Stewart returns with a follow-up to our cancelled games episode, looking specifically at the types of games we’re most likely to see coming up… and maybe why that’s not such a great prospect….
Video games, uncertain the future is.
Star Wars is a concept that brings people together, an escape from reality into a perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. We all play the games, read the books and imagine what goes on in that world but guys, we need to have a talk…
I’m worried about the future of Star Wars video games.
Disney and EA only deal in sure-fire hits, no experimental concepts or extensive depth, Battlefront was aimed solely at the widest demographic they could hit and this could be the reason why it was lacking in so many community features. Why would Joe Blow off the street care about matchmaking, clan features, mod support or dedicated servers? Especially when he will trade it in 1-2 months down the line. The game ended up selling 10+ million copies and Disney and EA got their money. It was a success in their eyes even though the player base is dwindling and it won’t exist in 5 years due to server shutdowns. There will be another battlefront set in the new-era released next year, hopefully I am wrong, but I don’t see the current longevity problems getting any better.
The only other (sort of) announced videogame in the works is Visceral’s video game – Nathan Drake in Space. I’m excited for it and will be happy with a 6-8 hour Han Solo-esque romp around the galaxy but, again, it will be a sure-fire bet, bound to be an extremely good seller (However hopefully it is a bit more expansive than their previous projects). We all know Bioware is working on some unannounced project, hopefully it is a new RPG, and not just a HD remake of KOTOR which would fly in the face of pretty much everything KOTOR stood for.
I get the feeling that videogames are too mainstream for interesting Star Wars ideas to blossom, too much money is involved now. The days of KOTOR and TIE Fighter are long gone, muscled out by the focus tested bland re-hashes of the world. Disney will never give small or independent developers the IP rights to try something new as co-marketing deals and pan-media approaches are mandatory nowadays.
But there is a silver lining. As the suits focus on videogames, tabletop continues to flourish. Over the past 3 years of tabletop gaming, I have seen more creativity and fresh ideas than almost all Star Wars video games combined. When was the last genuinely amazing SW video game? KOTOR? Battlefront 2? X-Wing miniatures and Imperial Assault are already classics with Armada slowly building a momentum as well, plus SW RPGs will always be there, in whichever form, telling stories and expanding on the universe.
So we might never get that open world bounty hunting game or a crime syndicate management game or even a new flight sim. But tabletop games will always be there, waiting in the wings, when the next Battlefront isn’t quite as good as you hoped.
Let me know what you think in the comment section below!
(I wrote this article in-between playing a bunch of Battlefront, so take it with a grain of salt)