Following the cancellation of the long-awaited PC game, Obi-Wan, TheForce.net's Joshua Griffin got a chance to speak with the president of LucasArts, Simon Jeffery. Here's part three of our interview, click here to read part one, and click here for part two.

TheForce.net: Have recent staff changes affected game development, and what do you see as the future of the gaming world?

Simon Jeffery: I'm not really sure what staff changes you're referring to. I'm kind of mystified when I read these postings about 'all the talent has left LucasArts'. When did this happen exactly? We still have some of the best creative talent in the industry, we have several Project Leaders who have been with the company for ten years, and the people who are joining the company now are better than ever. This, combined with the quality of the external groups we're now working with, is pretty exciting stuff.

TFN: Everyone here is excited about Episode II, and we're anxiously awaiting the first word on Episode II titles coming in 2002. Has development started and is there an early indication of what we can expect? Will they hit the streets at the same time as the movie?

SJ: Development has started on a couple of titles. I can't give anything away right now other than to say that we learned a lot last year with Episode I. There will be less Episode II games, and the games themselves will be based around events or characters from the movie and expanding outward, rather then retelling the movie (or a part of the movie) in interactive form. We've taken a really hard look at what we think people will take away from the movie, and what they will want to explore further for themselves in a game environment.

TFN: What is LucasArts greatest strength currently, and what are you doing to improve on weaknesses you've seen early in your time at LEC?

SJ: Our greatest strength is the people that work at LucasArts. People who are passionate about what they do, and who are completely committed to bringing the highest possible quality standards back to every game that we produce. I learn stuff from them every day. Every company has strengths and weaknesses, and 9 times out of 10 - the weaknesses are the same. If we're making AAA quality games that enjoy strong sales, and are able to attract and retain talented people and have them enjoy their work - all weaknesses are immaterial in my mind.

TFN: Star Wars: Starfighter, coming first quarter to the PlayStation 2 looks absolutely stunning. People are already talking very favorably about the title, and it's still a few months from release. Is the Playstation 2 easy to develop for, and what are you most proud of in the latest version?

SJ: Starfighter IS absolutely stunning. It's practically finished, and polish is being added so that when it ships early next year, a lot of people will be very happy. The PS2 is not an easy machine to develop for, and my answer to your question about what am I most proud of - is the team. They have done a simply outstanding job of maximizing the potential of the PS2. It's games that look this good that will draw more people into playing videogames. When something looks this real, looks this much like movie sfx, it's easier for people to relate to games.

TFN: Do you have Nintendo Gamecube development kits yet and are you planning on developing for the system? Are there titles in the works already?

SJ: We showed a technical demo for Rogue Squadron II on Nintendo Gamecube at the Tokyo Spaceworld show in August. At this point in time, that's all I can say :)

TFN: In the future, will we see LucasArts take a more active approach in the console environment, and straying away from the PC? What do you think of the future of both worlds - can they peacefully co-exist and will you support them?

SJ: We will be more active in the console field as we get better and better at building console games. However, we strongly believe in the future of PC gaming, and will continue to invest in, and build games for this market.

Online games in particular will be a large part of our future and we see the PC as being the online play medium for the foreseebale future. The PC arena is organic - it's constantly evolving. Whilst the current 'next gen' of consoles is red hot in terms of technology right now, in two to three years the PC will once again be where high performance lies - and console gamers will all be reading about the 'next, next gen' systems just around the corner. While many game companies are abdicating the PC market, LucasArts will continue to develop a number and variety of PC games.

TFN: LucasArts is working with outside studios in a major way now, including the massive multiplayer Star Wars online game with Verant and the role-playing game developed by BioWare. Why the trend to have outside help and will this continue in the future? What kind of input and direction is given to the development teams?

SJ: It's really part of our growth strategy. I read somewhere recently that we were being accused of utilizing outside developers to increase the quality of our games, as if that was some terrible kind of sin. Guilty as charged! The reason we are partnering with people like Verant, BioWare and more to be announced soon (!) is that we want to build and release the very best quality games possible. We want our current fans, our fans of old, and hopefully some new fans to enjoy every game that we put out. We want the best development talent in the world to build our games - whether those people work at LucasArts, or for a premier developer. We want to fully immerse players in the Star Wars Universe, and expand their perception of what that Universe is. The only way to do that is through the three Q's - quality, quality and quality. We are only partnering with external developers who are as passionate about Star Wars as we are. Every 'external' game has a suite of LucasArts personnel working full time on the project also. We don't view these games as external, we view them as Joint Ventures. We're heavily involved in the design stage in particular.

TFN: If you were talking to a young person thinking of getting into games, what advice would you give them to succeed in the industry?

SJ: Don't take it too personally when 'fans' want to burn your building down and skewer your head on a stake.