Star Wars creator George Lucas has become the latest Hollywood mogul to truly explore the possibilities of convergence between games and cinema. LucasArts, already a well-regarded developer for its Star Wars-themed titles and adventures like the Sam and Max series and Grim Fandango, will be producing a game that tells the story of what happened in the decade between the third and fourth instalments of the enormously popular Star Wars films.
According to the Associated Press, Lucas has no interest in doing any more celluloid screen versions, but will expand on the property through more resilient and more interactive avenues. The game will serve as a new entry in the library of books, games and other media (including a forthcoming kids' TV show) that fill out the Star Wars, er, galaxy.
Not only could this convergence drive more people to computer gaming, but it, like other projects (think The Lost Experience, Enter the Matrix, James Cameron's MMOG project, GoldenEye 64), represents the best interaction between one medium's treatment of a story and another's, exploiting the unique assets of each to propel the events and characters forward.
From a purely marketing point of view, it's a great way to keep the public's interest in an ageing franchise.
