More interesting news is coming out of the latest, let's call it "shifting of resources," at LucasArts. (See our previous story regarding layoffs here) Shacknews.com has reported that LucasArts plans to stop internally developing games after the release of The Force Unleashed. LucasArts has internally developed the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the upcoming game and its the first time the studio has done so since Star Wars: Republic Commando in 2005. The plan is for LucasArts to publish games while outsourcing game developement to other companies. Unfortunately, this could mean about 100 more emplyees could lose their jobs after the completion of TFU. See the excerpt below from the Shacknews.com piece with a response from Margaret Grohne of LucasArts:

"We're committed to our internal studio," she said. "We're working on the next Indiana Jones game internally." When asked if this commitment extends to future efforts, Grohne responded, "I'm not going to comment on projects we have not announced."

As to whether LucasArts will begin focusing more on externally-developed projects, Grohne noted, "We've always had a good balance between the internal studio and working with external partners. Expect that to continue."


So maybe the Indiana Jones next-gen game will be the last internally developed game. It's hard to tell at this point but we'll certainly be keeping you posted. In the meantime, make sure you check out the full article at Shacknews.com for all of the details.



Thanks to "Master Devwi" for the heads up!