Star Wars RTS due in 2005
From C&C/etc. veterans Petroglyph, which means it ought to be good. Lucas also wants to make games based on new spin-off Star Wars TV shows.
LucasArts is planning to release a Star Wars real-time strategy game in 2005, company president Jim Ward has revealed in an interview this week, and believes there is "a bright future" for games based on new live-action and animated TV shows.
Since we're probably all Star Wars fans here, it's worth mentioning that Ward had nothing much to say about the new live-action and animated TV shows - other than the Lucas empire plans to make them - but he was prepared to talk a little about the real-time strategy game.
In addition to TV spin-offs, he said, LucasArts hopes to create "original Star Wars games" post-Episode III, "like a new real-time strategy PC game that Petroglyph is developing for next year. This game will take the (real-time strategy) genre in a new direction and will balance gameplay between the hard-core gamers who buy these games and the broader audience that's familiar with the Star Wars brand."
Beyond that, we're currently in the dark, but RTS-loving Star Wars fans will be encouraged to hear that the team at Petroglyph includes veterans of the Command & Conquer series, Earth & Beyond, Z, Gods, and even Dune 2. Between them you'd expect something to top Force Commander, at least. We'll let you know.