Electronic Artshave had success through their partnership with Disney, although it hasn’t been without its troubles. The partnership has led to several Star Wars games that range from the online-focusedBattlefrontgames to the story-driven andwell-receivedStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Both of these IPs have had solid sales and in a recent statement EA CEO, Andrew Wilson stated that they want this partnership with Disney to continue and grow.
When theStar Wars Battlefrontgames were released they were met with a mixed reception. While many fans enjoyed the graphics and gameplay, others criticized theloot box mechanics of Battlefrontand as a result, the title lost a lot of fans. Since then it appears Electronic Arts have endeavored to win fans back by removing gambling components and it has led to many players returning to theBattlefrontgames and this impressive success after a serious set back may be part of the reasoning for “doubling down” on this partnership.
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Discussing Star Wars specifically Andrew Wilson stated “We have a tremendous relationship with Disney. We have a tremendous relationship with Lucas” and added that “We’ve had success in first-person shooters, in RPGs, in action-adventure, in MMORPGs, in mobile, and I believe we’re going to have success withSquadronsas well.” Many players arelooking forward toStar Wars: Squadronsas it will allow players to fly ships and take part in the dog-fights that featured in the cinematic universe. With that in mind, Wilson is probably correct in the assertion thatSquadronswill be a positive release. Wilson concluded on a very positive note claiming that Electronic Arts are “going to double down on that partnership. Disney continues to be very very committed to the IP and to the canon.” Many players will now be interested in where this partnership will go next.
Unsurprisingly, Electronic Arts look set to continue this partnership with Disney after theBattlefrontgames have sold 35 million units accumulatively andFallen Orderhas shipped 10 million copies. This partnership is profitable and withexcitement surrounding a smaller title likeSquadrons, it is evident that the fan base of Star Wars is keen for more games. With this in mind, Electronic Arts will likely look to create more profitable games through these licenses.
Wilson asserted the variety of Star Wars games and the ability to create canonical stories from the ground up has helped the games to thrive. The prospect of more original stories will make fans eager to see the future direction thatElectronic Artswill take Star Wars games and many will wonder if the changes that were made inBattlefront 2,in terms of loot boxes, will act as a template for future titles.
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