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Just Cause dev 'almost' signed deal to make open-world Star Wars game

Past and present Avalanche Studios executives say Swedish developer was close to inking deal to make "massive" open-world game that could have saved LucasArts.

By Eddie Makuch on May 7, 2013 at 11:56AM PDT

Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios was close to signing a deal to make a "massive" open-world Star Wars game, according to comments from past and present studio executives.

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"Actually, wanting to work with [Star Wars] goes deep in [Sweden]," former Avalanche Studios development director Oskar Burman said over Twitter (via Joystiq). "Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, we almost got that deal when I was at Avalanche."

Burman worked at Avalanche Studios from 2005 through 2009.

Responding to his tweet, Avalanche Studios founder and chief creative officer Cristofer Sundberg claimed that if the deal had been made, LucasArts may still be open.

"If they had given us the deal back then, LucasArts would be alive today," Sundberg said. "A massive [Star Wars] open-world game! We would have rocked it."

Disney effectively closed LucasArts last month.

The comments from Burman and Sundberg come after yesterday's news that Electronic Arts and The Walt Disney Group had signed a deal to make EA the exclusive developer of "core" Star Wars games.

Avalanche Studios is currently developing multiple unannounced projects, the first of which may be revealed during the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo next month.

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Yeah, right. Dream on.

Upvote • 11 years ago

deactivated-5d4ea9243f8e0

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deactivated-5d4ea9243f8e0

Disney and EA...creativity will be crushed. The micro transaction god is jumping for joy, children are so much easier targets. Avalanche Studios, I possibly would have gone on buying the Star Wars games, but now I definitely won't!

Upvote • 11 years ago

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The gaming gods have truly forsaken us.

3 • 12 years ago

612

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Edited By The-Neon-Seal

In the cring-worthy words of Vader: 'NnnOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (Deep Breath) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

2 • 12 years ago

546

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Edited By vadagar1

yes plz keep stepping on our dreams and eating our souls

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By RiKanKiDD

Grumpy Cat says "HAHA"

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Oh my God... Fate has been cruel...

2 • 12 years ago

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THAT WOULD BE AMAZING! :(

Imagine if you could like travel in your spacecraft from world to world... omg

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By RGAMINGGOD

HUMAN REALLY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE NEED REAL ALIEN!!!FOR SAVE US FROM SUCKS!!!!!!

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@RGAMINGGOD You need REAL English to save you from the ways you put sentences together.

3 • 12 years ago

deactivated-6446beea14a1c

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deactivated-6446beea14a1c

This makes me a really sad wookie :(

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By wexorian

Just cause Jedi style Freaking awesome idea , F...ing disney

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@wexorian It's not Disney's fault Lucasarts passed on the idea. Furthermore, with Disney closing down Lucasarts and outsourcing it's game development to other companies, we're now more likely to see better Star Wars games.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By ApocaLeepse

@joesguy @wexorian From EA? I really don't think so. I can see them making a mediocre game that uses a crap load of microtransactions, probably to buy new lightsaber colours or something. About the only good game I've seen from them recently is Battlefield 3, and with 4 on its way I really can't see 3's servers staying up for much longer.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@ApocaLeepse EA wouldn't develop it, this is Avalanche Studios we're talking about.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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totally disappointing................

3 • 12 years ago

deactivated-5fafe1d45f264

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deactivated-5fafe1d45f264

That would only work if Lucas Arts still took full control of the story and characters. Because according to this, Avalanche wasn't gonna deliver on that part.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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I just want them to focus on making Just Cause 3 super awesome. Lucas Arts had it's chance.

Although an open world Starwars game ( the way I am envisioning it would be amazing), but alas they are not in my head.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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I would have total confidence in their ability to make any open world game awesome, especially Star Wars. Just Cause 2 is one of the best games ever imo.

8 • 12 years ago

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I just don't see how Avalanche studios getting that deal you save Lucasarts. If they got the deal, then isn't it actually an expenditure to Lucasarts?

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@jhcho2 Well, they would have got more income in return for making a worth while Star Wars game for a change.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@The-Neon-Seal @jhcho2

That's some wild speculation. Because the game will definitely be good, definitely sell well, and definitely make Disney feel that LucasArts is worth being kept in operation....RIGHT? How did they know for sure that the game wouldn't even be cancelled midway? Let alone bail out LucasArts from trouble

Upvote • 12 years ago

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I'm usually against such comments but this time I'm gonna be the one to say it... This isn't news. This isn't hugely dis-similar to sitting in a pub in Liverpool listening to an old soak telling you about how he was THIS CLOSE to being the 5th Beatle.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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If someone created a huge open-world Lord of The Rings or a Harry Potter game without sacrificing the story...I will forget half of my life problems I'm telling you.

Oh well...we can only dream :(

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By berserker66666

Yea Avalanche Studios would have made a great Star Wars game. EA on the other hand (Those fucking retarded assholes) would make it like a linear sprint race with broken a.i and microtransaction at every checkpoint.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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...but then they took an arrow to the knee.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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We could have had an open-world Star Wars game? And now... EA... arrrgh...

I don't... want to live... on this planet anymore.

8 • 12 years ago

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Edited By DeadrisingX1

Aw man, that idea had so much potential! :(

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By Vodoo

Imagine a GTA5 game set in the Star Wars universe! That would be insane. Hijack the AT-ST, pick up the Tatooine prostitutes and bring them to Jabba The Hutt.

8 • 12 years ago

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Edited By hadlee73

The thing is, I could say right now that I had a great idea for a Star Wars tiddly winks game that would have saved LucasArts, and it would be about as true and relevant as what these guys are crowing. They sound like they are marketing something without having something to market.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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there's no way they are going save them even if avalanche makes it, all i know it is going to be cancelled as they did to BF3

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@punkpunker You didn't actually read the article did you? They're not saying that they ARE making a game that COULD save Lucasarts. They're saying that, years ago, they ALMOST had a deal to make a game, which COULD HAVE saved Lucasarts.

There's no game being made, running the risk of getting cancelled, and no one is trying to save Lucasarts. This whole article is about things that didn't even happen, and haven't even been talked about in years.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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I don't even consider myself a fan of Star Wars really. I never got into the movies. But the games? Oh man. I loved the games. So many good times, and I just know that with a sandbox game with a Star Wars setting, could've been amazing. It's a shame, but I wouldn't shoot it down just yet. Lucas Arts might be gone, but Star Wars is far from it. Here's hoping that someone out there can take these ideas and turn them into reality.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By Joedgabe

@xGr4ffitix tell me about it.. rougue squadron... that 3rd person shooter one from the n64 that i can't remember it's name.. and the glorious battlefront... amazing games.... then this generation only brought crap.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By sideshowboots

@Joedgabe @xGr4ffitix it was called shadows of the empire, one of the best for the 64, right up there with goldeneye for me

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Rampaging around a Star Wars city jacking cars as a gun-toting Wookie.

That concept alone would have saved Lucas Arts.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By xolivierx

@Supperdude9 there is no way, look at the latest Star Wars movie. A little blond kid, Jar Jar Binks, Nathalie Portman, stupid over-cheesy jokes. It was for kids. There is no way they would have made a GTA like kind of game with a Star Wars theme. I wish they would have though.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@Supperdude9 Jedi theft auto ?

3 • 12 years ago

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Oh hell, this could have really been something special.

14 • 12 years ago

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Edited By parrot_of_adun

@jinflorida @parrot_of_adun I get that you don't like the game, but that doesn't really change the fact that many did, and it therefore sold reasonably well.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Thats a great idea, ok here is what i think try to make somthing beautiful i mean

Just Cause 2 , was really a great game even though it lake`s Character development and personality but i have enjoyed it.

now Star wars it`s not an easy game to meke but i know that you could make it happen ,

to me i think it would be a beautiful game if you can mix these three games together as a hint on how the next star wars game should be like :

Mass effect , Destiney and Halo. just think about it .

Upvote • 12 years ago

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I just wanted to kill a ton of Ewoks with my lightsaber! I would have bought an open-world Star Wars game for no other purpose than to exterminate Ewoks! I would have payed $60 for that opportunity, but Disney just flushed it away.

12 • 12 years ago

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.... This... I

.... Godammit.

Just....

Godammit.

16 • 12 years ago

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All this did was make me sad. :(

17 • 12 years ago

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This is why lucasarts is a failure. Massive open world star wars game? Nah! It might be worth what someone pays for it.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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well this is a depressing article.

because that would have been bloody awesome.

8 • 12 years ago

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I would have preferred if I hadn't found this out, now I'm angry it didn't happen.

13 • 12 years ago

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Edited By benwah_23

@Daian Exactly!! Why would they tease us with this? I would have preferred it if this information stayed buried...

6 • 12 years ago

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Use your keyboard!

ESC

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