Lego Indiana Jones Demo {Games For Windows]

[If we made the game for high-end PCs], someone with a low-end PC would have a watered down experience, they would have to turn all the settings down and it wouldn't be the same game. On the other hand if we made that game for as many people as possible then it's not taking advantage of what those $4,000 systems can do.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Interview [VideoGamer]

Today, it would appear that another publisher may be joining Activision and Vivendi as a former ESA member, as GamePolitics points out that LucasArts is no longer listed as one of its members, a recent and unannounced change. The official E3 Summit web site still lists LucasArts as a participating company. We have a request in with the publisher to learn more about their ESA status and will update when we hear back.

ESA Members

Lego Indiana Jones Website [LucasArts.com]

Whatever your console, this trailer will convince you it's going to be awesome. Exclusive content and gameplay for all of them. God, now I want to buy a Wii. Right after I take a cold shower.

The game will have you playing as Darth Vader's secret apprentice and takes place in the era between Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The game will have players assisting Vader in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi.

"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is one of the most ambitious projects LucasArts has ever launched. The combination of a great new Star Wars story with revolutionary new technology and game play means more fun than you've ever had in the Star Wars universe," said Peter Hirschmann, Vice-President of Product Development, LucasArts. "We can't wait until gamers get their hands on it this September."

LucasArts teamed up with Spike TV to air segments about the upcoming game during the channel's upcoming showing of all six Star Wars movies this weekend. The channel will be airing six different segments about the game "each with an exclusive announcement or new game play footage."

Hit the jump for the segment times, more box art shots and some details on the game.

• April 6 at 7:58 p.m. ET/PT - between the premiere of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
• April 11 at 10:52 p.m. ET/PT - At the end of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
• April 12 at 12:00 a.m. ET/PT - throughout an episode of GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley filmed at LucasArts' headquarters in San Francisco
• April 12 at 5:06 p.m. ET/PT - before Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
• April 13 at 5:06 p.m. ET/PT - before Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

More About Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the first next-generation game developed internally at LucasArts, and will be available on the Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

As its name implies, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time together: Digital Molecular Matter, by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd.

LucasArts and developer Krome Studios are creating an equally enthralling version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and n-Space, Inc., is developing a version for Nintendo DS™. All will feature the same storyline, with opportunities to unleash the Force in devastating new ways.

Working with Lucas Licensing, LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey, Prima Games, and Palace Press.

More information about the game can be found at the official website, www.theforceunleashed.com, which will continue to release details throughout the year.

San Francisco, Calif. (April 2, 2008) - Darrell Rodriguez has been named president of LucasArts, the videogame division of Lucasfilm Ltd., it was announced today by Lucasfilm President Micheline Chau.

"Darrell is the ideal person to run LucasArts," states Chau. "Having worked at both Electronic Arts and Disney Imagineering he brings the perfect blend of production, operational, and creative expertise. For a games company such as LucasArts with its roots in film, this is an electric combination."

Rodriguez will take the helm at LucasArts in mid-April. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Electronic Arts LA in charge of overall operations, product development and strategic growth for the studio. An avid gamer, Rodriguez has extensive expertise in multiple categories from action sports games, to first person shooters, to real time strategy games. He has worked on such diverse titles as SSX On Tour; Medal of Honor: Airborne; The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II; and Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

"I couldn't be more excited to join such a dynamic and innovative company as LucasArts," states Rodriguez. "The people are world class and the IP is the best in the business. To be able to work with such cultural icons as Star Wars and Indiana Jones and develop new franchises is like a dream come true."

Prior to Electronic Arts, Rodriguez also held positions in product development and production at EarthLink, Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Internet Group. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Rodriguez earned his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley.

Rodriguez joins LucasArts at a key time in its 26 year history. 2008 boasts a terrific slate of games led by Lego® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures which will launch June 3 just after the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull™. Developed by the same team at Traveller's Tales that created the LEGO Star Wars™ series, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures presents a tongue-in-cheek take on the first three cinematic adventures of pop culture's most iconic archaeologist, including Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Next up is the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Unleashed™, in which the player is cast as Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice in the time between Episodes III and IV. The first next-gen game to come out of LucasArts internal studio, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely reimagines the scope and scale of the Force. Fracture, a new IP developed by Day One Studios, advances players 150 years into a future in which the devastating effects of global warming and the debate around genetic enhancement have literally and figuratively split the United States in two, placing it on the brink of war. The game introduces "Terrain Deformation," a truly next-gen gameplay mechanic that allows players to completely modify the battlefield on the fly.

While a lot of games are pushing the limits of what can be done visually in games, we also wanted to push gameplay to levels that literally could not be done on the previous generation of hardware.

According to the anonymous comment, "Mich (& company) was unhappy with his delaying of the Force Unleashed and Indiana Jones titles." The commenter implies that Ward was more interested in delivering "kick ass" games more so than games that shipped on time, on budget and with, we assume, an acceptable level of ass kicking.

Anonymous then goes on to write that interim president Howard Roffman's replacement of Ward "could spell trouble for the LucasArts division" if he aligns with those who feel that properties such as Indiana Jones and Star Wars should be more often handed off to third-party developers.

He or she then rips into the working relationship with ILM, calling Zeno, the pipeline that LucasArts' internal game engine Zed runs upon, "garbage" and "one of the worst first party developement tools out there." That certainly inspires some confidence.

The full comment is definitely worth a read, regardless of whether it's 100% factual or not. At the very least, it provides interesting insight into the (possible) inner workings at LucasArts. let's just hope someone doesn't get Force-choked to death because of it.

GameSetInsight: Disgruntled Of Presidio Writes... [GameSetWatch]

The gameplay started in a Tie Fighter hanger, our male protagonist looking down at the cleanly-textured room. Everything is understated, save for the size. It's so massive that I found myself mentally categorizing other games that had indoor environments with ceilings that reach 150+ feet in the air.

And it reminds you that force powers are truly the intended focus of the game. Because while our male protagonist was indeed holding a lightsaber, he opted not to use it all that often. Sure, part of the gameplay decision was for our benefit, but when levels employ so much vertical space, sometimes propogated with Tie Fighters floating by (ready to be plucked out of the air), the saber feels so tedious.

We watched as the jedi made short work of the Storm Troopers (effortlessly lifting them and ran into the spaceship's hallways (also some of the largest we've seen). The blast doors were satisfyingly bent open ala The Force and then new troopers got the taste of some lightsaber.

Then something really bothered us. We noticed that when the troopers died, green orbs popped out like we've seen in God of War. While we're sure these orbs are intended to fill the force meter, their fantasy-based nature really sucked us away from the hyperrealism of gorgeous floating Storm Troopers, grabbing on to any near object in attempt to save life and limb.

Even on the large projected screen, the game looked very nice. We can only imagine it scaled down to a more manageable, non-jumbotron size. Unfortunately, there was one pretty cool image that you'll never see.

In an early concept video, designers rendered a mock battle between a jedi and a rancor (large humanoid monster). After battling for about a minute, the monster swallows the jedi.

Needless to say, this didn't end well. The monster was struck with a lightsaber ulcer so bad that its body exploded. And despite a packed hall of hoots and hollers in response, the content was too spicy for the ESRB to designate a "T for Teen" rating.

And it makes us wonder how long it will be until we're choosing between uncensored version of games and their "radio" edits.

Lego [have] already replaced them with an anonymous genocidal, occultist, trenchcoat-wearing master-race.

[Star Wars Shop]

We just leaned that LucasArts will be hosting an event at their Presidio campus during the Game Developers Conference to show off some of the cool tech behind Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Fracture and... gasp... let us catch a glimpse of some live gameplay from LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

I am as giddy as a school girl about that game, and I'm not kidding. I actually look longingly at the new Indie LEGO kits every time I see them in stores. I've been trying very hard to kick my son of his LEGO Star Wars habit, just so I have an excuse to buy them. So want.

Variety has a pretty epic story in their March issue that delves deep into LucasArts upcoming Star Wars game The Force Unleashed. Writer Frank DiGiacomo does not only an amazing job of shedding light on a hotly anticipated game, but also manages to lead the uninitiated on a quick tour of both the history of video gaming and the problems the emerging medium still struggles with. The story then quickly plunges into the making of the upcoming game and some of the issues the devs have run into while trying to blend new tech with old for the game.

The story does mention a few things interesting to the hardcore as well, like the fact that they had to play down the game's realism because if a person was really hit with a force blow it would be like being smacked with a cannon ball, and perhaps a bit too gruesome for the T-rating they are shooting for.

The article says that Force Unleashed, which is meant to tell the story of the time between Episode III and Episode IV by fleshing out Darth Vader, has a plot twist "almost as good as the "I am your father" moment from Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back." The game also contains surprising revelations about the birth of the Rebel Alliance.

There isn't, actually, a ton of detail about the game's play in the lengthy three-page article, but it ends with this gem of a description of a play through on the PS3 of the prologue:

The Dark Lord of the Sith is on Piper's screen, his black cape billowing, his death's-head helmet gleaming in the computer-generated sunlight. Piper guides Vader forward using the game controller and eventually arrives at a narrow rope bridge of lashed-together logs. As the Wookiees begin to charge across the bridge, Piper mashes buttons and summons up a ball of Force energy that, in a nice artistic touch, withers the plant life beneath Vader's boots. Then, pushing another button, he hurls that energy at the furry, fanged Wookiees. A bunch of them go flying off into space, causing the D.M.M.-enabled bridge to start rippling like a water bed. This sends more Euphoria-infused Wookiees toppling over the sides while those that remain struggle to regain their balance. They are only prolonging the inevitable. Using a more personal form of the Force, Vader hoists a struggling Wookiee into the air and dashes him against a wooden support beam, which cracks and splinters with remarkable authenticity. As another warrior is lifted, he grabs on to one of the remaining beams and hangs on for dear life, but Vader dislodges the wooden buttress and hurls it, with the Wookiee still attached, over the bridge.

I highly recommend either picking up the magazine or clicking over to the link to read through the article. DiGiacomo's fresh look at some of the issues video games face as they strive to recreate life on a screen are quite poetic at times and his take on the merging of Euphoria's AI and Digital Molecular Matter with the physics of Havok are alone worth the time. There are also plenty of screens and interesting images.

I'll leave you with this wonderful description of the process of making a video game, to hopefully convince you to go read the article:

To observe the men and women of LucasArts in action—aside from noting their propensity to wear their security badges on bright yellow lanyards—is to realize that the process of making a video game is really the fulfillment of French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes's dream of putting "the world into equation," in the words of LucasArts lead software engineer Cedrick Collomb.

The Game Has Changed [Vanity Fair]

LucasArts president Jim Ward surprised the developer on Monday with news that he was leaving the company he's been with for nearly ten years.

In a prepared statement sent to Kotaku shortly after we broke the news of his departure, Ward sang the praises of a game development company he says he's helped reboot.

"I am so proud of all people and the work we've done together at LucasArts over the last four years," he wrote. "It's been an incredible experience. Together we've rebooted the company and set LucasArts on a path to even greater success. This is a fantastic team and they are positioned for their best year ever."

Margaret Grohne, PR director for the game development arm of Lucas Films, said LucasArts found out about Ward's decision Monday evening.

"He told the company he was leaving for personal reasons and he didn't elaborate on that," she said. "He is leaving in a couple of weeks.

"We are starting a search for a new president and in the transition Howard Roffman, president of Lucas Licensing, will be stepping in. He has been with the company for over 25 years and very intimately connected with the games business. "

Ward's departure, Grohne said, will not impact release dates or development schedules for any of LucasArts' games.

"We have a really strong line up for 08," she said. Ward "has a very strong team in place and he has set up a very strong company. He is leaving us in a very good place."

"We are sorry to see him go. He's been with the Lucas film organization for over 10 years and he has definitely contributed quite a bit to our organization."

Ward was scheduled to speak at next week's D.I.C.E. conference in a talk entitled "Breaking the Broken Model!", but LucasArts confirmed he will no longer be attending the event.

LucasArts has just confirmed to Kotaku that Jim Ward, longtime Lucas worker bee and current president of LucasArts, has resigned from the company "for personal reasons" and will be leaving LucasArts in a couple of weeks.

Ward, who began his career in advertising, started work at LucasFilm in 1997 as the head of their marketing division. In 2004 Ward was named president of LucasArts.

No word yet on the reasoning behind his seemingly sudden departure or where he will land, but we'll keep you up to date here.

Update: We've spoken with LucasArts about Ward's notice and gotten a comment from Ward.

He leaves behind a wife and two daughters. Mark Haigh-Hutchinson was 43.

Famed Industry Veteran, Retro Studios Programmer Dies [IGN]

I'm really, really hoping this will be good. And until we have the game in our hands to decide, expect bajillions of such updates as we get more info.

A few more Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Wii details [gonintendo]

GDC's Jamil Moledina has updated his "Director's Cut" blog with details on four new sessions that will be taking place at next year's conference. Here's the summary, for those not into the whole reading thing:

• A talk by Ken Rolston and Mark Nelson of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion discussing collaborative writing
• A talk by Rob Pardo, VP of Design for Blizzard, about the company's approach to multiplayer game design, both what they've learned through titles like World of Warcraft and how they're applying them forward
• A talk with Harmonix's VP of Product Development, Greg LoPiccolo that is a postmortem of a postmortem - a first for GDC - of course, about Rock Band
• A talk with Haden Blackman of LucasArts about the convergent pipeline used in making the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

I find all of these pretty interesting, but top of my list is the Harmonix postmortem postmortem, that could be quite interesting.

A Few of Our Favorite Things [GDC]

Specifically, it chats to LucasArts' Larry Ahern and Jonathan Ackley, who were just about to complete 1997's The Curse Of Monkey Island, the first post-Ron Gilbert version of the franchise, and the last to use the famed SCUMM adventure game engine. Read on for what they said and whether they were right...

What do you think of the recent move backwards from point and click interfaces to text parsers?

Larry Ahern: I can't spell; I think it's very danjerous.

Jonathan Ackley: Seriously, I think it's a little silly. When you make a modern game, you're not competing with old text games from the 1980's. You're competing with the memory of old text games from the 1980's. People remember all the fun they had banging their head on their computer desk trying to figure out the proper input for the game's two-word parser. But if you play those games now, you enjoy the nostalgia factor for the first ten minutes and then you realize why interfaces have evolved in the way they have.

(My question here was particularly referencing Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic, and as such, the game's Spookitalk was hardly a trend. In fact, Starship Titanic was the only big title that every tried this method. So, although text adventures are still made, the graphic adventure is still ahead of them in terms of sales.)

Traditionally, the Monkey Island series was the work of Ron Gilbert. Is the game noticeably different without Ron?

Jonathan Ackley: We have no idea what Ron would have made if he had worked on this, so it's hard to compare. But, being big fans of the first two games, we tried to be as true to the characters and style of the series as possible. We'd like to think that we've taken the next step with the story and helped tie it all together into a satisfying trilogy. I don't know why it is, but for some reason trilogies seem appropriate here at LucasArts.

(Gilbert's loss was a shame, but The Curse Of Monkey Island was still received very positively by fans. Gilbert himself went on to found Humongous Entertainment (known for its kids games, and still operating as an Infogrames-owned company) and Cavedog Entertainment (the creators of Total Annihilation). Nowadays he's advising on the Penny Arcade Adventures game and blogging at Grumpy Gamer.)

The industry increasingly sees spin-off merchandising, cartoon series, and so on from the most popular and character-led games. So where's the Guybrush fluffy toy and animation series? Or did the Maniac Mansion TV series put LucasArts off that angle?

Jonathan Ackley: I think we haven't gone that route because it has nothing to do with selling computer games, which is the real business that we're in. We like to focus on what we do best, without having to worry about what someone else might be doing with characters that we license out to them. There's so much room for error with things like that. Crucial issues are at stake, like how fluffy should a Guybrush fluffy toy be? Should we have real flaming beard action on the LeChuck dolls, or will kids just use them to set each other on fire? Things like that.

(Since the Monkey Island series is mothballed, there's not exactly a lot of merchandising out there for it. However, the Wikipedia article for Curse does note: "After 'CMI' shipped, a Monkey Island movie was in the works. This was only brought to light when Tony Stacchi, a concept artist for the project, sent his work to The Scumm Bar, a Monkey Island fansite. The movie was cancelled in the very early stages of development." Nuts.)

Where do you see adventure games 5 years from now?

Jonathan Ackley: It can be a difficult and expensive style of game to produce, so we've seen fewer on the market recently. However, LucasArts has a long and successful tradition with the genre, and we're very fond of it here. each time out we make some alterations to the style and gameplay, so I'm expecting it to continue evolving, but at the heart of it all is always a strong sense of character and story. The balance is between providing enough story to draw the player into the world, and then opening up the world enough for the player to interactively become a part of it.

(Unfortunately, both Ahern and Ackley left LucasArts before the debut of the fourth Monkey Island title, 2000's Escape From Monkey Island - which was also the last pure adventure game the company ever produced. Adventures are starting to return via casual gaming and Telltale's Sam & Max series resurrection, though.

Nowadays, Ahern appears to work at Microsoft on titles including the Flight Simulator series, and Ackley, according to a recent lecture, is a a Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, working on Epcot Center rides and other interesting projects.)

Interview: LucasArts Duo [GameGeekPeeks]

But he does say:

Who doesn't want to make Xbox Live Arcade games? It's like when you see a Great Dane taking a giant shit and then you see a poodle taking a little Tootsie Roll shit. The poodle is so cute, but at the end of the day you're still picking up shit.

Best. Analogy. Ever. ?.

There's plenty more in the way of Schafer quality goodness at the Gamasutra's coverage of the 2007 IGDA Leadership Forum session.

IGDA Forum: Tim Schafer Gets (More) Creative [Gamasutra]

...the way you have to tackle the animation for a character that can mimic your movements is quite intimidating...When I play a game I want to feel like I'm a Jedi, not like I'm some kind of imbecile who just keeps on stabbing stuff in the guts. You're not going to be able to fight with style because you won't know how to put the moves together.

Will we ever get complete control of Star Wars' lighty-up sticks? [gamesradar] [picture]

LucasArts and BioWare today confirmed that they have signed a deal to work together on an "interactive entertainment product." Wow, that's specific.

While they don't at all get into what the game is about, they do say it will push the boundaries of the gaming market, so I assume that it won't be a Star Wars RPG. That my friends, was sarcasm.

Hit the jump for the full, substance-free press release.

LucasArts Bioware

LucasArts and BioWare Corp. to Create Ground-Breaking Interactive Entertainment Product

SAN FRANCISCO, CA and EDMONTON, CANADA — October 30, 2007 — LucasArts and BioWare Corp. today announced that they have entered into an agreement to create an interactive entertainment product. The product, details of which will be unveiled at a later date, will be developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, and will push the boundaries of the gaming market by utilizing the strengths of both companies to deliver an innovative, high-quality experience.

"LucasArts has a deep commitment to developing compelling stories and characters for the unique medium of interactive entertainment, and we have been searching for a developer that shares this value. We found this in BioWare," said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. "Through our previous collaborations, we know that BioWare has an impressive ability to blend gripping stories with technological advancements, and we believe that our upcoming product will deliver an experience that will span the traditional boundaries of video game entertainment."

"BioWare's mission is to deliver the best story and character-driven games in the world, delivering powerful emotional experiences to our fans." said Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare Corp. Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare Corp., "The collaboration with LucasArts allows us to combine our passion for creating high quality and innovative experiences with those of a company dedicated to bringing only the finest games to market."

The reason you might actually want to show up? They're giving away Han Solo-trapped-in-carbonite PSP cases to the first 200 folks who buy the aforementioned Entertainment Pack. You'll look at it, your PSP encased in Han encased in carbonite and say "I love you." It will respond "I know." I... I'm tearing up a little bit.

More details and a full-sized pics at the official PlayStation blog.

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Update [PlayStation.blog]

Man they love saying "Terrain Deformation" don't they? I tried counting but lost count about two minutes in. I gotta say, despite all of the loose talk about terrain deformation, the video is worth a watch if only to watch a retired military officer running around an office with a Nerf gun. Classy.

LucasArts to Unleash the Force on the Wii in Spring 2008

Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed™ Coming to Nintendo's Platform with Exclusive Duel Mode

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Sept. 18, 2007 - LucasArts today revealed that Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed™ will come to the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo next spring, offering owners the unique chance to live out their Jedi fantasies by wielding the Wii Remote™ as a lightsaber while using the Nunchuk™ controller to torment foes with their Force™ powers.

The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game's expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

The Wii version, in development by Krome Studios, will also add an exclusive duel mode in which players can compete head-to-head with their friends to determine the ultimate Jedi Master.

"The Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. "We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force."

But you get two great games, Games for Windows support and all the bonus material from the original Empire at War Collector's Edition for the low, low, low price of $29.99. Now that's savings.

Product Page

I feel bad in pointing out that the Wiimote's lack of relative motion sensing is probably making the job a programming nightmare. And if developers don't nail the project, it's tough to predict who will look worse: Nintendo or LucasArts. On a lighter note, we're getting Wii Lightsabers! Hooray!

More Motion-Sensitive Lightsabers Coming to Wii [via maxconsole]

The better part is that while SOE is tearing down in game, it's helping build up in real life. They're donating funds for each virtual building razed to Habitat For Humanity, the charitable volunteer organization that helps build and find homes for the less fortunate. Star Wars Galaxies subscribers are joining in on the fun, too, netting some in game rewards for contributing to the cause.

Nice work all around, but I'm re-engaging my jaded cynic subroutine right after this heartwarming press release.

DESTROYING VIRTUAL HOUSES, BUILDING REAL HOMES

Star Wars Galaxies® Video Game Event Raised Funds and Awareness for Habitat for Humanity to Fight Poverty Housing

AUSTIN, TX - September 5, 2007 - While in-game events are a fairly common occurrence in a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game it's not often that they result in the joint effort of a major video games publisher and a leading charitable organization promoting affordable housing. But it's exactly that kind of event that has enabled Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) LLC's Austin, TX studio to team up with Austin Habitat for Humanity (AHFH), contributing financially as well as through volunteer efforts to help people in the Austin community find homes.

In SOE's Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) MMO, there was a surplus of player-created houses and buildings that had been abandoned or left unoccupied by players. SOE Austin VP of Development John Blakely wanted to remove the houses, but do so in a way that is uniquely Star Wars - the buildings were marked as "condemned" by the evil Galactic Empire, and scheduled for demolition - TIE fighters would swoop in and bomb the buildings to the ground.

The SWG community was also given the chance to join in the fun of this "urban renewal;" players were provided reward points for the number of buildings they destroyed, which could be redeemed for special in-game items like droids, paintings and furniture. "When we initially conceived this idea, we didn't know how the community was going to react," said Blakely. "Oddly enough, it was very well received; some players that hadn't been in the game for months came back to reclaim their property, re-activate their accounts and start playing the game again."

SOE Austin took things one step further and offered to match the number of houses demolished with a donation to charity, considering Austin Habitat for Humanity first. "Using the money we raised blowing-up virtual houses and buildings to help build real homes was a no-brainer for us," said Blakely. "Austin Habitat for Humanity has done incredible work in the community, helping people find good homes, and our whole studio wanted to contribute to their efforts."

On Thursday, September 6th, Blakely will present AHFH Executive Director Michael Willard with a donation at SOE's industry reception at the Austin Game Developers Conference.

"Teaming up with Sony Online Entertainment is a wonderful opportunity for Austin Habitat and the families we serve. The creativity and diligence that these professionals exhibit in their work are traits which translate well to our efforts to eradicate poverty housing in our community," said Willard. "Austin needs creative solutions in our quest to create more affordable housing and diligent leadership in as we work toward those goals."

And, by the way, at any moment, if some kid in West Virginia goes and blows away 32 people, and they find out that he played a video game, guess what, we've got a problem again. Just as if he had watched a movie and then done that. Or just as if he had read "Catcher in the Rye" and blamed it on J.D. Salinger. . .

Gaming exec assesses impact of technology, legislation [Miami herald via Game Politics]

We'll be on hand at GCDC and Games Convention to bring you all the highlights and drink from the biggest steins possible.

Tim Schafer To Deliver 'Creative' GCDC Keynote [Gamasutra]