XBOX 360 THRILLVILLE: OFF THE RAILS DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

 A demo of  LucasArts Thrillville: Off the Rails for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Asia and Mexico via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Approximate file size is 331MB.

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: LEGO INDIANA JONES: THE VIDEO GAME

LucasArts took the opportunity afforded by Comic-Con 2007 to confirm that a Lego version of the Indiana Jones trilogy is indeed in production and slated for release some time next summer. The upcoming game, Lego Indiana Jones: The Video Game, is being developed by Traveller’s Tales, the same company behind the two Lego Star Wars titles, and will cover all three of the Indiana Jones films with the same humorous family-friendly style the Lego series has become known for. Let’s take a look;

Lego Indiana Jones: The Video Game is due to release as a multi-platform title in the summer of 2008.

• Lego Indiana Jones: The Video Game – LucasArts
• Lego Indiana Jones Comic-Con 2007 Trailer – GameTrailers.com

LUCASARTS PREFERS SPEED OVER QUALITY

In an interview with UK site MCV, LucasArts president Jim Ward stated that the current industry practice of taking time to make sure a game is done right rather than just released on time is damaging the industry.

“There’s an attitude in this industry that says in order to make a great game, it takes whatever time it takes and it takes whatever money it takes, and that that’s okay. Well it’s not okay – it’s wrong. It’s not okay in other entertainment businesses. In other businesses it’s big trouble.” -Jim Ward

Yeah, ok… let’s not forget this is the guy who oversees the release of horrid, rushed Star Wars game after Star Wars game because, at least in his case, he has an audience that will buy his product regardless of whether it’s good or not. The rest of the industry doesn’t quite have that luxury.

Ward went on to single out Electronic Arts as a prime perpetrator of these delaying tactics and irresponsible business practices;

“When you have EA failing to bring Superman out with the movie, that’s inexcusable. Moving games like Medal of Honor and Godfather out of the fourth quarter -– that’s the old way of thinking and you can’t do that any more.” -Jim Ward

So what he’s saying here is that he’d rather have a game that sucks, but is on time and under budget than one that gamers love… and then he wonders why LucasArts has lost both the respect and buying dollars of non Star Wars addicted gamers over the years.

Next time you’re in a store and are trying to decide what game to spend your hard earned money on, when you see a LucasArts title, just tell yourself this … “it may suck, but at least it came out on time – and within budget. I’m sure that will give me some measure of satisfaction as it sits on my shelf never being played.” – I’m sure you’ll do the right thing… for the sake of the industry. (What about the children?!)

Seriously, what is with the executives in the gaming industry lately? Do they just not think before opening their mouths anymore? The full text of the interview can be read in the June 15th edition of MCV and you can check out the snippet from the article online here.

MERCENARIES ARMING UP FOR SEQUEL

According to Gamespot, Pandemic Studios has announced that they are working on a sequel to the hit game Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction. The sequel, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, will be shown at E3 this month and is slated for release on next-generation consoles. Gamespot notes that not only are specific consoles not mentioned, but that Pandemic did not identify the games publisher, meaning that LucasArts may not be working with them on this one.

Indiana Jones coming to the Xbox 360

LucasArts has announced that one of their next projects will be an Indiana Jones video game for the Xbox 360. According to the press release, the game will also debut NaturalMotion’s Euphoria behavioral simulation engine, which according to LucasArts will bring games to new heights of realism.
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“For the first time ever, euphoria enables interactive characters – from Indiana Jones himself to the foes he pulverizes – to move, act and even think like actual human beings without the limitations of traditional animation. Characters move and adapt realistically to their given situations on the fly, resulting in a series of experiences and payoffs that will never be the same twice. As one of only two publishers with early access to the technology, LucasArts is well advanced in integrating euphoria into Indiana Jones’ 2007 next-generation adventure.

Imagine a swaying rope bridge. With euphoria in action, characters visibly attempt to balance themselves, their feet stumbling, their arms flailing, and their hands reaching for security as the unpredictable movements of the bridge threaten to send them plummeting to their doom. Perhaps they all survive. Perhaps they all fall. The use of euphoria means the action isn’t scripted – it’s simulated – so you’ll never be able to predict exactly what will happen, no matter how many times you’ve experienced a certain scenario. “ – LucasArts press release
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Now we’ve all heard promises like this before, and I’m certainly not buying into it until I see some concrete proof that the Euphoria engine will make for unique gaming experiences every time. LucasArts has promised to demonstrate the Euphoria engine at E3, so we’ll be sure to know a little more then. No details as to the plot of the game have been released as of yet, so hopefully we’ll also see something on that at E3.