Photo Credit: Lucasfilm and EA
There’s a rumor circulating the Internet that Electronic Arts is going to lose their exclusive right to make Star Wars video games. We explain why this could be a good thing.
Since 2013, Electronic Arts has had the sole rights to the Star Wars franchise in the gaming world. Since that deal, EA has published Star Wars Battlefront, a reboot of the beloved classic from 2004, a Clash of Clans clone with a Star Wars skin, a handful of other mobile games, and Star Wars Battlefront II.
That’s it. It’s been almost five years since EA got the rights to Star Wars and they’ve released only two real games. (I don’t count mobile games as real games – they’re more like those machines at the mall where you insert 50 cents and get back a random, junky plastic finger topper). Not to mention, the two real games that EA has managed to release, Star Wars Battlefront and Star Wars Battlefront II, have been less than extraordinary and more than controversial, respectively.
Let’s discuss the first – err, third? – Battlefront game. Okay, the Battlefront that was made by EA and released in November of 2015. I pre-ordered this game. In fact, I pre-ordered the ultimate edition for over a hundred dollars that included all of the expansion passes and additional content that would be made available at dates spread out between the game’s release and the release of Rogue One in December 2016. Yeah, I’m a fan.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts
A disappointing Star Wars gaming experience.
Unfortunately, I got burned. EA’s first Battlefront game was in no way offensive – we’ll get to that with Battlefront II – but something about it was… off. It lacked content and depth – the initial release featured no story campaign and multiplayer maps from only four different planets in the Star Wars universe. Vehicles were obtained by picking up power-up tokens scattered across Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, and Sullust. The downside to this mechanic was that veteran players memorized where these tokens were located and easily dominated those of us with day jobs.
Something about the game just didn’t seem fun. I lost interest in the game within a matter of weeks – no, days if I’m being completely honest. I booted up Battlefront to give it another chance when each of the expansion packs released, bringing new maps to the game, but stopped playing again after a matter of hours. Playing seemed more like a chore than a gaming experience. I know that some people loved the first Battlefront – I, unfortunately, was not one of them.
That’s not to say Battlefront was all bad. It looked and sounded absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, aesthetics weren’t enough to save it.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts
Enter: Star Wars Battlefront II.
In 2017, EA looked to right the ship with Battlefront II. Gamers were willing to forgive the weak sauce that was the first Battlefront when EA announced the second installment would feature a full-fledged single-player story about an elite Imperial squad set after Return of the Jedi. Even better, multiplayer would be expanded with more weapons, more maps, and – wait for iiiiiiiiiiiiitttt – Clone Wars content! Gamers couldn’t wait to step into the boots of Republic Clone Troopers and blast clankers “FOR THE REPUBLIC!”
It looked as if EA had listened to the fans and addressed the issues of their first Battlefront game. Never mind that in nearly five years we’d gotten Battlefront and Battlefront II (remember, those mobile games don’t count). At least this second Battlefront game would be good – heck, it might even live up to the classic Star Wars Battlefront II from 2005 (I know – it gets confusing).
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts
Enter: The loot crate.
Yes, the loot crate. The digital box that grants in-game rewards in exchange for real, hard earned cash. Many games today feature loot crates. EA is not the only publisher guilty of including them in their games. However, the contents of most games’ loot crates are cosmetic items – new character skins or new design schemes for weapons obtained through normal play. Battlefront II’s loot crates did not contain cosmetic items – instead, they contained “star cards,” the items used to equip and power up your character. This gave a distinct advantage to those players willing to spend real-life money in a video game they’d already purchased for sixty (or more!) dollars.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts
A frustrating time for Star Wars gaming.
We’re not going to delve into the intricacies of the scandal surrounding EA’s Battlefront II – a scandal that has led some countries to investigate loot crates in video games to label them as a form of gambling. Instead, we’re going to focus on the fact that in the last five years, EA has released two Star Wars games. One of them lacked content; the other was bogged down with controversy and a pay-to-win scheme similar to those found in those mobile games I told you we’d be ignoring.
It’s sad and frustrating that during the early 2000s, when the prequel movies were being released, a slew of excellent Star Wars video games were released to coincide with those films. We got timeless classics like Battlefront II (2005), Rogue Squadron, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Republic Commando, Knights of the Old Republic, and LEGO Star Wars.
It’s ironic that video game technology has advanced – our games run better, look better, and sound better – but video games, at least as far as Star Wars is concerned, have regressed. This may be a trend affecting the gaming industry as a whole, or it could be blind nostalgia, but is it too much to ask for a fun video game in 2018 set in a galaxy far, far away?
Next: The Last Jedi hits Blu-ray on March 27
Nothing personal against EA, but maybe another video game company could do it better. Or perhaps the mere presence of this rumor will light a fire deep within EA’s hyperdrive, and we’ll get to explore a good Star Wars game in the near future.