The March issue of Game Informer Magazine contains a very interesting interview with Jim Ward, the President of LucasArts & Vice Pres. , Marketing & Distributing, Lucasfilm LTD. Jim Ward has announced that LucasArts will produce more Indiana Jones games in the near future!

Game Informer Magazine: LucasArts used to be known for making really unique original properties like Day of the Tentacle, then fell back primarily on Star Wars products exclusively. Are original games going to be a focus for the company?

Jim Ward: "We have three main goals. One is to restimulate the Star Wars IP with high quality games. Secondly, we're going to reinvigorate the Indiana Jones IP, which has basically been stagnant for years. There's no reason that Indiana Jones can't be a James Bond and have a year-in, year-out great representation of that brand. And take advantage of the fact that, in the next couple of years, there will be a new Indiana Jones movie. The third leg of this is definitely new IP. There's a heritage built into the DNA of LucasArts, and that's creativity and innovation. We need to move beyond the IP that we have. We certainly lost that. We lost that as the console console marketplace came into being; it was very strong on the PC platform. Once the company missed the adaptation of the console platforms, we've been in catch-up mode ever since. But that's going to change."

This is great news indeed! And Jim Ward not only says that they will make more Indiana Jones games, he also mentions that the fourth Indiana Jones film will come! I hope that this brings new hope to all the Indyfans that no longer believe in Indy IV. And stay tuned for more exciting Indy news!

Thanks to LucasForums and QueZTone at The Raven for the news.

Computer And Video Games.com reported that a new Indiana Jones game may be heading to next-gen consoles and could feature characters drawn from across the popular tomb-raiding movie series. That according to questions posed by a market research survey. (Could it be this online survey from past December?)

The survey, sent anonymously to people around the world who have signed up to take part in online market research, refers specifically to a new Indiana Jones videogame and asks questions like 'Who are your favorite characters from the Indiana Jones movies?'.

Interestingly, the survey also asks questions about the James Bond movies including inquiries about favorite films and characters. This could suggest that plans are being made to draw together characters and plotlines from all three Indiana Jones movies (and also the Young Indiana Jones TV series, which is also mentioned in the survey) to create an anachronistic Indy masterpiece, echoing the way EA's GoldenEye: Rogue Agent brought together some of the greatest Bond characters of all time (though in a good way obviously).

The survey also posed questions about the Tomb Raider series, first next-gen details of which we brought you yesterday, asking how well-known the brand is and collecting opinions about the gameplay style. In addition, the survey asked what kind of genre a new Indiana Jones game should adhere to, offering choices as varied as RPG, shooter, and even a Microsoft Flight Simulator-style game. Is this evidence that a new Indiana Jones game could turn its back on traditional third-person adventuring and adopt a new gameplay style?

Very interesting news as LucasArts' president Jim Ward recently spoke of plans to "reinvigorate the Indiana Jones IP".

Visit Computer And Video Games.com to read the full news message.

LucasArts has announced at E3 today that they are working on a new Indiana Jones video game set for release on next-generation consoles in 2007!

Electronic Entertainment Expo - Los Angeles, CA - May 18, 2005 - LucasArts revealed today that Indiana Jones® will once again don his famous fedora with a new video game set for release on next-generation consoles in 2007. The company also announced its intention to enter the handheld gaming market, with a Sony PSP™ version of Star Wars Battlefront™ II set to join the previously unveiled PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game system from Microsoft and PC versions this Fall. Also coming to the PC platform are immersive online adventures in Star Wars Galaxies®: The Total Experience (May 24, 2005) and the power to command galactic forces in Star Wars Empire at War™ (Spring 2006).

"As gaming consoles head into the next generation, so too do our development teams," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. "Our teams are truly embracing the incredible power of these systems, not only with amazing graphics but also, more importantly, with unforgettable story-driven adventures starring fascinating characters like Indiana Jones. At the same time, titles for the revolutionary new handheld systems are something we know gamers want, and we're excited to enter this field."

BREAK OUT THE HAT AND WHIP
Powered by the next generation in console technology, Indy's back and better than ever! Created internally by LucasArts, the yet-to-be-named Indiana Jones video game sends the iconic archaeologist on his most epic adventure yet. In 2007, the strength of the upcoming systems presents players with incredibly realistic, detailed environments that will span the globe. They'll experience an interactive story unlike any that's ever unfolded before them, as well as a noticeable evolution in physics and artificial intelligence.

LucasArts didn't give any more information than just the announcement but I'm certain that we may expect more details soon. So stay tuned as TheRaider.net will follow every step of the production on this new Indy game.

Click here to read LucasArt's Press Release on this new Indy game.

IGN.com has a G4TV video up on their website that shows a few areas of he new Indiana Jones game, like China and Istanbul. We get to see is a camera floating through some locations that we'll be able to explore in the new game. These areas look stunning and very adventurous! Check out the video titled G4TV E32005 Games of LucasArts here.

Paul Hyman from The Hollywood Reporter recently interviewed LucasArts' President Jim Ward about their future plans. Jim Ward admitted that they have made too many Star Wars games in the past (about 7 different Star Wars titles a year) and that they will take a step back on that franchise and produce more original game like this year's Mercenaries and more Indiana Jones as well!

LucasArts plans on reinvigorating its long-absent "Indiana Jones" franchise with a not-yet-announced next-gen title scheduled for 2007 release.

"We've done 'Indiana Jones' games in the past -- on and off -- but it hasn't necessarily been a concerted effort," Ward says. "In my opinion, there's no reason why we shouldn't turn it into a franchise and have an Indy game every year."

"Many people think of LucasArts as being the 'Star Wars' company, and traditionally, I suppose, that's been our heaviest SKU," he adds. "However, the plan is absolutely to broaden our interactive gaming sphere with our 'Indiana Jones' IP, and with a number of new intellectual properties, most notably 'Mercenaries,' which we launched in January and which is becoming a brand new franchise for us."

And what does George Lucas have to say regarding the content of all these new creations?

"George will tell you that he's no hardcore gamer," notes Ward. "And he's not one to say, hey, this is exactly what such-and-such a game needs. But when you need to talk to someone about story and character development, particularly when it comes to 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' -- he's not a bad guy to go to."

Be sure to read the full article at The Hollywood Reporter.

Globetechnology published an interview with Peter Hirschman, vice-president of product development at LucasArts. Peter Hirschman spoke to @Play about LucasArts' future plans for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and other games.

In a nutshell, Hirschman says that the new Indy game will get released in the same year as Indiana Jones IV, which is 2007. Their new game will be tied into the movie in the sense that they'll have locations, scenes and characters that foreshadow events in Indy IV.

@Play: A long those lines, you've announced a new Indiana Jones games. Does that mean the game will tie in with the long-awaited new Indiana Jones film?

Peter Hirschman: Indiana Jones. Has there ever been a better character suited to video games? I don't think so.

Indy and the Indy games are things we're really excited about internally, and it's great to see the reception the announcement's gotten here at the show. It's really gratifying, actually. Our plan for the Indy game is to be out in 2007 on next-gen consoles. The plan for the movie is to also come out in 2007, pending script approval. I wish I could give you an exclusive here, but everything you've read is true: they're waiting to find just the right script. Indy is such a special character, and his movies are held in such high regard that I think George and Steven [Spielberg] and everyone involved only want to move forward if it's something truly worth doing. That said, they're shooting for a 2007 theatrical release.

Our game is going to be tied into the movie in the sense that we'll have locations, scenes and characters that foreshadow events in the movie. But the movie is going to be taking place chronologically in a later time frame. We're doing an Indy adventure in the classic Raiders timeframe of the late 30s. The Nazis are the bad guys, there's a race against evil to get something that has the potential to change the course of humankind. So we'll have a great tie-in to the film, but it will be a brand new unique Indy adventure. And again, that great combination of being able to go see the film, be excited and enjoy that Indy experience, and then go home and be able to play in the Indy universe, go on their adventure and shape Indy's destiny with their own hands.

Read Globetechnology's full interview with Peter Hirschman. A very interesting interview on the future of LucasArts!

Lucasfan Games, the independent makers of Maniac Mansion Deluxe and The New Adventures of Zak McKracken, have announced that they will make a freeware adventure game based on Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The game will have 320x200 resolution and it will feature an interface identical to the classic adventure Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

Visit the official Lucasfan Games website for more information.

Thanks to Pablo Valdes for the news.

Lucasfan Games, the independent makers of Maniac Mansion Deluxe and The New Adventures of Zak McKracken, recently announced that they were making a freeware adventure game based on Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Today it looks like the freeware Raiders of the Lost Ark adventure game won't be happening. Lucasfan Games their website is closed. The only thing left is this vague message: "Recent events have forced us to shut down our web appearance. We would like to thank all our fans and supporters who believed in us and our dreams."

Thanks to Chris Keller for letting me know.