EALA COO new force at LucasArts

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Apr 2, 2008 9:33 pm PT

Darrell Rodriguez departs Los Angeles studio to take reins of Star Wars publisher as president.

Shortly before the D.I.C.E. Summit in early February, LucasArts announced that Jim Ward, its president of nearly four years, was abruptly resigning for personal reasons. The news came as a shock, given that he had been credited with overseeing the rebuilding of LucasArts' internal development following a major restructuring." He also helped spearhead the new team's first project, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which is being billed as a successor to the multibillion-dollar Star Wars film trilogies.

Now, two months later, LucasArts has named Ward's successor. The new president of the game arm of filmmaker George Lucas' multimedia empire is Darrell Rodriguez, the current Chief Operating Officer of Electronic Arts' Los Angeles studio. There, he helped oversee development of such games as SSX on Tour, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, and The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II. A Bay Area native, he holds an MBA from the University of California-Berkley.

Rodriguez begins work at LucasArts in mid-April, ahead of a series of major multiplatform releases from LucasArts. June will see Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures ship, followed by Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in the third quarter, and Fracture during the holidays.

54 Comments

Refresh comments

To post a comment:

Sign in / Sign up
or sign in through facebook

First to Last
Latest

prev next

Hobbitslayer18
Posted Jul 26, 2009 3:34 pm PT

Till now there are no plans for another SW battlefront, but I really hope they are going to make one, it's one of my favorite games.
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
tbradford2
Posted Dec 27, 2008 2:53 pm PT

Yeah, I wish GL would have let someone other director in control of the movies.
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
why9090909090
Posted Sep 15, 2008 9:23 am PT

No, EA will not buy out LucasArts, GL wouldn't have it. In an interview he even said that he would NEVER let another director film another star wars movie, he wants the "starwars" name to be under his belt, not someone else's. WHich is why there will not another star wars movie. Ultimatley he wouldn't have someone else buy out his company that makes star wars titles as well
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
DBZ-Dude15
Posted Sep 10, 2008 9:41 pm PT

Okay 1: EA sucks their only good franchise is Sims
2: Good luck to the guy from EA, i would have left to.
3: They need a Good game based on the Movies not the crap that they have, actually im pretty fond of Lego Star Wars: TCS.
4: Star Wars: Battlefront 3
- agree 1
- disagree 1
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
Generalmojo
Posted Sep 3, 2008 3:52 pm PT

is battlfront 3 coming out
if so im getin it on da ps3 no doubt!
- agree 1
- disagree 0
- = +1
- Sign in to rate this comment
spacepirate58
Posted Aug 29, 2008 3:25 pm PT

Come on...COME ON, bring Battlefront 3 to Wii! I heard a release date of March 2009, but I pray it's earlier!
- agree 1
- disagree 0
- = +1
- Sign in to rate this comment
Mith19
Posted Aug 3, 2008 2:13 pm PT

i want to know if star wars battlefront 3 is coming out for next gen consoles come on lucasarts just tell me please (or someone please)
- agree 1
- disagree 0
- = +1
- Sign in to rate this comment
Vasot
Posted Aug 2, 2008 2:56 am PT

The game has some interesting physics
I will buy it for my XBOX360

Its strange that Lucasarts abandoned the PC

Also Star wars Force Unleashed looks like a cool game
- agree 1
- disagree 0
- = +1
- Sign in to rate this comment
Jusik
Posted Jul 27, 2008 6:29 pm PT

OMG i am gonna buy this game!!!
- agree 1
- disagree 0
- = +1
- Sign in to rate this comment
acidviper13
Posted May 9, 2008 9:39 pm PT

Im tired of Jedi games!
I WANT STAR WARS SHOOTERS!!
- agree 0
- disagree 2
- = -2
- Sign in to rate this comment
stormtrooper222
Posted Apr 9, 2008 9:20 pm PT

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]
- agree 3
- disagree 0
- = +3
- Sign in to rate this comment
stormtrooper222
Posted Apr 9, 2008 9:20 pm PT

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
spike6958
Posted Apr 4, 2008 4:02 pm PT

@ Iemander
I guess you forgot about, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy are the sequels to Darkforces 2 Jedi Knight
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
deesnutts25
Posted Apr 4, 2008 11:12 am PT

EA would have a very hard time buying out LucasArts considering all of the money Star Wars has made since 1977.
- agree 1
- disagree 0
- = +1
- Sign in to rate this comment
masterclone
Posted Apr 4, 2008 1:59 am PT

Why did everyone start talking about EA buying LucasArt? It's not what the story says. It's not relevant at all. LucasArt just hired an employee of EA. Congrats to Darrel Rodriguez on the new job.
- agree 2
- disagree 0
- = +2
- Sign in to rate this comment
Iemander
Posted Apr 4, 2008 1:19 am PT

Dark Forces JK 3 please!
- agree 1
- disagree 2
- = -1
- Sign in to rate this comment
Padrepride
Posted Apr 3, 2008 9:14 pm PT

how about a rogue squad 4
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
mrbojangles25
Posted Apr 3, 2008 9:00 pm PT

Whatever, let them hire whomever they want I WANT TIE FIGHTER 2 DAMMIT!
- agree 2
- disagree 0
- = +2
- Sign in to rate this comment
Soundwave079
Posted Apr 3, 2008 6:32 pm PT

nice.....I'll buy everything he makes lol
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment
baconbits3425
Posted Apr 3, 2008 5:53 pm PT

leick, bioware made KOTOR
- agree 0
- disagree 0
- = 0
- Sign in to rate this comment

First to Last
Latest

prev next

Lego Indiana Jones Quick Links

GameSpot Score8.0great
Critic Score7.611 reviews
User Score8.5455 votes
Your Score N/A
hover & click to rate
- 1
- 1.5
- 2
- 2.5
- 3
- 3.5
- 4
- 4.5
- 5
- 5.5
- 6
- 6.5
- 7
- 7.5
- 8
- 8.5
- 9
- 9.5
- 10