Some industry insiders have long suspected that LucasArts may be in the process of restructuring itself. It's all official now as layoffs have been confirmed after the release of Lego Indiana Jones (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC,  PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, DS). Details after the jump.

It's always sad when someone in this industry steps down, and this is no different - as LucasArts President Jim Ward is finally hanging up his ten-year tenure at the company that brought us lightsabers and spaceships. Find out why and what's in the future for Jim Ward after the jump.

More speakers have been added to the 2008 D.I.C.E. Summit's speaker roster. Joining the roster for next year's event are PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura, who is currently working on a new music title for the Nintendo Wii, and newly-appointed Entertainment Software Association president Michael D. Gallagher. More new speakers at the full article.

 

The Force seems to favor Nintendo Wii owners, since not only will they be getting Star Wars: The Force Unleashed with access to the console's unique motion sensing controls, but they'll also be bringing the lightsaber to life with the Wii Remote's internal speaker. In other words, the Wiimote will act like an actual Jedi weapon as it makes sounds when you wave it around.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will also grace other platforms, namely the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, and DS, but the experience on Nintendo's console can't be matched according to LucasArts President Jim Ward. "The Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," he told FOX News.

LucasArts discussed further about how the game will explore what went on between "Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope." Spotlight's on an apprentice under Darth Vader's care who'll make his appearance for the first time to shed light on untold stories in the Star Wars franchise.

"We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force," Ward added. Playing as a Sith Lord's apprentice with a lightsaber and control of the Force? We're in.

With all the hype about Lego Star Wars for the Wii, it's been highly assumed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed would be released for the Wii eventually. Face it, it's already confirmed to be coming out on the PS3, 360, PS2, PSP, and NDS. So why not let it waggle itself onto the Wii too? Lucky you, the same guys from down under who are developing the game for the PSP and PS2 versions are also unleashing the Force for the Wii.

Krome Studios is promising to give Wii gamers the ultimate Force showdown with the help of some motion-sensing controls: you actually get to use the Wiimote as a lightsaber while the Nunchuk will be used to execute some mad Force skillz. Exclusive to the Wii edition would be a duel mode where players can pit their powers against each other. Whether this will support any Nintendo Wi-Fi connection feature or not is still to be determined.

LucasArts' president Jim Ward states: "Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life. We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force."

  

When one thinks of the Wiimote, there are a lot of knee-jerk reactions as to what it can be used to control on-screen. And the games that were built around those reactions worked - say, as a scalpel for Trauma Center: Second Opinion. Or a frying pan's handle for Cooking Mama: Cookoff. A fishing Rod in Tsuri Master. A sword in Dragon Quest Swords. The list goes on.

But for those of us who can tell the difference between a Star Destroyer and a Super Star Destroyer, recite from memory each and every line that James Earl Jones uttered for the tall guy in the Vader suit - not to mention communicate in perfect Shyriiwook (the guttural howls of a Wookie) - we all know where it should be at: A Star Wars game that lets you swing your lightsaber with your Wiimote.

And fortunately for us, we won't have to wait long for it. In a recent Hollywood & Games Summit panel interview, Jim Ward, President of LucasArts and Vice President of Lucasfilm, has confirmed the existence of such a game that lets us all wield a sword of purty-colored death with the Wiimote. His statement, verbatim:

We're all over that, and internally we have already played a lightsaber game on the Wii. It's a lot of fun, and we'll get there.

He also elaborated that the entire concept of a title that uses the Nintendo Wii's motion-tracking capabilities to control a lightsaber is already in place, and that loyal fans of the franchise will just have to wait until Fall to see just what they've already cooked up.

Fall, eh? Not that long a wait for the chance to cut down Stormtroopers and Sith Lords with your very own lightsaber. Updates as we get them, so keep it locked right here!

Together with development partner Day 1 Studios, LucasArts hopes to redefine the next generation of games with a futuristic title so epic, it could dwarf the Death Star in scope. In an official press release just fresh out of the company famous for Star Wars, they have announced the development of a new title for the next generation gaming platforms to be released in 2008.

 

Details are sketchy at best, but what they have revealed is a futuristic shooter that sports a fully destructive environment, where every action spells global implications. The game takes players right into an epic war that rips through American soil and takes the level of futuristic combat through advanced technology and cybernetic enhancements.

"Exciting new intellectual properties serve a vital role to the growth of LucasArts," said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. He believes the Fracture is the way to achieve that growth, by creating a compelling story with in-depth characters. He said it's everything one could expect of a LucasArts release.

Fracture introduces the player to a distant future (the year 2161), when much of the world has changed due to extreme seismic and detrimental ecological activity. On the eve of a brewing war, the player will see the destruction unfold through the eyes of demolitions expert Mason Briggs of the Atlantic Alliance.

Against the pro-cybernetic idealists, the Pacifican Army will use their principles of genetic enhancement to do combat. And players get to wage war on epic battlefields with weapons that can alter the landscape, the overall strategy, and eventually, the turn out of the battle itself. Some weapons that have been noted are:

• Vortex grenades: upon detonation, it creates a massive whirlwind of rock, dirt and debris to dispatch foes when surrounded
• Tectonic grenades: upon detonation, it shifts the ground level beneath the blast to rise up
• Rocket launcher alt-fire: fires a salvo of rockets that can effectively carve out a tunnel into the ground

Fracture will be the first to feature the technology that allows players to reshape their battles: Terrain Deformation. It is announced for a Summer 2008 release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

When LucasArts President Jim Ward announced that they were coming up with a Star Wars title for the next-generation consoles, Nintendo fans have been clamoring for one in Wii; especially since the controller will be perfect for a light saber game. However, when E3 came, no LucasArts title was revealed for Nintendo's next-gen console. Since people are just screaming for a Star Wars Wii, the rumor kept on coming back. Magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly revives the talk with it latest issue.

Their latest issue features a new Star Wars title that will be exclusive for Wii. The game is said to maximize the potential of the Wiimote's vibration modes and sounds through a light sabre-centered game.

Will the Wii be with us...or is it another disappointing rumor? Well, let's all hope for the best.