What Are They Hiding at Lucasarts?

[ottenni]

See this is one thing about the escapist that i like, the well written random articles. Well done Russ.

Oh and while im at it.

That's what happens when you have too much money. You go to crazy lengths to keep it that way.

Articles like this are why I love the Escapist. Thanks.

Lucasarts share the building with ILM. In fact many ILM staff are mixed in with Lucasarts staff rather than being on separate floors. Often working together on projects. ILM helps LA with cinematics while Lucas Arts helps ILM with quick pre-vis etc..

They're probably more worried about you catching a glimpse of the new live action Star Wars show or one of the many unannounced blockbusters they're working on.

Welcome to the Escapist. I hope you have a wonderful stay here, help yourself to the pancakes. Remember to read the posting guidelines and don't feed the trolls. Oh and stay out of the basement.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Whatever, I just want to know if and when they're going to release Day of the Tentacle on Steam.

 

[Charli]

I should be somewhat surprised about this but... I'm not, it makes total sense that LucasArts bandy about a totalitarian like regime within their hallowed walls.

The appearences are a lie, I bet somewhere deep within theres a basement with 1000 chained developers all being whipped to code at record speed to the sound of a beating drum.

...Okay this chain of thought ran on too long, but there we go.

 

[heyheysg]

They actually found WMDs in Iraq and George Lucas is tasked to hide them there.

 

[MasterSplinter]

I went to a lecture from a developer from a local (Uruguayan) browser-games-making company (Powerful Robot: http://www.powerfulrobot.com). They made a game for the Cartoon Network site based on the 3D movie & series of the clone wars. They said that it was REALLY hard to get them to give ANY images of the characters they wanted for the game they were hiring them to make (this was all before the premiere of the movie and the series), and had to fly blind for most of the way, it sounded very frustrating and kinda irritating.

So this doesn't surprise me much. I do am amazed they let you out alive.

 

[Twad]

Maybe they are hiding nothing? A lot of it?

 

[Lim3]

What are they hiding?

The plans for the death star they're building.

(its currently under construction either underground or on the far side of the moon.

They could have done what the Japanese when they built a life size Gundam and passed it off as a decoration, but now that i think about it no one would have been fooled if they built a life size death star "model".

Hmm Gundam vs Death Star.

 

[ThaBenMan]

That sounds quite sinister. I'm sure somewhere in there is a half-constructed Death Star-like weapon (or at least a Star Destroyer). It's a shame, I'd really like to get a look at those paintings you mentioned.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

I went to a lecture from a developer from a local (Uruguayan) browser-games-making company (Powerful Robot: http://www.powerfulrobot.com). They made a game for the Cartoon Network site based on the 3D movie & series of the clone wars. They said that it was REALLY hard to get them to give ANY images of the characters they wanted for the game they were hiring them to make (this was all before the premiere of the movie and the series), and had to fly blind for most of the way, it sounded very frustrating and kinda irritating.

So this doesn't surprise me much. I do am amazed they let you out alive.

The Cartoon Network animated Star Wars cartoon had the same problem, leading to amusing discontinuity with General Greivous. In the cartoons Grievous is a badass who gets injured by Mace The Motherfucking Shaft Windu. In the movie, he was always a gimp, and is the villainous equivilant of Dick Dastardly

At the time they claimed it was because the character was being developed. Posh. George Lucas keeps a stranglehold like grip on his IP's, he's made all his money off of merchandising after all.

I thought BIOWARE was developing this game, not Lucas. News on the game sounds good, but Lucas' attitude makes me feel...uncomfortable. What was even the point of having you by, why not just wait for a trade show and show it off?

 

[spinFX]

I'm sure someone ninjaed this but there is a typo (intentional?) in the article. "This is the world of Lucasarts, where everything ***si*** perfect, and none of it is to be touched." Intentional? Would have been better to have the word perfect as a typo.

 

[The Bum]

Lulz i think geroge lucas is trying to scare us till we stop ridiculing his games.

 

[spinFX]

Also I want to ask: Bioware is sitting in the Lucasarts building to develop this game? Thought they would have/be allowed to work in; their own mansion to work in.

 

[duchaked]

they're building ion cannons
one shot that connects would fry all electronics
think about it

 

[The_Eskimo]

I went to a lecture from a developer from a local (Uruguayan) browser-games-making company (Powerful Robot: http://www.powerfulrobot.com). They made a game for the Cartoon Network site based on the 3D movie & series of the clone wars. They said that it was REALLY hard to get them to give ANY images of the characters they wanted for the game they were hiring them to make (this was all before the premiere of the movie and the series), and had to fly blind for most of the way, it sounded very frustrating and kinda irritating.

So this doesn't surprise me much. I do am amazed they let you out alive.

maybe they didnt let him out alive they kept him and replaced him with another author who is a sleeper agent?

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Maybe the bulk of the structure is to house their new Thuggee Temple, San Fran is on a fairly thin crust of earth with lots of lava simmering below...

Or maybe they really are making missle guidence systems, lets just hope that they are better than the X-Wing's Proton torpedoes.

Is there really a need for secrecy in a place like that? Your making a Star Wars game, odds are it'll have Stormtroopers and Jedi. Even the story lines of Star Wars games are predictable; Evil Empire plots to overthrow galaxy, 9 or 10 brave heroes, some who may or may not have a troubled past/skeletons in the closet, are with you. Despite overwhelming odds you choose to only have 2 of them with you at any given time.

 

[the_carrot]

They're going to freeze George Lucas' head and store his personality on a ROM. You heard it here first.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Lucasarts share the building with ILM. In fact many ILM staff are mixed in with Lucasarts staff rather than being on separate floors. Often working together on projects. ILM helps LA with cinematics while Lucas Arts helps ILM with quick pre-vis etc..

They're probably more worried about you catching a glimpse of the new live action Star Wars show or one of the many unannounced blockbusters they're working on.

This is pretty much what it boils down to. LEC doesn't even really have that much space compared to what we have over at ILM, who have quite a deal more. Plus there are non-Lucas affiliated companies that also lease space at the Presidio campus. But security is a huge deal for Lucasfilm due to the many clients that contract ILM and Skywalker Sound for work and want to keep whatever they can under wraps. Plus there's a ton of cutting-edge tech being developed in those areas, particularly on the ILM side - stuff that can potentially be patented or industry-breaking. So the security thing isn't LEC-specific at all, it's just campus policy. Though the NORAD comment made me laugh, since the security setup's not really anywhere close to a military facility or anything - hell, different Lucas division employees have open access to each other's spaces.

As for the alarms at the security areas, the guests probably weren't instructed properly on how to swipe the badges over them. You need to make sure it's on the correct side, you can't swipe immediately after someone goes through, etc. You're supposed to swipe and wait for the proper light, if you walk right away and an error pops up you're going to set off the alarm. Happens all the time, temp badges or regular ones.

I'm really curious as to what put-off the article author so much - was it just how the PR folk treated him? Not enough courtesy shown or something? When I've given tours to guests, they don't really talk about the security at all.

 

[Keslen]

This is the world of Lucasarts, where everything si (sic) perfect, and none of it is to be touched.

Probably the most fitting sentiment of the entire article right there.

 

[Carnagath]

Oh wow, that sounds pretty weird. What a contrast to Blizzard's HQ and its nerdy playful tone. On the other hand, maybe the black vans and increased security were there because they saw Russ Pitts' avatar, which sort of looks like Aleister Crowley.