EA - Exclusive Deal to Develop 'Core' Star Wars Video Games

First I heard this I cried out like poor Vader in the re-done scene at the end of RotJ, but then I started considering that even though it probably means always online DRM, tons of cheap (as in, poor) DLC, and everything else EA is "famous" for, Lucasarts hasn't done anything good in a long while now. So the way I see it, we'll get games compared to not getting games, and they will have a good budget. It could be much worse. Like, Disney trying to do it themselves (they WILL cover facebook games and similar stuff if I'm not mistaken). Ubisoft coulda bought it.

The teams that are confirmed to work on new titles are also quite alright. They worked on Battlefield and Dead Space games, which were imo among the better EA titles of the past years, with all their faults. Also, SW really meshes well with the Battlefield premise, and I still have fond memories of SW:Battlefront games where I used to shoot my friends in the face with an Imperial SoroSuub Blaster Rifle.

As for RPGs, I can't see it happening, unless of course Bioware gets to do it. Personally I wouldn't like to see that, but a proper KotOR renaissance would be so sweet, one can hope.

So yea, I get some negative vibrations, too, but we'll just have to see. It would also depend on the exact nature of the contract between Disney and EA; if they signed something that requires them to deliver games periodically for maximum profit, that could be very bad.
 
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I was actually optimistic about Star Wars when I heard Disney took over. Then they had to go and choose J.J. Abrams as director.

That's actually worse than picking EA - because they're just a money-grabbing publishing house. Abrams represents everything that's wrong about Hollywood and he's going to be the actual "developer" of the thing.

That alone is enough to tell me that Disney isn't looking to turn Star Wars into something special again. They're taking the quickest and safest route to mainstream garbage and money in the bank. But they could have much more money in the long run.

Do I blame them? Not at all. But it IS what it is.

As for EA - they're being moronic about this - as they were with SWtOR.

They think in the short-term exclusively. They're thinking "Yay, we have Star Wars - sure money maker. Let's go maximum thrust and milk the shit out of it like there was no tomorrow. Let's put our top developers on it - use our best engine - and just throw money at it. It's a money factory, yo!"

They don't think about the audience and how it's going to react when the 7th Star Wars game comes out in 3 years - each more so-so than the last. It's just so amazingly stupid and such a profound waste of potential.

Just like they did with SWtOR. "Let's copy WoW - because that works. Let's not really think about what we're doing and let's not listen to those on our team warning us. Let's just get the best developer we know and throw money at it. It's a money factory, yo!"

When the game failed completely - it's not because people got sick of it. Nah! It's because F2P is the new WoW model! It's a money factory, yo!

Now look at it.

Sigh.

They could cradle it and get a developer with true passion for turning it around. Then, they could take it slow - and release one high-quality game at a time, and build a reputation. Then, when they felt the need to stuff their pockets - they could go and ruin it as usual - but they'd boost their income 10 times by doing it smart.
 
You're probably right about them looking at the short-distance only.

However desireable the scenario you describe at the end of your post is for us, I doubt they would be interested in it, and the bahzillion of Modern Warfare and FIFA sales surely justify them.

I'm afraid we're the minority, again. =/
 
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You're probably right about them looking at the short-distance only.

However desireable the scenario you describe at the end of your post is for us, I doubt they would be interested in it, and the bahzillion of Modern Warfare and FIFA sales surely justify them.

I'm afraid we're the minority, again. =/

FIFA is an easy sale - as it's soccer and it's had a zillion years to cook.

I don't know how Modern Warfare is doing, but I would have thought people are nearing the point of being sick of it? As in, the last game might have sold below expectations?

Then again, high-profile military shooters seem to be like hot-cakes.

I just think Lucas did more damage to Star Wars than people realise. I don't think it's an everlasting well of money. SOME money, probably, but I think the smart thing to do would be to make it great again.

However, what the hell do I know.

The last Star Trek movie was just about the worst piece of garbage I've ever seen - especially because I'm very fond of Trek and don't appreciate people dumping their body load on it - but it was a huge smash.

Gah!
 
I couldn't agree more about the damage Lucas made and how they should rebuild, brother.

That said, SW is a franchise that has seen so many content with the Extended Universe that few people agree on what makes SW good, and what belongs there.

Lucas proved how utterly oblivious he is to what makes SW great (meaning the original ones and some parts of EU) when he did the prequels. Now that it is in other people's hands there is a chance for a good reboot, or moving back to the roots, but not sure if said people 'get' Star Wars, or get it as I do, or as others do.

As for StarTrek, I kinda enjoyed the last movie, but I gotta say, I know very little of the universe, and if you say it was botched, I can sympathize.
 
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I'm a fairly big Star Trek fan and I actually liked the last movie a lot, so it's just a matter of opinions.

That being said, they have lost the whole "exploring the unknown" thing that I love about older Star Trek stuff.
 
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Obviously, it's a matter of opinions. I have a friend who's a huge Trek fan - almost to the point of being a true Trekkie and he loved it.

*rant incoming*

The reason I despise it is because it's not only a really bad movie with no substance and plot holes the size of the vacuum in the head of George Bush - but because it takes a huge dump on several of my favorite characters.

The best of Trek, to me, was always the exploration of new ideas and concepts. How it challenged our perception of morals and creatively dealt with cerebral subjects like living AIs, Parallel universes and so on.

Star Trek takes the worst of Trek - as in the silly action over-the-top crap and it has no respect for the characters. Spock is a run-of-the-mill hormonal moron who beds women at the Academy and he's completely unstable. Kirk is an obnoxious child who drives a vehicle over a cliff - almost to his death - so the audience can get a true Abrams introductionary scene. Scotty has turned into nothing with jokes on top. Sulu became a one-dimensional ninja and so on.

Then we have "Red Matter".

Then we have one of the most irrational villains with no personality of all time.

Then we have some utterly ridiculous coincidences on a certain planet.

Oh, and a SHIT LOAD of lens flares.

If that's what Trek is to you, then I can see the appeal.

I guess I can appreciate that it's "fun" (I don't think so - but I can see how some would) - but the problem is that it's there in place of what else could be there. It means Trek is dead as anything but stupid popcorn crap. It's making zillions of dollars.

That's the problem.

That's just my opinion, though.

*rant finished*
 
*rant incoming*

I love a good rant ... thanks for that. :)

My family was unanimous in not being enamored with the movie ... and for four different reasons.
 
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*rant incoming*
I enjoyed your rant, thoroughly. :p

As for EA, well, I've already spilled pure poison many times in the past about that particular company and their disgusting practices. Bit of a shame they are getting their hands on this now, then again.. I never really expected to see anything good regarding SW again.
 
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This news was actually in the Swedish televison news on SVT1 or SVT2 - their angle was that a Swedish developer has been hired to make Star Wars games. And that it could mean 50-100 more jobs.

Sigh, if on ly the Danish politicians would understand the power of computer games - financially speaking, I mean...

So, Bioware will now be making Star Wars games....interesting...
 
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As for Star Trek, I liked the movie 'Star Trek'. And I didn't see Spock bedding down women in the academy? (did I miss something... ;) ;) It really explains Kirk's background; it also explains how he beat the system. (the test that couldn't be solved or succeeden, sorry, forgotten the name of it....)

As for the Star Wars games, yes, maybe Bioware will get to make RPGs in this franchise.
 
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This news was actually in the Swedish televison news on SVT1 or SVT2 - their angle was that a Swedish developer has been hired to make Star Wars games. And that it could mean 50-100 more jobs.

Sigh, if on ly the Danish politicians would understand the power of computer games - financially speaking, I mean…

... Same here in Germany ... Okay, it's been much better, but that "shooters -> killer youngsters" cliché sticks still in the most conservative heads nowadays.
It might perhaps never entirely go away.
 
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As for Star Trek, I liked the movie 'Star Trek'. And I didn't see Spock bedding down women in the academy? (did I miss something… ;) ;) It really explains Kirk's background; it also explains how he beat the system. (the test that couldn't be solved or succeeden, sorry, forgotten the name of it….)

Hint: Spock and Uhura.
 
It really explains Kirk's background; it also explains how he beat the system. (the test that couldn't be solved or succeeden, sorry, forgotten the name of it….).

Which was something that REALLY needed to be explained ... like Midichlorians.
 
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Which was something that REALLY needed to be explained … like Midichlorians.

I would have made a similar argument, but I thought it best to give it a rest.

Thank you for stepping in ;)
 
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