Fears over the future of Star Wars games following Disney buyout of LucasArts
UPDATE: Early gameplay footage of Star Wars: First Assault leaked.
Update: Some early Star Wars: First Assault gameplay footage has leaked, showing off what the game looked like as of October/November 2012.
The video was leaked at Kotaku where an anonymous source claimed it "contains all in-game footage, including known bugs and incomplete art... In the time since it was made, many improvements have been made in performance, completeness, and quality."
Another video was also leaked showing a pre-rendered clip of a soldier putting on a storm trooper helmet.
Both videos can be seen over at Kotaku. We're still not sure if First Assault will ever see the light of day, but it doesn't look bad, so hopefully the fruits of LucasArts' labour won't go to waste.
Original story: Fears are growing over the future of Star Wars games following Disney's eye-watering $4.05 billion purchase of LucasFilm.
A source told Kotaku that LucasArts, the video game division responsible for either publishing or developing all games based on the Star Wars license, is "bleeding talent" as its new paymasters drag their heels over the future of the studio's titles.
According to Kotaku, LucasArts' mysterious Star Wars: First Assault, first spotted last year as an Xbox Live Arcade game, is a Call of Duty-style multiplayer-focused first-person shooter that may not be released despite at one time being due out this spring.
Apparently it was supposed to be a precursor to an all-new Star Wars: Battlefront 3 game - if it sold well enough.
When Disney bought LucasFilm a senior executive cast doubt on internal development of core-focused games.
During an investor conference call Disney CEO Robert Iger said, "We're likely to focus more on social and mobile than we are on console."
With all hands on deck for the upcoming release of Disney Infinity, a Skylanders-style game, the future of Star Wars 1313, Star Wars: First Assault and any new Battlefront game looks bleak. Kotaku's source called on gamers to send Disney a message: "Fans should tell Disney/Lucas loud and clear they don't want shitty titles from random developers; they want games to be taken seriously, and they will only pay for quality.
"I believe that if Disney/Lucas lets LucasArts die, it means the death of Star Wars as a storied game franchise is right behind it."
