LucasArts president resigns for 'personal reasons'
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Feb 1st 2008 at 4:00PM }
LucasArts president Jim Ward has given up his spot atop the Death Star and will seek another galaxy far, far away. Kotaku got the official word from LucasArts that Ward resigned "for personal reasons" and will leave the company in a couple of weeks.There are certainly numerous questions surrounding Ward's resignation. Paramount being: Um, why is he leaving? Ward was expected to speak at D.I.C.E. in a few weeks with ESA president Michael Gallagher, and he was also on the Executive Committee of the ESA's Board of Directors. We'll update as more information comes in.
Update: LucasArts confirmed with GameDaily BIZ that Ward will not be attending D.I.C.E and his presentation was scrapped. A company spokesperson also said a search for a replacement has just started.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shimrra @ Feb 1st 2008 4:03PM
Could it be that LucasArts hasn't really had a hit in there hands sine Jedi Knights series.
Phillip @ Feb 1st 2008 5:21PM
Sorry, is that "Garth"?
Neebs @ Feb 1st 2008 4:03PM
Guilt over Sam and Max.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:19AM
I bet he's a padawan piddler.
Vegnagun bwf @ Feb 1st 2008 4:06PM
Personally, I believe the Gerstmann gate is involved with this resignation. The Gerstmann gate is a major factor in roughly 76% of all resignations.
Anam @ Feb 1st 2008 4:27PM
Your comment was made 100% better by your avatar.
Hashbrown_Hunter @ Feb 1st 2008 4:48PM
Agreed. I think Gerstmann-Gate is a very big contributing factor to many resignations. It affected the entire game industry, and it's not done taking its toll yet.
Corey @ Feb 1st 2008 4:07PM
OOOOHHHH!@!!!! Maybe the guy who replaces him will see the light and greenlight Monkey Island 5, a Day of the Tentacle sequel, and even a Grim Fandango 2, or maybe even some new adventure game franchises.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 1st 2008 4:15PM
So you want EA to take over and milk your beloved franchises until they resemble what Sonic has become?
Corey @ Feb 1st 2008 4:21PM
Not at all. I just think that if they got those projects going they'd all turn out great. The only reason to doubt is that since those days all the great people working for them have left. Maybe they shouldn't have become EA and milked the Star Wars franchise to the point where i want to shoot myself every time a new one comes out.
Anam @ Feb 1st 2008 4:26PM
Actually, I don't really see the need to ask any questions about his resignation, seeing as how LucasArts hasn't made any games that have interested me in a long while. And their upcoming game, Force Unleashed is supposed to have you playing a Jedi and unleashing kick-ass force powers in an uber-realistic environment! ...just like the last Jedi game they made! Brilliant! Forgive me if I don't seem interested.
Okay, I'll admit it, I really liked Battlefront. And then they ruined it with Battlefront 2 that messed up the Galactic Conquest mode (for those who haven't played it, that was the reason the first game was good). But who cares, right? After all, they did allow you to play as a Jedi and unleash kick-ass force powers in an uber-realistic environment!
C'mon LucasArts, break that record. Break it!
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 1st 2008 4:28PM
I am seriously getting tired of all the Jedi Bullshit. Star Wars was about much more than the Jedi. In reality, the Jedi were just a small part of the overall story. A good story.
Now you might as well call it "Jedi Wars", because thats all anybody ever writes about.
Anam @ Feb 1st 2008 4:53PM
I'm with you Crono. My #1 complaint about Knights of the Old Republic was that it forced you to become a Jedi. I REALLY wanted to stay as a Scoundrel. There's just no love for Han Solo fans...
finnith @ Feb 1st 2008 5:37PM
They force you to become a jedi but it's not like you really have to use those powers anyway.
God, I hatea Han Solo.
Phranctoast @ Feb 1st 2008 5:51PM
you guys could play star wars galaxies. Doesnt force you (no pun intended) to become a jedi.
Chris @ Feb 1st 2008 4:45PM
I'm sorry for the guy if something bad happened with his family. If that is the real reason then my heart goes out to him, honestly.
BUT
On a completely different and pure political note...
HOOOOOOORAAAAAY!!!
First bit of good news I've seen in a while!!!
Finally now maybe Monkey Island can get a proper sequel, since he so famously said that there will be no Monkey Island games for at least a decade!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Good riddance to bad rubbish I say. LucasArts used to be a great company, and has declined ever since this guy took over.
"We only make new original games now, here is our new Star Wars and Indiana Jones games."
Stupid hypocrite. Justice at last......
hankwk @ Feb 1st 2008 5:04PM
remember the dig? that was awesome
how_much_I_carrot @ Feb 1st 2008 5:06PM
I guess he realized Lucasarts sucks now
mike @ Feb 1st 2008 5:08PM
Our buy "Insecticide" made by LucasArts vets, coming out soon for DS and PC!
Dale @ Feb 1st 2008 5:55PM
LucasArts will never stop relying on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
As far as I can recall, "original" titles like RTX Red Rock, Gladius, Thrillville and Wrath Unleashed weren't successes (Mercenaries was pretty great though). Star Wars, on the other hand, is a license to print money.
t_m @ Feb 2nd 2008 9:30AM
Wasn't he an accountant?
Maybe now they'll get someone with vision at lucasarts instead of beancounters, and make some VARIED and ORIGINAL games like they used to.. instead of junk like they've been making recently (and that includes FOrce Unleashed on what i've seen so far...)
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/02/01
PS/ Jim, i hope all is ok with the family.
Jestor Rodo @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:29AM
Mr Ward alot to do with SWG NGE and CU. SOE should have not have
heeded his wishes. His Departure is yet another sign that SWG days
are numbered. The BIOWARE-LeC is the next Star Wars MMO and wewill
not have the stupidty of mr Ward to contend with in its debut and
continued success.
Comment back to me at http://groups.myspace.com/Rodoreport if you dare.