LucasArts Cancels Another One

[Disneysweeper]

LucasArts has ceased production on PC adventure Sam & Max Freelance Police, which was scheduled for release this spring. Fans of the original game and the press were excited when the company announced plans in late 2002 to resurrect the classic detective duo into full 3D.

"After careful evaluation of current market place realities and underlying economic considerations, we've decided that this was not the appropriate time to launch a graphic adventure on the PC," said Mike Nelson, Acting General Manager and VP of Finance and Operations, trying to justify this lamentable move.

[Marten]

They're off their rockers.

[Wodball]

Lovely... just what I needed to hear before a midterm.

I'd like to post comments, but I read an editorial at MixnMojo, and it pretty much hits most of the basic points.
 http://www.panic.com/mirror/mixnmojo/

I seriously think that US game companies have gotten so large that really innovative games with large fan support are drowned out by the raging hormones of prepubescent 12 year old boys who need to beg their witless parents for money to buy the latest 3D card and uber-graphics shooter. Think about the last few good adventures and adventure hybrids that have come out, you get a small trend... THEY ARE NOT US-based COMPANIES. Well, I suppose I really mean from producers that are not as well known as the LucasArts or Sierra of old, but...

Hmmm... The Longest Journey: European (Funcom)
Prince of Persia: SoT: Canadian (UbiSoft Montreal right?)
Syberia: Canadian (Adventure Company)
Broken Sword: Adventure Company and Revolution Studios (Non-US again!)

etc. etc. etc...

Although stupidly enough, LSL: MCL will come out and pollute our minds with fart jokes. That ought to leave those 12 year olds with speech impediments so they can't play more CS.

I suppose if I were a few years younger, I would be happy that this has been announced, so I can go back to play SW: Galaxies. But, I'm a little older, and a little peeved.

Well, I haven't thought this through completely yet, so I'll log off and post a more coherent response later. I actually request that you all correct any mistakes I made in this post.

In conclusion...
(*Faints on the keyboard)

--Woody

[Fancia]

That's true... interestingly, in Japan a particular Japanese variant of adventure games (the visual novel) has been able to carve out a niche for itself. They often need to charge high prices, because the potential market is smaller than that for normal games, but they're consistently able to make and market nice-looking, nice-sounding, well-written and fun adventure games, at least some of which make it here in English. It's a shame that these niche market companies haven't as much of an equivalent over here... we could use a Leaf (makers of the reasonably popular "To Heart" romance adventures) or a Key (makers of the seminal Kanon and Air - the first available in English, no less!).

[Zemus]

Most of those Japanese games that make it over here are of the hentai category...I've heard...from a website....I accidentaly visited....

[DrJ]

quote:Originally posted by Zemus:
Most of those Japanese games that make it over here are of the hentai category...I've heard...from a website....I accidentaly visited....

LOL..

To remain ontopic: Also the game Beyond Good & Evil was a VERY interesting and unique game. Also from UbiSoft. UbiSoft is becomming bigger & bigger and I like the way they look at the market. They are still willing to take a 'risk' and not just milk every single game with sequel beyond sequel.

Still have good hopes, but they are getting fewer & fewer...

[Fancia]

quote:Originally posted by Zemus:
Most of those Japanese games that make it over here are of the hentai category...I've heard...from a website....I accidentaly visited....

Sadly very true, although at least a few of the non-hentai ones have been translated. :/

[Marten]

Bah!  If Ubisoft were willing to take a risk, they wouldn't have axed their involvement with both Uru Live and Matrix Online.  Now Live is dead, and WB is proceding on without Ubi.




[This message has been edited by Marten (edited March 05, 2004).]

[Jan]

What a waste...what a terrible waste.

[Ivar]

I hear so may people saying how stupid this deceision was and that all development was more or less finished.

Don't get me wrong, but I don't think that they made the decision overnight.

Development was approx. 2 mill. dollars. Lots of people think that those are the main costs, but nothing could be farther from the truth. There is marketing & sales, marcom/promotions, production, logistics & administration costs.
Total costs could be at least 6 or 7 times as much, that would come close to 12-14 mill. dollars. (that is already calculating that production costs are relatively low in the games industry)
So a breakeven point would be to sell at least 300k-350k copies. (at 40 bucks a copy)
I think they made an assessment that that would not be doable.
I don't know whether that to be true, but LucasArts is an american company and as we know the American market is not very geared towards adventures.
The only thing I think we can blame LucasArts on is that they did not research the european market enough, where there is more leverage for adventures.

Ivar

[This message has been edited by Ivar Caljouw (edited March 08, 2004).]

[Doctor Creep]

quote:Originally posted by Disneysweeper:
LucasArts has ceased production on PC adventure Sam & Max Freelance Police

Oh no! I was really looking forward to S&M2

Lutz

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Home:  http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/8059/

[This message has been edited by Doctor Creep (edited March 15, 2004).]

[Marten]

Perhaps all is not lost.

Sam and Max team forms new studio (PC News at GameSpot)

[Ghost_Rider]

Sounds good, hopefully it works out and they are able to start creating new adventure games