It's always sad when someone in this industry steps down, and this is no different - as LucasArts President Jim Ward is finally hanging up his ten-year tenure at the company that brought us lightsabers and spaceships. Find out why and what's in the future for Jim Ward after the jump.

Online retail store Play-Asia is currently running a deal for LucasArts' PC franchise Star Wars. The said deal involves a dubbed gold pack which contains the original game Empire at War as well as the expansion game Empire at War: Forces of Corruption. The pack only costs US$ 27.90.

This is a pretty decent deal if you ask me (but then again, being the Star Wars geek that I am...) considering the expansion was just released last month. Both games belong to the RTS genre where players can choose to join three different factions: the Rebellion, the Empire, and the Underworld. Other worth mentioning features for both games include:

• Conquer or liberate over 80 ground and space locations.
• Command iconic characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and more.
• Pit X-wings against TIE fighters or command a fleet of Star Destroyers in space.
• (FOC) Command over 28 underworld units and new Rebel or Imperial forces on 13 new planets.
• (FOC) Experience three-faction battles and play the same side against itself.
• (FOC) Take advantage of new game play tactics like piracy, kidnapping and bribery.
• Includes 5 bonus Maps, Wallpapers, Screensavers and Concept Art from the collector's Edition.

Interested parties may refer to our Read link below. It should take you to the said retail store's page for Star Wars Empire at War where you can purchase the Gold Pack.

The Australian games industry is booming; employment has grown 60% making the term booming appear like an understatement. But regardless of that, game publishers are sure taking note of it. Improvement isn't a one way street, the industry is swelling because gamers are doing their share and are supporting them. With that, Lucasarts Australia is giving Aussies more games to support and appreciate.

A month back, we reported about the Star Wars Best of PC which will contain, Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars Republic Commando, and a bonus 14-day trial of Star Wars Galaxies. That's some package and Aussies would also get their hands on it.

It will be released down under this coming holiday with a SRP of AU$ 89.95. Surely, Australian Star Wars fanatics will be having a field day over this development.

Attention desktop wallpaper makers! And Star Wars fans. One of our press sources released this image - the packshot of the UK Star Wars: The Best of PC DVD-ROM. We've put it down there at the bottom with the update images.

We were in Geek Heaven. But the press source wasn't sure about which games are included in the Best of PC. Weak in the ways of the Force, our press source is.

Because we have a higher midichlorian count (oops, we said the bad M word), here are the details for the coming-soon Best of PC collection which ships November 21:

• Star Wars: Empire at War [for you strategy fans]
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [it won't be a "best of" collection without good old KotoR]
• Star Wars Battlefront
• Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
• Star Wars Republic Commando
• Bonus: Star Wars Galaxies 14-Day Trial
  

What's great about this package is the games with multiplayer fun: Empire at War supports up to 8, Battlefront, 32, Republic Commando, 8 to 16 (dedicated server), Jedi Outcast 16 to 32 (dedicated server).

Um? Where's TIE Fighter? And where's Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II?

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Update: Every Star Wars Galaxies game in one box: that's the promise of Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures - it ships November 14. And then there's the Empire at War: Forces of Corruption expansion for Empire at War - it's been out since October, but we might as well include the huge packshot here for you desktop wallpaper makers.