Disney really liked what EA and Respawn Entertainment did with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, so much so that they want other developers to make equally-awesome original games with their other franchises. Citing the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Marvel’s Spider-Man, Disney wants devs to do more cool stuff.
The Hollywood Reported covered a recent presentation that Disney gave at the 2020 DICE Summit at the Aria Convention Center in Las Vegas. Disney’s Senior VP for Games and Interactive Experiences Sean Shoptaw was very straightforward with what he hoped to see in the future.
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“I’m here for one specific reason: to empower you to do really unique things with our [catalog],” Mr. Shoptaw said. “We want to tap into the power of creatives across the industry.”
One of the examples highlighted by Mr. Shoptaw was Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a game that did pretty darn well for both the Star Wars franchise and EA in general; it ended-up being the sixth-best-selling title in 2019.
Another example was Insomniatic Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4. This open-world game hearkened back to the classic Spider-Man games on the PlayStation, capturing the imagination of both new and old fans alike.
Currently, Disney has several long-term partnerships in place to handle their massive library of intellectual property. Electronic Arts, for example, has a tight grip on the Star Wars license which has resulted in a mixed bag of games; while the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was undeniable, Star Wars Battlefront 2 had a shaky launch and might have missed out on its best possible performance.
Square Enix, too, has also had a long partnership with Disney extending back over 20 years, culminating in the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. The newest core title in the Kingdom Hearts franchise was the fastest-selling game in the franchise.
While Disney has been uncharacteristically open about their plans for future games, no specifics were discussed. Some of their licensing is locked down pretty tightly by major companies, but there’s a whole lot more up for grabs if other developers are keen to step up and try something new. If we get even one or two more games on part with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or Marvel’s Spider-Man, this new initiative may be well worth the effort.
