By Andrew Liszewski
You can say what you want about George Lucas and his Star Wars prequels, but there’s no denying the man has incredible foresight when it comes to the melding of cutting-edge technologies and entertainment. Not only did he change the motion picture industry with Industrial Light & Magic and his championing of digital cinema, but way back in 1982 he saw the potential in the burgeoning interactive entertainment industry and formed his own game company called LucasArts. Today that burgeoning industry is worth billions of dollars, and while LucasArts has had its ups and downs over the years, they’ve remained one of the longest surviving and most prolific game publishers in the industry’s relatively short existence.
Now you’re welcome to argue amongst yourselves in the comments as to what can be considered LucasArts golden years, but looking back at games like X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, Full Throttle or Dark Forces, I know I can’t narrow it down. Thankfully neither does Rob Smith in his new 256 page hardcover book; Rogue Leaders: The Story Of LucasArts. The book covers the entire history of the company with interviews, concept art, character development sketches, storyboards (over 300 images are included) and even a glimpse at games that were never actually released. It definitely seems like a great trip down memory lane for those of us who actually considered a 386 to be a real gaming platform.
The book is available for pre-order from StarWarsShop.com for $59.99, and is expected to ship sometime in January of next year. It also features a foreword by none other than George Lucas himself, and a lenticular cover that changes between the Purple Tentacle, Guybrush Threepwood, LEGO Indy and Darth Vader.
[ StarWarsShop.com – Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts ]
