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Industry Kudos
LucasArts is arguably the most respected game developer in the industry, in part due to its products, but also because of its employees and its work environment. Holland summarizes the general perception in the industry of LucasArts, saying "that we're associated with quality and great games. Perhaps not standoffish, but beating to our own drummer."
"There's a sense of fun and humor that really echoes in the work," says Louis Castle, co-founder of Westwood Studios.
Louis Castle, co-founder of the highly-respected game maker, Westwood Studios, agrees. "There's a sense of fun and humor that really echoes in their work," he says. "Everyone from LucasArts I have met over the years has always been very friendly, personable, and professional. They seem to strive for the same environmental ideas as we do here at Westwood."
LucasArts also wins praise for not doing things haphazardly or halfway and for having an industry-best level of quality and "gloss" on its games. "It's rare that a LucasArts game seems like it should have been held back to make it feel better or more complete," explains Castle.
Al Lowe, creator of Leisure Suit Larry, admires LucasArts' attention to detail.
Al Lowe, a veteran game designer famous for the Leisure Suit Larry series, says that LucasArts has too much taste to hire him and explains, "LucasArts games always have that polish that many companies 'don't get around to' because they 'ran out of time.'"
Schafer agrees that the polish on LucasArts games helps set the company apart. "When you play some games," he explains, "you can tell that someone wanted to keep working on this game but they were forced to ship it - someone ripped it out of their hands. That doesn't happen at LucasArts."
"Our games never really seem polished to us. I guess it's either a case of fine craftsmanship or an obsessive compulsive disorder," says Schafer.
And although the designers are honored by the praise of their industry counterparts, Schafer is quick to point out that the view from inside the company is somewhat different. "As polished as they may seem to outsiders, our games never really seem polished to us. It's almost unbearable to play them when they go out. I guess it's either fine craftsmanship or obsessive compulsive disorder."
Although it's more likely the former as opposed to the latter, another key to the level of polish associated with LucasArts games is the lack of software errors or bugs that require patches. Although it may seem like a trivial point, the quality assurance department is one of the keys to the company's success and image over the years.
