LucasArts: Big Announcement Coming Monday.

Sierra Oscar

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – July 6, 2009 – Fans have asked and LucasArts has delivered! Today the company announced a new initiative in its effort to revive its classic and beloved franchises by making its games available for the first time ever as digital downloads online. In this first round of releases, ten fan-favorite LucasArts PC games will be made available Wednesday, July 8 on Steam®, Valve Corporation's delivery and management platform for the PC. Scheduled for release are classic adventure titles like LOOM and The Dig and hit action games including Star Wars Battlefront II and Star Wars Republic Commando.

The complete list of games to be released on July 8 via Steam includes:

• Armed and Dangerous™
• Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis
• Indiana Jones® and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
• LEGO® Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
• LOOM™
• Star Wars Battlefront® II
• Star Wars Republic Commando®
• Star Wars Starfighter™
• The Dig®
• Thrillville®: Off the Rails™

“This effort is going to make it possible to introduce a whole new generation of gamers to LucasArts’ classic games,” said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. “It also gives more people a chance to play our games by making them available long after they’ve disappeared from store shelves. We hope our fans are as excited as we are about our plans and we can’t wait to share what’s coming next. This is just the beginning.” This series of launches continues LucasArts’ new mission to revitalize its deep portfolio of beloved gaming franchises. LucasArts previously announced the return of the classic Monkey Island® franchise with two new projects due to be released in the near future. Tomorrow, July 7, Telltale will premiere the Tales of Monkey Island® game series on PC, delivering a
completely new epic storyline and swashbuckling flair that will unfold across five monthly episodes. The first Tales of Monkey Island chapter is expected to release for WiiWare™ in the coming weeks as well. The Monkey Island celebration continues on July 15 when LucasArts publishes The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, a completely re-imagined version of the first game in the series that adds updated high definition graphics, a re-mastered musical score, and full voiceover to the classic adventure game originally launched in 1990. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition will be made available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC via Steam and other online distribution channels.
Future announcements about the re-release of LucasArts’ back catalog titles will be made through LucasArts’ Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/lucasartsgames.
About Steam The leading online platform for PC games and digital entertainment, Steam
delivers new releases and online services to over 20 million PC users around the world. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com.

About Valve

Valve is an entertainment software and technology company founded in 1996 and based in Bellevue, Washington. For more information, please visit www.valvesoftware.com

About LucasArts

LucasArts, a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd., is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems, computers and the Internet. Based in San Francisco, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multifaceted
entertainment company.

LucasArts, the LucasArts logo, STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES are trademarks or registered

trademarks of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2009 Lucasfilm Entertainment

Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or TM as indicated. All rights reserved.
Nintendo trademarks used under license. WiiWare is available only through the Wii console.

http://www.lucasarts.com/company/vip/catalog/lec_backcatalog_2009.pdf

- - - - - - - - - - - -

For all us old school Lucas Arts fans, apparently there is big news coming this Monday.

http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/comments_news.phtml?id=070409_4

Amazing news coming Monday! Super excited! You have no idea how tough it is not to start yelling about it! But it's secret! Until Monday!

I don't want to tease, it is just tough not to say anything! I might be tempted, however. Have to think about it over the weekend.

Okay, we will do hints. It is awesome news for our old school fans. (anything more direct might get me in trouble)

Monday, early, actually. I suppose if the president of the company messages me to leak it I would. Til then, it is teasing. Sorry guys.

@TTU_VAPOR It doesn't have to do with any specific intellectual property

Any ideas?

I suspect they may re-release some of their classic games myself. Perfect timing to get people interested in their games again with Tales of Monkey Island around the corner.

Overheal

they did some great **** back in the day.

maybe we'll see Afterlife come back?

ciano1

New Monkey Island???? PLEASE !!

Oafley Jones

Lucasarts of the 90s was such a great game studio. I'd love to see a continuation of what they're doing with Monkey Island. An update of Totally Games X-Wing/Tie-Fighter would be a dream come true.

Holsten

Hopefully another good Star Wars game!

monument

Monkey Island wise we're already getting a revamp of the original game, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, and Telltale Games are releasing episode-based The Tales of Monkey Island. Both due out this month.

As for what the announcement could be...

When @lucasartsgames tweeted: "New hint: some have come close. Check my @tweets and think a bit. Some are VERY close. Just not specific enough" ... at around the same time most people were suggesting old games will be released for download.

I'd guess maybe they'd be packed with the special edition of the Secret of Monkey Island?

Overheal

Holsten wrote: »

Hopefully another good Star Wars game!

Thats their bread and butter. Im kinda tired of it. And besides they said classics. I assume they mean they are pulling some of their other underloved IPs out of the vault for some TLC.

My money is on Labyrinth, actually.

Josey Wales

Maybe they are bringing games like Day of the Tentacle or Full Throttle to the iPhone.

Rhyme

Monkey Island on Wii-Ware?

monument

Rhyme wrote: »

Monkey Island on Wii-Ware?

Telltale are already doing that with The Tales of Monkey Island, while The Secret of Monkey Island SE is so-far only going to Xbox Live Arcade.

awhir

reamke grim fandingo ? or remake one of the star wars classics

monument

As @lucasartsgames, ie the official Lucas Arts twitter account and the source of this news, has said:

It doesn't have to do with any specific intellectual property...

Exar Khun

They are replacing all the guns in all the old games with walkie talkies

Overheal

Maybe its a revival of several IPs as opposed to a specific one

Antar Bolaeisk

New X-Wing vs Tie Fighter!

Hopefully anyways.

TaxiManMartin

Its world of Star Wars.
kind like WOW.

Naikon

Hopefully Grim Fandango 2:pac:

doubt it though...

A new Grim Fandango or a new Monkey Island would be amazing. But it bloody not be another MMORPG. There's too many out there at the moment as it is.

CiDeRmAn

Edge have detailed the new Monkey Island games in their E3 report, so it's not that, ones an update of one of the The Secret Of Monkey Island and seems to be geared to XBLA and PSN and the other Tales of Monkey Island a whole new adventure on PC and Wii.

A re-release and graphical update of Tie Fighter or X-Wing Alliance would suffice, their nature would be perfect for XBLA, small program size and all that.

ironictoaster

C'mon Grim Fandango!

EDIT: Just looking at their twitter, they say the goods will be announced around 5pm GMT.

Mr E

New twitter update:

Last hint: someone guessed it dead on. With that, I am off to bed. You'll know more in 12 or so hours. You guys are all awesome.

Is dead on a Grim Fandango hint?!

http://twitter.com/Lucasartsgames

Star Lord

Mr E wrote: »

New twitter update:

Is dead on a Grim Fandango hint?!

http://twitter.com/Lucasartsgames

That would kinda contradict the earlier update:

It doesn't have to do with any specific intellectual property...

Double Fine and LucasArts to team up for a game? :pac: Once can only hope...

Stephen

*LucasArts stops milking Star Wars franchise with crappy game after crappy game, gamers rejoice*

I can only dream :pac:

Rhyme

monument wrote: »

Telltale are already doing that with The Tales of Monkey Island, while The Secret of Monkey Island SE is so-far only going to Xbox Live Arcade.

Ah, that's the one I was thinking of. Whoops.

Star Lord

And I am off to work. Gotta let people know you're starting to figure it out. You Twitter people are too smart.

Keeping schtum on what it actually is... My money is on further remakes...

monument

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

Keeping schtum on what it actually is... My money is on further remakes...

Yeah, I'd go for remakes or re-releases, free or paid. Giving away other games with the Monkey Island remake could be it?

TinCool

I reckon they're going to sub-contract in George Lucas to do some god awful CGI touching up of Monkey Island II, Manic Mansion and Day of The Tentacle. Guybrush to strike first at LeChuck and the Green Tentacle to be the Evil one.

Sierra Oscar

@lucasartsgames and remember: the people are replying because of a LUCASARTS GAME, not because of you as a person. /cry

:eek:

Stephen

Its gone 5, any big announcement?

Sierra Oscar

Stephen wrote: »

Its gone 5, any big announcement?

Not yet. Im guessing its still early local time for LucasArts.

Stephen

posted to twitter 20 seconds ago:

@lucasartsgames wrote:

1 hour left. Now I must go through my email and sort out the 2600 emails from Twitter, then draft the perfect Tweet for you guys.

Sierra Oscar

One hour guys!

1 hour left. Now I must go through my email and sort out the 2600 emails from Twitter, then draft the perfect Tweet for you guys.

monument

There's just an ever so small chance they are hyping this too much

Holsten

Come on Battlefront 3!

Stev_o

Anything now?

Sierra Oscar

Stev_o wrote: »

Anything now?

Not yet, although if we go by what they say then it should be coming along any minute now.

robby^5

Holsten wrote: »

Come on Battlefront 3!

Second that! Would love to see what they could pull off with Battlefront on a nextgen system, II was probably one of the best XBox games I ever bought.

Sierra Oscar

So lets see who will be happy: LucasArts has partnered with Steam. Digital adventurey goodness.

Valve will release a press release in a moment.

Stev_o

Worst announcement ever.

BlitzKrieg

1 hour left. Now I must go through my email and sort out the 2600 emails from Twitter, then draft the perfect Tweet for you guys.

There I was thinking it would be something related to the atari 2600

ET remake?

JCDenton

What a dissapointment!!

Sierra Oscar

JCDenton wrote: »

What a dissapointment!!

Yeah, I think they hyped it too much.

We want new games!:p

Sierra Oscar

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – July 6, 2009 – Fans have asked and LucasArts has delivered! Today the company announced a new initiative in its effort to revive its classic and beloved franchises by making its games available for the first time ever as digital downloads online. In this first round of releases, ten fan-favorite LucasArts PC games will be made available Wednesday, July 8 on Steam®, Valve Corporation's delivery and management platform for the PC. Scheduled for release are classic adventure titles like LOOM and The Dig and hit action games including Star Wars Battlefront II and Star Wars Republic Commando.

The complete list of games to be released on July 8 via Steam includes:

• Armed and Dangerous™
• Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis
• Indiana Jones® and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
• LEGO® Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
• LOOM™
• Star Wars Battlefront® II
• Star Wars Republic Commando®
• Star Wars Starfighter™
• The Dig®
• Thrillville®: Off the Rails™

“This effort is going to make it possible to introduce a whole new generation of gamers to LucasArts’ classic games,” said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. “It also gives more people a chance to play our games by making them available long after they’ve disappeared from store shelves. We hope our fans are as excited as we are about our plans and we can’t wait to share what’s coming next. This is just the beginning.” This series of launches continues LucasArts’ new mission to revitalize its deep portfolio of beloved gaming franchises. LucasArts previously announced the return of the classic Monkey Island® franchise with two new projects due to be released in the near future. Tomorrow, July 7, Telltale will premiere the Tales of Monkey Island® game series on PC, delivering a
completely new epic storyline and swashbuckling flair that will unfold across five monthly episodes. The first Tales of Monkey Island chapter is expected to release for WiiWare™ in the coming weeks as well. The Monkey Island celebration continues on July 15 when LucasArts publishes The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, a completely re-imagined version of the first game in the series that adds updated high definition graphics, a re-mastered musical score, and full voiceover to the classic adventure game originally launched in 1990. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition will be made available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC via Steam and other online distribution channels.
Future announcements about the re-release of LucasArts’ back catalog titles will be made through LucasArts’ Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/lucasartsgames.
About Steam The leading online platform for PC games and digital entertainment, Steam
delivers new releases and online services to over 20 million PC users around the world. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com.

About Valve

Valve is an entertainment software and technology company founded in 1996 and based in Bellevue, Washington. For more information, please visit www.valvesoftware.com

About LucasArts

LucasArts, a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd., is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems, computers and the Internet. Based in San Francisco, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multifaceted
entertainment company.

LucasArts, the LucasArts logo, STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES are trademarks or registered

trademarks of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2009 Lucasfilm Entertainment

Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or TM as indicated. All rights reserved.
Nintendo trademarks used under license. WiiWare is available only through the Wii console.

http://www.lucasarts.com/company/vip/catalog/lec_backcatalog_2009.pdf

JCDenton

Am I wrong in saying that a bunch of those were freely (and legally) available to download for the past few years now anyway?

Sierra Oscar

JCDenton wrote: »

Am I wrong in saying that a bunch of those were freely (and legally) available to download for the past few years now anyway?

LucasArts never declared any of their games freeware/abandon ware as far as I know.

Stephen

They actually tried to shut down sites peddling them as "abandonware" too didn't they?

monument

JCDenton wrote: »

Am I wrong in saying that a bunch of those were freely (and legally) available to download for the past few years now anyway?

On the legal part you're wrong anyway.

Retr0gamer

No game is abandonware unless made so by the publisher.

humanji

I had thought that Lucasarts had made them available too. I also thought that they were already available through Steam already, so this counts as one of the lamest hype building exercises since...well I guess the games industry is nothing but lame hype building exercises.

Holsten

I ****ing hate steam.

Useless!

silvine

What about TIE Fighter?