of War like stop-and-pop situation, but examine the environment and the tools you have and plan out a lethal assault. You're not a super hero a la The Force Unleashed (in fact, I'm told the Force doesn't make an appearance at all), but a somewhat vulnerable human who has to make the most out of his skills and gear.
The character's performances are also excellent, and show off just how good the collaboration between LucasArts, LucasFilm and ILM has worked. Using full performance capture suits, including special headgear that tracks multiple facial muscles and eye movements, the team has managed to create characters that feel strikingly human. Combining this new capture with the already beautiful vistas and attention to detail in the environments, the actors really pop in the scenes, helping 1313 really nail the Star Wars vibe its going for. Star Wars, no matter the medium, is about its characters, and the tech implemented by LucasArts looks like it will help make 1313's cast some of the franchises more compelling video game personas.
While this may not be Battlefront 3, Star Wars 1313 is the latest game from Lucas Arts in collaboration with Lucas Film, Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound and Lucasfilm Animation. There will be a special live demostration of the game monday night during Spike TV and Gametrailers E3 All Access 2012 Coverage.
Here is the Official Press Release:
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif - May 31, 2012 - LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd.
company, announced today a new internally developed videogame franchise,
Star Wars 1313™. The game will make its formal debut at the
2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles June 5-7. As players
take control of a lethal bounty hunter in a never-before-seen dark and
mature world, Star Wars 1313 introduces an integrated development
approach by bringing together great artists across the Lucasfilm
organization, including LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic,
Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. and Skywalker Sound. A third person cinematic
action adventure game, Star Wars 1313 will bring to life the Coruscant underworld, the most dangerous place in the Star Wars™ galaxy.
Named for Level 1313, a ruthless criminal underground deep below the
surface of the planet of Coruscant, the game puts players in control of a
deadly bounty hunter as he uses an arsenal of exotic weaponry to hunt
down his marks and uncover the truth surrounding a criminal conspiracy.
Star Wars 1313 emphasizes epic set pieces and fast-paced combat
with a hero who uses human skills and gadgets, rather than supernatural
Force powers, to make his way through this dangerous world.
"We're excited to share one of the projects LucasArts has been hard
at work developing," said Paul Meegan, President, LucasArts. "Star Wars 1313
dives into a part of the Star Wars mythos that we've always known
existed, but never had a chance to visit. We are committed to bringing
the best gameplay experience and visual fidelity to life and I truly
believe the work we are showcasing at E3 will speak for itself."
More details about Star Wars 1313 will surface in the coming months. Visit www.StarWars1313.com for the latest updates.
