GAME MAKER LUCASARTS TO CLOSE
Layoffs in S'pore and San Francisco expected
WALT Disney is shutting down LucasArts, the once-pioneering video game unit of George Lucas' Star Wars empire, resulting in layoffs in both Singapore and San Francisco.
The company would not disclose how many of its reportedly more than 350 employees are to be laid off, but its Singapore spokesman, Ms Rasa Buckley, was quoted as saying that it is "much less" than the 150 layoffs affecting its San Francisco office.
She added that the company decided to shift LucasArt from an internal development model to a licensing model after evaluating its position in the games market.
"We are incredibly proud of our team and are doing everything we possibly can to help them with out-placement opportunities," Ms Buckley said.
She added that LucasFilm Singapore's feature animation and visual effects productions are not affected.
The company is scheduled to move into its new facility, the Sandcrawler, in Fusionopolis this year.
Disney bought LucasArts last year as part of its US$4 billion (S$4.96 billion) acquisition of Lucas-Film. The move to shut down LucasArts fits in with Disney's broader retrenchment in video games.
The company has, over the past few years, closed several game production studios and is concentrating its resources on "Disney Infinity," which brings together many of its animated and live-action characters in a single ambitious and costly-to-produce title.
Any future games based on Stars Wars or other LucasFilm properties will be made by other companies under licence, said a spokesman.
Production on the Star Wars games 1313 and First Assault have stopped. They will be released only if another publisher signs on to complete them, reported wire agencies.
News Watch, The New Paper, Friday, April 5 2013, Pg 8