E3 has gone through enormous transitions over the years, but his year it feels like it has struck the right balance. The industry climate is forcing all publishers to find new ways to reach consumers with innovative entertainment products. At the same time, it is critical for publishers to maintain a focus on delivering AAA quality games experiences across the board.  Despite the pressures of the tough economic climate, E3 is the venue for our industry to stand up and show off stellar products that continue to push our industry forward through the creative talent and continued investment to prove it.  At LucasArts, we are fortunate to be in a position to take a long term perspective and preserve an absolute focus on delivering gameplay experiences that our customers want….

I’ve been at LucasArts for over a year now and I couldn’t ask to be part of a better team.  Working with world class talent to create great stories with memorable characters is the backbone of every project coming out of all Lucas companies.  This year, we’ll be showcasing a number of products that follow this vision including Star Wars Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron, The Secret of Monkey Island:  Special Edition and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

We’re lucky at LucasArts in that we are able to work with truly iconic, cultural touchstone brands like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Monkey Island while also building a pipeline of new and diverse game properties.  In addition to building new IP, one of my personal passion projects is our heritage program, and since I’ve started at the company, we have been focused on finding new ways to bring our popular titles to both new and old fans.  Games like The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which we just announced at E3 for Xbox 360 and PC.  Completely re-mastered and re-imagined from the original 1990 game, we can’t wait for players to reacquaint themselves with title they grew up loving.  Fans will also be able to unlock Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings on the Wii coming out June 9.  This is just the beginning.

Clone Wars as a brand has exploded.  It is truly a cross-company collaboration between Lucasfilm, Lucasfilm Animation, Lucas Licensing, Skywalker Sound and LucasArts.  It has exceeded all our expectations and is now the #1 selling licensed toy property for boys in the US with sales over 90% ahead of any other toy licensed. We will be showing Clone Wars: Republic Heroes which launches in September 2009 as part of this global phenomenon.

Last, Star Wars: The Old Republic is a major milestone for LucasArts and this year at E3 we will release the first trailer and first ever live gameplay demos to VIP guests. Our collaboration with the creative geniuses at BioWare has created a ground breaking MMO experience that we believe will radically redefine the genre, and we couldn’t be happier with our partnership. Gamers will be blown away by what our two teams are bringing to the table, including a immersive and compelling story brought to life through a fully-voiced script that’s a first in the MMO genre.

My first year at LucasArts has been exceptional and beyond expectations. The creative focus, the deep passion for our brands and the boundless energy within our company makes Lucas a truly exciting place to be. E3 this year is just the beginning of where we are headed as a company.