— Ch. 1 · Development Timeline And Cancellation —
Monopoly Star Wars.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 5
Hasbro Interactive released Monopoly Star Wars in 1997 to coincide with the Christmas season. The project began after a successful board game version of Star Wars Monopoly sold very well. Programmer Alexander G. M. Smith designed the software rules engine for the new video game adaptation. A three-dimensional crew created a sizzle reel to demonstrate their vision to Hasbro executives. This presentation secured approval for the full production phase.
The development process moved quickly toward the end of the schedule. Certain features like a user interface for trading immunities and futures were left out due to time constraints. A Japanese version of the title was also postponed indefinitely during this rush. The team officially finished the game on the 18th of October 1997. Jack Sorensen, president of LucasArts, announced that the franchise would expand to a broader audience through this release. Tom Dusenberry, president of Hasbro Interactive, stated that both entertainment properties were ingrained in culture.
A PlayStation version of the game received an announcement at E3 1997 before its cancellation. No specific reason was given for the sudden stop of the console port. The canceled version would have allowed players to control characters freely across the map. The final product remained exclusive to Microsoft Windows computers for the initial launch.
Multimedia Implementation And Voice Work
Anthony Daniels provided voice acting for C-3PO throughout the entire game experience. His writing skills contributed directly to the dialogue boxes found within the software. The original simple dialog boxes and two-dimensional board were replaced by fancy animations and sound effects. Players see their character pieces jump, duck, and somersault from space to space during gameplay. These movements are fully animated textures rather than static cast metal models.
Full-motion video clips play out when players land on designated spaces after rolling dice. A camera angle shifts to a side-view perspective once a turn begins. Starships flank each side of the board to display current funds and available properties. Each ship carries an identical character piece attached to its side. Traditional houses and hotels are replaced with starports as players accumulate wealth.
The multimedia elements included luscious three-dimensional animation that drew praise from critics. Cody Williamson of PC Gamer noted these features slowed the pace significantly. He turned many multimedia options off to restore standard Monopoly speed. Walter Morbeck of GameSpot felt the melding of properties was good but the result somewhat pointless. The Boston Herald's Robin Ray deemed the game marvelous despite technical slowdowns.