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New Genres, Same Foundation
As the '90s moved on, and 3D action games such as Wolfenstein 3D and real-time strategy games such as Dune II came onto the scene, the market's appetite for traditional adventure games began to diminish. For LucasArts, it was time to reinvent itself and expand into new areas and explore new ways of gaming. As Holland recalls, "Ultimately, this industry comes down to whether you can re-invent yourself each year. LucasArts has been able to adapt itself - to grow and to change with the market. That's why we are still here."
"Ultimately," says Holland, "this industry comes down to whether you can reinvent yourself each year."
And when the adventure market began to dry up, reinvent itself is exactly what LucasArts did, diversifying into new game genres. Previously only known as an adventure game and flight simulation company, it was now looking at first-person action games, real time strategy, and even console games. However, LucasArts' trademark storytelling still reigned supreme.
"It's really interesting to me how the spirit of adventure games has infiltrated other genres of gaming," recalls Barwood. "It used to be that flight simulators were all about airplane controls and certain kinds of scenarios, but now they even have dramatic stories. That's the influence of adventure games." Another key example is Dark Forces, which took the first-person 3D action game and meshed it with a compelling story. As Barwood remembers, "Dark Forces got us into the modern era."
Dark Forces was LucasArts' first foray into the first-person shooter genre.
With LucasArts' newfound diversity, they garnered tremendous acclaim in the industry for venturing into new territory while at the same time achieving critical and sales success. George Broussard, president of 3D Realms, says "The thing I admire the most is that LucasArts can make hit after hit across different game genres. That shows that someone there had a solid understanding of making games."
The simulation Afterlife was one of LucasArts' rare misses.
Of course, not every experiment turned into a hit. The strategy genre, in particular, has proven a tough nut for LucasArts to crack- its first two entries, Afterlife and Star Wars: Rebellion, both received less than stellar marks from critics, although both also sold reasonably well. The first person shooter Outlaws received favorable reviews, but didn't come close to the success of Dark Forces or the subsequent Jedi Knight.
But such games were and are the exception, not the rule. And there is no question that LucasArts has demonstrated the consistent ability to take its "native" genres to heights no other company can match, while entering new genres at near the highest levels. It's an accomplishment that has not gone unnoticed.
