LucasArts has released a Press Release to announce that they will use the previously mentioned Euphoria behavioral-simulation engine from NaturalMotion Ltd. for their next Indiana Jones video game to be released in 2007.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Thursday, April 27, 2006 – LucasArts announced today that Indiana Jones’ first expedition on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 will feature the revolutionary euphoria behavioral-simulation engine from NaturalMotion Ltd., creators of the award-winning Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS) technology. For the first time ever, euphoria enables interactive characters – from Indiana Jones himself to the foes he pulverizes – to move, act and even think like actual human beings without the limitations of traditional animation. Characters move and adapt realistically to their given situations on the fly, resulting in a series of experiences and payoffs that will never be the same twice. As one of only two publishers with early access to the technology, LucasArts is well advanced in integrating euphoria into Indiana Jones’ 2007 next-generation adventure.

Imagine a swaying rope bridge. With euphoria in action, characters visibly attempt to balance themselves, their feet stumbling, their arms flailing, and their hands reaching for security as the unpredictable movements of the bridge threaten to send them plummeting to their doom. Perhaps they all survive. Perhaps they all fall. The use of euphoria means the action isn’t scripted – it’s simulated – so you’ll never be able to predict exactly what will happen, no matter how many times you’ve experienced a certain scenario.

Click here to read the full press release.

In May of last year it was announced that LucasArts began working on a new Indiana Jones video game to be released in 2007. What we know so far is that the new game will be an original story - not based on Indy IV - and that it will be made with the technology of the next-generation consoles. But two new articles about LucasArts appeared online this week and both shed some more light on the new Indy game project!

The first is a story by The New York Times about LucasArts' leaders - Peter Hirschmann and Jim Ward - and how they are going to bring LucasArts back to the absolute top 5 list of video game developers. An interesting article if you're a fan of the legendary game company. And there's one piece that is especially interesting for the Indiana Jones fans:

Mr. Hirschmann later demonstrated a test game, shouting and jumping each time a storm trooper tumbled onscreen, the character barely catching his fingers on the pixel ledge. And he gleefully explained how researchers had tracked down images of San Francisco buildings from 1915 for the future Indiana Jones game.

Will we get to see a young Indiana Jones visiting San Francisco in 1915? Very interesting! Especially when you know that 1915 is one of the few years in Indiana Jones' timeline that is completely empty of any events!

The second is an article by IGN in which LucasArts and NaturalMotion use the new Indiana Jones game to show how they define "next-generation". The article is not about the game graphics but about the innovative way all characters in the game will physically behave to their environments, friends and foes during combat. Here follow 2 excepts:

But with its upcoming Indiana Jones title, LucasArts may be onto something. Utilizing a run-time animation technology called euphoria, the game is poised to push the limits of what was previously possible. The company that developed the technology, NaturalMotion, has been working for years to hone euphoria to accurately replicate real-world physics such as strength, weight, and momentum with in-game character models. Whereas before, all animations had to be pre-programmed, euphoria allows for reactions and behaviors to occur in real-time -- allowing models to react realistically to whatever situation might arise...

LucasArts mentioned groups of several enemies would be able to work together to overcome obstacles and more effectively attack you, leading to unique battles every time. They said they were hoping players would want to reload areas over and over again solely to see the different ways they could take out foes and watch them work together. In terms of specific examples, it was said enemies could pass weapons between each other and help each other up and over obstacles.

Note: the images and video fragments shown in this article are not from the new Indiana Jones game but from NaturalMotion's site, to give us readers a sense of what they're talking about. And what they are talking about sounds like something extremely exciting!

A big thanks to AJ and Nelson for the article links!