It has recently been reported that Disney apparently wants a brand-new Star Wars game every six months, and that may not be a good thing for the brand. Previously, EA held the exclusive license to Star Wars which led to the creation of Star Wars Battlefront and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The studio has since lost this exclusivity, and many developers have begun crafting their own unique experiences in the galaxy far, far away.
Now, it seems that Disney wants to further ramp up this effort by churning out new Star Wars titles on a regular basis. This idea can be very exciting for fans who want to continuously explore one of their favorite sci-fi franchises, but it also has a very high chance of failing. It will lead to all sorts of new Star Wars experiences, but there will be so many titles that a new Star Wars game will no longer feel special. It could also lead to titles that are just not up to par with others as Disney demands a quick turnaround, and all of these games could just muddle a brand that has already drummed up some controversy in recent years.
Too Many Star Wars Games Could Oversaturate the Market
Ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm, it has been trying to expand the franchise with all sorts of different projects. At first, Disney wanted to adopt a similar model to Marvel Studios and release a Star Wars movie every year. These plans drastically changed once Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed and showed that fans just were not interested in that much Star Wars. The plans have now shifted to multiple live-action Disney Plus shows, and the question of oversaturation is being raised yet again as Andor begins, and The Mandalorian prepares to release its third season.
Disney now wants to churn out Star Wars video games every six months with one AAA title and one smaller title a year. A lot of fans will probably pick these titles up, but this could also lead to an oversaturated market. Star Wars fans did not necessarily react well to a new movie every year, and there are worries that these new TV shows are going to cause the same problem. There is a possibility that Star Wars fans will react to yearly video games in the same way, and that could lead to diminishing returns as the years go by.
Star Wars Games Feel Like an Event
Before Disney bought Star Wars, there was always a large break between new projects. The original Star Wars trilogy and prequel trilogy had 16 years between them, and the sequels released 10 years after the prequels. Fans only had the animated projects to watch during these large waits, and that made these new films feel like a huge event. Now, not a year goes by without a brand-new adventure in the galaxy far, far away. What was once an event now feels commonplace, and the same thing may happen to the video games if Disney commits to this release schedule.
Right now, Star Wars games do not dominate the market as new ones come out a couple of years apart. The latest Star Wars game was LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and that released two years after Star Wars Squadrons. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order released a year before that, but then there was a two-year break between that and Battlefront 2. This break has helped to build excitement, and has made brand-new Star Wars titles more of an event for fans as it does not happen every single year. That would all change with this new release schedule, and Star Wars would join the likes of Madden and Call of Duty as a yearly franchise.
Star Wars Games Every Six Months Could Lead to Mediocre Titles
Oversaturation can be a major problem, but that is not the only reason that this could hurt the brand. If Disney commits to this schedule then it means that developers have to be lined up to actually deliver on the idea. The industry has to be ready to create these games on a regular basis, and then the developers have to release them at the correct time. The Star Wars video game train would stop for no one, and it could lead to a trove of subpar games that did not get the development time that they needed.
This would not be the first time that new Star Wars games released every year, as there was once a constant stream of them before Disney bought Lucasfilm. This era led to some great games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Battlefront 2, and Knights of the Old Republic. However, it also led to a trove of mediocre experiences like Star Wars: Lethal Alliance, The Clone Wars Republic Heroes, Kinect Star Wars, and Super Bombad Racing. There were so many titles like these, and several of them have been forgotten by the fanbase. This new release schedule could repeat this era of Star Wars games, and that is not a good idea.
Disney is also reportedly aiming to release a smaller title every year, but it is unclear what classifies a game as smaller. This designation will most likely include Star Wars mobile games, and those have a bad reputation thanks to games like Diablo Immortal. If Disney wants to release a mobile Star Wars game every year then fans may have something to say about that, and it could hurt the video game brand. If the AAA games are given enough time then they could be worth a look, but many players would take issue with a constant stream of mobile titles.
Time will tell if Disney actually stays committed to this six month release schedule, but it does seem to line up with how the company has been treating the Star Wars license. This release schedule could do more harm than good as it oversaturate the market and leads to titles that are not on par with the rest of them. Many fans want more Star Wars video games, but they should feel more special than a yearly Call of Duty title.