On Saturday the 13th of April, Big Red Barrel were invited back to help host another evening at Loading Bar in Soho London. To quote the Order of Service from the night;
“Welcome to an evening to celebrate the life of LucasArts and the legacy of games they leave behind. Although we are saddened by the loss, we are united by our passion for the hours of joy that they bought into our lives.
Tonight we remember the good times and commemorate the loss of LucasArts in the manner expected of the adults they helped mould us into – by playing videogames and drinking cocktails with silly names. It is what they would have wanted.
Please join us in lifting a glass and toasting, not to a death, but a life well developed.”
The Loading Bar window. But don’t hang around outside. Come in, we have cocktails and cake!
See. The cake wasn’t a lie. Also, note on the right hand side of the picture, we had a book of condolence for attendees to record their favourite memories of LucasArts. The best entries made on the night were read aloud and awarded prizes.
It wasn’t a sombre occasion though.
It was a time to get together and enjoy the history of LucasArts games. With Zombies Ate My Neighbors being enjoyed on the SNES in this picture.
With a chance to raise a toast and have some fun at the bar. Cocktails concocted especially for evening included my favourite, the Monkey Island Iced Tea or the or the more generally popular, Gin Fandango.
However, if you are going to play games in a hive of scum and villainy, then always remember to let the Wookie win.
Other prizes were given out throughout the night with copies of The Cave available and Keyrings made especially for the evening. A copy of Star Wars – The Card Game, was also given out later in the evening.
Everyone was divided into two teams – Lightside and Darkside – the two teams then faced off to draw Star Wars Top Trumps. Whoever drew the card with the highest Force power advanced to the next round with prizes going to the those that stayed the course. Keyrings were awarded for anyone who drew Luke Skywalker.
The overall winner walked away with a copy of The Cave and a Day of the Tentacle T-shirt.
T-shirts kindly supplied by Nick from KyozoKicks.com
It wasn’t all fun and games though. Attendees could take the chance to make the pilgrimage downstairs to visit the Star Wars 1313 memorial. Gone, but not forgotten.
These two look a little short for Stormtroopers.
Near the end of the evening we read out the best entries made in the Condolence book. The best entry won a Day of the Tentacle T-shirt and a jigsaw and action figure from The Cave autographed by Ron Gilbert. Five of the other best entries won some of the LucasArts themed artwork that was displayed on the walls for the evening, a copy of The Cave and keyrings.
We then cut (and quickly ate) the cake. Thanks to everyone that came along and helped make it a great evening and a fitting send off for a studio that had, at least in the past, made some truly great games.
Thanks
A Big Red Barrel thanks to Gaming Bunker for the loan of a truly awesome PC for the evening.
A Big thanks to SEGA for supplying copies of The Cave to give away on the evening. (With one more to go! See below.)
A Big thanks to Esdevium Games for supplying a copy of Star Wars: The Card Game to give away on the evening.
A Big thanks to Nick from Kyozokicks.com, who without us even asking, kindly turned up with some awesome Day of the Tentacle T-shirts for us to give away.
A Big thanks to Ace Ashun for the photographs of the event.
And finally thanks to Jimmy from Loading and Jon from MADD for inviting us back to host another event, also a Big thanks to all the people from, and friends of, BRB that helped us to make it such an enjoyable night.
Contest
To WIN a copy of The Cave on Steam, just add your favourite memory of a LucasArts game to this thread. The best entry (either the funniest or most touching) will be awarded the prize.
Rules
Entries must be made prior to 12 midnight (GMT) Saturday 27th April. Multiple entries are permitted by no more than one entry in every 24 hour period will be valid. All other Standard BRB terms and conditions for contests apply and can be viewed here.
Tags: big red barrel, Loading Bar, Loading Cafe/Bar, LucasArts
207 Posts in Total
/places hand on heart
I WILL be coming to the next event! Guaranteed! Looks like it was a blast.
I second that.