As part of today’s Nintendo Direct, Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games have announced Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, a c??ompilation of the two online multiplayer ga??mes.

The original Star Wars: Battlefront was released in 2004, followed by Star Wars: Battlefront II in 2005. Both were largely multiplayer affairs that generally followed the capture framework set by 2002’s Battlefield 1942, but with a Star Wars twist.

In 2015, EA would return to the series with the simply titled Star Wars: Battlefront in 2015 followed by Star Wars: Battlefront II in 2017. Video games, am I right? Whether or not these later games live up to the originals depends on who you ask. For those who prefer the classic PS2/Xbox/PC ?games, having them collected?? on modern platforms is a good get. They support 64 players online and include all the bonus/expansion content.

Personally, I preferred the Battlefield 1942 mod, Battlefield: Galactic Conquest. It was pretty janky, but being built on top of Battlefield 1942 makes it instantly superior. You heard me.

Still, this is pretty tempting. It’s too bad they couldn’t also fit in Free Radical’s Star Wars: Battlefront 3, which was canceled despite allegedly being mostly finished. Video games, am I right?

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection will be available on Switch,?? PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S,?? and PC on March 14, 2024.

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I buckle a mean swash

If you were a friend of mine around the launch of the Special Edition of Secret of Monkey Island, I probably tried to thrust it upon you. I was in the midst of exploring the point-and-click adventure genre, as I had passed it by when I was young, and Secret of Monkey Island was the new high point. Maniac Mansion is a wonderfully well-designed puzzle box, but Secret of Monkey Island is a symphony. Its puzzle design is near perfect, and its humorous script makes it extraordi?narily rewarding to sol??ve them.

Monkey Island 2 might be better than that, but following those two hits, the series took a dive. Curse of Monkey Island, Escape from Monkey Island, and Tales of Monkey Island are all fine. Okay even.? But the first two games weren’t?? fine, they were magic.

So Ron Gilbert has rejoined Dave Grossman on the series and has promised to deliver Monkey Island back to its lofty status. Well, I don’t remember him saying that; he probably didn’t. However, that’s how us fans all took it. But can Return to Monkey Island really live up to those classic titles?

Return to Monkey Island (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Terrible Toybox
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: September 19, 2022
MSRP: $24.99

Leading up to launch, I heard a lot of speculation about Return to Monkey Island ignoring everything after the second game and being a direct sequel to LeChuck’s Revenge. I want to be clear here, that is not the case. I don’t know that it needed to be the case because the Monkey Island continuity was ha??rdly ever perverted. The first two games didn’t start some overarching narrative that was fumbled ??when handed to other teams. They were dumb, self-aware pirate tales. There’s even a joke early on that the games are typically bad with conclusions.

No. Murray the Skull has returned, Elaine and Guybrush are already married, and Guybrush even recalls a situation from Tales of Monkey Island. Do you need to have played those games to appreciate Return to Monkey Island? No, but also yes. Return to Monkey Island leans heavily into self-ref?erence. Much of the adventure takes place in locations from the fir??st game, and characters from those turn up. So many of the jokes lean on the “good ‘ol days�that I’m not sure I would have appreciated them as much if I had missed out. Considering my memory is foggy of some of the later titles, I probably missed a fair few, even as a fan.

[embed]//youtu.be/nKub-41C0BE[/embed]

You look like a guy without many options

The story has Guybrush Threepwood recalling a tale to his son. This time, it’s on the subject of the Secret of Monkey Island. But not that one time he did it, this is a different time. He arrives back on Melee Island to assemble a crew and fund another expedition to the island. This time it’s different! There’s a different assortment of pirate leaders, and he secures passage in another way. No, I lied, it’s about as inconsequential as the other Monkey Island narratives.

Being back on Melee Island gives the game an excuse to roll out an assortment of returning characters. Return to Monkey Island eventually does set sail, only to return back. ?I guess what I’m saying is to keep expectations very low on what kind of story is being delivered here.

On the other hand, I’m happy to report that the puzzle design is about where it used to be. You can choose to play on an easier “casual�mode that cuts down on the puzzle complexity. I didn’t check it out because I’m not certain why I’d want to play an adventure game with fewer puzzles. I’d recommend you do the same since there’s also a hint book available in-game to prevent you from running circles. It’s pretty handy; first pointing you in the direction of where you’re looking, then giving more and more hints until it outright tells you. There’s nothing as obtuse as Monkey Island 2’s infamous “use monkey on pump�puzzle, so if you??’re comfortable wi??th �0s adventure games, you’ll be fine here.

Use pamphlet on ghost pirate

The humor is also on point, even if it does stick its thumb out to previous games a bit too much. When left to its own devices, Return to Monkey Island has some sharp insight into the world and humanity’s more selfish side. Guybrush himself has a habit of ruining lives just to further his personal goals, and it’s really given the spotlight. It’s less wacky than the latter-day Monkey Islands and closer to the sharp wit of the first two titles, and I think that’s? what I and a lot of other fans were hoping for.

It also marks the return of Dominic Armato to the role of Guybrush’s voice. While he didn’t take on the identity until the third game, he’s sort of become the de facto voice of Guybrush. He has this sort of ineffectual front that makes him seem naive while secretly being dizzyingly acidic. He’ll charm yo??u with his naivety, then steal a precious family heirloom just to ruin it to get an item of questionable value.

Other big voices make their return, but since so much time is spent listenin?g to Guybrush and so little of it on the other characters, Dominic’s ret??urn is rather key.

No, you say bye first

The big question here is if Return to Monkey Island manages to reach the quality of the original classic titles. The answer is yes, but also no. This is absolutely the closest the series has come to returning to its pinnacle. The puzzle design, the charm, and the game’s flow are all pretty much spot on. Above all, the humor is still as sharp as a sh?attered Jolly Rancher, landing a lot of chuckle-worthy strikes.

However, it’s the third time this joke has been told, and time hasn’t made it any fresher. So much of Return to Monkey Island is callbacks that it doesn’t feel like it stands on its own.?? It’s an excellent companion piece for the other games, and a love letter to the fans of the series, but I also feel like it takes a few jabs at them. I can only ever see myse??lf playing it again in sequence with the rest of the series. At the same time, it’s a breath of fresh air after the middling titles we’ve been given since 1991. At least we can stop holding our breath and laugh again.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Terrible commenters take even more from the internet

Return to Monkey Island was showcased on Tuesday, during the Nintendo Direct Mini showcase. It was an exciting gameplay reveal for the newest entry. But not long after, Monkey Island writer and director Ron Gilbert announced he was shutting d?own comments on his persona??l site.

Gilbert's personal blog Grumpy Gamer has been a repository for his writing, thoughts, and an occasional April Fools' actual-announcement. Despite all that, after revealing Return to Monkey Island gam?eplay during the Direct, comments flooded into the blog. Angry, mean ones.

We're not going to share them here, but suffice to say, I've gone back to look at some and they are pretty bad. Most of them complain about the art style before veering off into wild, personal attacks and spitef??ul rhetoric. In response to how rough things were getting, Gilbert confirmed he's closing the comments down and going quie??t.

"I'm shutting down comments," Gilbert wrote. "People are just being mean and I'm having to delete personal attack comments. It's an amazing game and everyone on the team is very proud of it. Play it or don't play it but don't ruin it for everyone else. I? won't be posting anymore about the game. The joy of sharing has been driven from me."

Dominic Armato, the voice behind Guybrush Threepwood, shared the comment and frustrations on Twitter.

//twitter.com/Ski??lletDoux/status/1542333041887961088

Not very constructive

While Gilbert is going quiet, the blog is still up. It's frankly, honestly, very frustrating to see this sort of thing. Disappointment that the art style do?esn't one-to-one match your wildest dreams or rosy nostalgic remembrances is one thing.

But from the Return to Monkey Island comments I saw, some were mixing that with appalling? vitriol. As Gilbert writes, play it or don't, but that doesn't mean you need to make peoples' lives miserable in the process. It doesn't do anything for anybody.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3mxq44HhnU

Return to Monkey Island ships off for PC and Nintendo ?Switch sometim?e this year.

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The series goes fully next-gen

The next entry in Cal Kestis' journey has been officially revealed. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was of?ficially revealed today during Star Wars Cele?bration.

This new game will be a sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and will continue to follow Cal Kestis and BD-1. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is?? targeting 2023, and is being developed for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5,  and PC.

In today's teaser, we get a look at some of what's in store. There are lightsaber battles, the machinations of ??the Empire, and a mysterious body floating in a tube.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HLDaBGdnLc

The story of Jedi: Survivor will take place five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Still pursued by the Empire as one of the last ?Jedi in the galaxy, Cal and BD-1 are still running and learning, as the former continues to forge a connection with the Force.

Respawn Entertainment is still at the helm for this new entry, and game director Stig Asmussen says in a press release that the team had a vision in place for the sequel "even before completing" Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

The Force beckons

This also marks the Jedi series' jump onto only next-gen consoles. While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order did receive a next-gen update, it ?had la??unched on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The potential for next-gen lightsaber battles definitely has me intrigued.

While today was the official reveal of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the existence of a follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been confirmed for a while now. Lucasfilm Games and Electronic Arts confirmed the follow-up was in development back in January. And GamesBeat confirmed the name Jedi: Survivor earlier this month.

Still, it's a pretty exciting confirmation to have. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a fairly resounding success in reviving the single-player Star Wars game, and seeing it get support for a sequel is great. Two more Star Wars projects are in development at EA as well. One is a new shooter from Respawn and the director behind Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. The? other is a strategy game from some strategy veterans at Bit Reactor.

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Skydance and Lucasfilm Games are teaming up for an original Star Wars story

A new Star Wars project is on the way. Skydance New Media and Lucasfilm Games are teaming up for a new action-adventure game in the Star Wars universe.

Skydance New Media is the studio Hennig and Electronic Arts alum Julian Beak formed in 2019. It's the second project the studio has taken on, and second Disney project at that. The team confirmed it's been working on a narrative-driven Marvel game last year.

"I’ve often described how seeing Star Wars in 1977 essentially rewired my 12-year-old brain, shaping my creative life and future indelibly," said Hennig in today's announcement. "I’m elated to be working with Lucasfilm Gam?es again to tell interactive stories in this galaxy that I love."

The only details we have so far on the Star Wars game is that it's a "richly cinematic action-adventure game." It's also confirmed to be an action-adventure title, and an original story in the Star Wars universe.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmM7BYcUOJQ

Ragtag gang of developers

Hennig previously worked on the Star Wars franchise at Visceral. The team's project was quietly shelved and Hennig left Electronic Arts; now, she's the President of Skydance New Media. The studio's Executive Vice President and GM Beak also hails from EA, where he worked on the cancelled Visceral Star Wars project as well as Battlefield and Need for Speed.

"We couldn’t be happier to be working with Lucasfilm Games," said Beak. "We look forward to taking fans on an epic journey with this Star Wars action-adventure title."

This unnamed Skydance Star Wars project joins the burgeoning Star Wars video game pipeline. Star Wars Eclipse is also in development at Detroit: Become Human studio Quantic Dream, and three Star Wars projects are on the way from EA. And that's not even counting the recently released Lego Star Wars game. Much like the Marvel universe, it looks like a lot of Star Wars is on the way.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/7093222413525208325?is_fr??om_webapp=1&sender_devi?ce=pc&web_id=7052788164067706373

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The beloved series makes a triumphant return

Of all the games in the point-and-click genre, the Monkey Island series is up there as being one of the most classic. The first four games in the series were created by George Lucas' video game studio LucasArts (now known as Lucasfilm Games), and are known for their witty dialogue and challenging puzzles. Now, thirteen years after the last release in the series, Monkey Island's original director Ron Gilbert and publisher Devolver Digital have announced that they have a new title, Return to Monkey Island, releasing in 2022.

In addition to Gilbert's return, other developers attached to the project include original co-writer Dave Grossman, and composers from LucasArts Michael Land, Michael McConnell, and Clint Bajakian. Tim Schafer, another Monkey Island co-founder now known for creating the Psychonauts series with his st?ud?io Double Fine, will not be rejoining the team.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahskKAxSCY

Devolver Digital released a teaser trailer on their YouTube channel, which basically serves as a cute way to drop the news by way of a little animated scene, as opposed to showing us anything substantial about what the game will be like. If it's any indication of what the art of Return to Monkey Island is going to look ?like, though, I think we have a lot to look forward to.

While Return to Monkey Island will technically be the sixth game released in the series, it will serve as a direct sequel to the second game, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, which was originally released in 1991. After taking to Twitter, Gilbert shared that he and his team at Terrible Toybox have been working on the game "in complete secrecy," and while he may want Disney to sell him the Monkey Island IP, this is certainly the next best thing.

_{[Featured Image Source: NME]}

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Sounds like Respawn is working on a lot of Star Wars

Respawn Entertainment is heading up some significant Star Wars development. The studio behind Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as well as Apex Legends and Titanfall, is working on three new Star Wars games.

One is a follow-up to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Alongside that action-adventure sequel, Respawn is also working on an untitled first-person shooter in the Star Wars universe. It's being helmed by Peter Hirschmann, director of Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. He's also a former VP of development at LucasArts, and was executive producer on the first Star Wars Battlefront.

And third, the team is partnering with Bit Reactor to make a strategy game. Bit Reactor is a newly formed studio, with veterans from Firaxis who have worked on the XCOM series. Respawn will produce the game, while Bit Reactor leads development. All of this will be overseen by Group GM and Respawn founde??r Vince Zampella, in part??nership with Lucasfilm Games.

"We are huge fans of Star Wars here at Respawn and we’re thrilled to work with Lucasfilm Games on new titles that we have wanted to make for years," said Zampella in today's announcement. "If you want to make great Star Wars games, you should come join us on our journey."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIl2z5wwjdA

No more specifics are available yet, as far as platforms, release window, or more than the general goal for these three projects. With the success of Fallen Order though, it seems like Star Wars has found a new home at Respawn.

This could mean bad news for other Star Wars efforts at Electronic Arts, though. GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb reports that Battlefront 3 isn't happening, and all EA's Star Wars development is moving to Respawn. DICE, according to Grubb, is still dealing with tuning Battlefield 2042.

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All your favorite characters, like Slingshot and Utooni

Publisher Zynga and developer LucasFilm Games have dropped the first full gameplay trailer for its upcoming arena fighter Star Wars: Hunters. The free-to-play multiplayer actioner will launch i??n 2022 on mobile and Nintendo Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F063LYpUkHQ

The preview introduces us to eight uniquely skilled combatants, gathered from across the galaxy to engage in bombastic battles for the entertainment of the masses. Everyone seems sought of familiar, but also not. We get to see skilled battle-bot J-3DI, wookie warrior Gr?ozz, rebellious Jedi master Rieve, and bounty hunter Zaina. The best character has to be Utooni, however, who is literally just two Jawas stood atop of one another in a big cloak, that's an inspired idea. Each character will bring their own weapons, abilities, and skill-set to the fight �so there's sure to be someone for you.

Along with the wild roster, we are also shown a selection of arenas, including a stage set on the chilly plains of Hoth, as well as a battlezone? located deep within the Ewok village. Players will fight it out in a selection of modes, including team-based warfare, typical deathmatches, domination, and more. Crossplay will also be enabled across both mobile and Nintendo Switch, which should help keep the community playing together, regardless of the popularity of any one platform.

Star Wars: Hunters will launch on ??iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch in 2022. A soft laun?ch is expected in the near future.

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It's a less-than-ideal port but hey, it's still Zombies Ate My Neighbors on modern platforms

Every so often, there's a last-minute issue that holds up a game's launch on a specific platform, and fans are left hanging when there aren't any clear answers from the publisher about a new timeline. One recent example: Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol. Four months later, it's now possible to ??play ??this two-game collection on PS4.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol launched on June 29 across PC (Steam and GOG), Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch �but the expected PlayStation 4 ver???????????????????????????sion never showed up. Fans waited, and waited, and waited some more. Now here it is.

//twitter.com/LucasfilmGames/status/14541164?68824567813

With a sale in effect, you can grab the digital version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol for around ten bucks. (The $10.??49 deal on PS4 requires PlayStation ??Plus.)

Not that you need a certain time of year to enjoy a cult classic like Zombies Ate My Neighbors, but the game definitely hits harder right around Halloween. I've always wondered about Ghoul Patrol. I'd just consider it a bonus in this case.

Whether or not you actually want to get this particular re-release is another question. It has drawn a divisive, if not largely negative, reaction?? from vocal long-time fans. People have expectations for a retro re-release like this, and when there are problems with rearranged controls �to say nothing of minimal options or features in general �then it's? going to be a tough sell over the original cartridge or, realistically, emulation.

Another caveat covered in Zoey's review: the memorable title scr??eens were "clipped out in favor of picking characters before the game launches and skipping straight to the game." If that and a lack of control remapping isn't? a deal-breaker, well, now's the time.

Just tell them Big Baby sent you.

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Right after Aliens Ate My Babysitter!

When I started collecting games, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was an important title for me. Specifically, it was a title I used to share my erupting passion for retro games with other people. Woe are those who were around me at the time, for they were forced to suffer co-op. River City Ransom, Toejam & Earl, my thi??rst for pressuring friends into enjoying classic titles was endless?.

That might be why I don’t have friends anymore.

Ghoul Patrol is a new one for me. Who even played Ghoul Patrol? Technically, it’s a sequel to Zombies Ate My Neighbors, but not intentionally. No, another development team worked on that particular game, and the decision to sequelize it didn’t come until later. But now I have the chance, since a compilation has been put together just for us.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol (Nintendo Switch [reviewed], PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Developer: DotEmu
Publisher: Disney, Lucasfilm Games
Released: June 29, 2021
MSRP: $14.99

Zombies Ate My Neighbors

I’ve always described ZAMN as a game that is fun until it isn’t. It’s a rather entertaining top-down shooter with a tonne of style. A parody of horror tropes of all varieties that does a decent job instilling fear in the player without changing its tone. It’s all fun and games until a chainsaw-wielding maniac starts chasing you through a hedge maze??.

It can get deliciously frantic as you try to find?? your way to the neighbors. There’s a surprising amount of strategy as you decide whether to search for a key or just blast a hole in the wall. On two-player, it can be even more enjoyable, as you coordinate how you’ll proceed and where you should go next. Or shout at each other, because you told them that there was a neighbor there, but now they’re dead.

Things are pretty identical to the SNES version, as far as I can tell. Nothing fancy was included like, say, a persistent HUD like the Genesis version had. No, the extra screen real estate just goes to borders you can’t change. Aside from some questionable changes to the control, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is the game you remembe??r. The title that you and a friend would pick off the rental shelf week after week and never actually see the end of it.

Where it stops being fun is later in the game when all but ??one neighbor is dead. As the name implies, yeah, you have to save your neighbors. You start off with ten of them, but gradually they’ll die at the hands of the monsters, and? when that happens, you’re given the game over.

That was fortunately addressed here since the passwords you are given every four stages start you with all victims intact. While that may seem like a small change, it means the game stays en??tertaining all the? way through its 48 levels.

There are some issues with the original design that haven’t been addressed. Particularly, there are too many weapons and items. It’s neat that certain weapons? are super effective against specific enemies, but trying to locate them in your pockets while said enemy is charging at you is annoying. Even getting back to your default squirt gun requires you to cycle through every weapon in your purse. As weapons pile up, this just gets more frustrating.

Ghoul Patrol

At least it’s not as bad as I’ve been told. Everywhere I’ve looked, Ghoul Patrol has been described as a sequel in name only. Truthfully, there’s a lot of resemblance to ZAMN. It doesn’t? feel like the characters were just dropped in, even though they apparently were.

You’re still searching the levels for the neighbors and fighting monsters while doing so. If there’s one way that Ghoul Patrol is inferior to ZAMN, it comes down to pizzazz. Ghoul Patrol is simply less energetic �it doesn’t have the horror movie references, and it comes across as a little flat. Going from one to the next isn’t too jarring, but next to ZAMN, Ghoul Patrol? just feels like a curio. You play it for completion’s sake, but otherwise, it can just sit in the corner.

There are boss stages that cap out each set of levels. Be ready to dish out your entire arsenal on them, because they take forever to kill. It’s not fun, but you have to beat them to get a password, which is pretty lame. It requires you? to get through a set of levels and defeat the boss, just for the ability to continue, and that’s just a bit much.

Even still, Ghoul Patrol is okay. It’s decent fun, though it has far fewer levels than ZAMN at 18, including bosses.? It might still take? a while because progress can be more difficult than in the previous game.

The Package

The biggest issue here isn’t the games �both are decent fun, but the package leaves a lot to be desired. It’s tempting to say that both games were presented in their original format, but that’s not entirely true. Both have their title screens completely clipped out in favor of picking characters before the game launches and skipping straight to the game. It’s weird to say this, but I feel like Zombies Ate My Neighbors' title screen with its creepy music is part of its charm, an?d it’s just gone here.

Another thing that threw me is that they changed the button configuration. Y is shoot on the SNES as the Gods themselves would have crafted it, but here it’s A. Using an item is Y, and yo?u wouldn’t believe how many times I fucked that up and wasted an item. X and B are to change weapons and items, but being away from the game, I couldn’t tell you which is which. Hopefully, control binding will be patched in, or at the very least, someone will fix this mess.

The trade-off is both EU and NA instruction booklets, the ability to view sprite animations, and an interview with one of the developers. The interview is informative, but there’s only one for Zombies Ate My Neighbours. That’s too bad; I’d be more interested in hearing from the Ghoul Patrol team.

If you’re looking for more good news, you can save your? game. You have to “save and quit�for some reason, but it’s not overwritten if you want to continue. There’s also only one save slot, so you can’t have one for solo and another for co-op. Again, it’s kind of half-assed, but it’s there.

You could do worse �there are still two fun games here �but you could do better. I always applaud when old games become more widely available, but I prefer it when they go the extra mile to present a definitive version. This isn’t the definitive version of either game, so I hope you’re happy with just a version.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the author.]}

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Digitally and physically

Dotemu has made a name for itself as of late for being a pretty reliable developer/publisher of sequels to, and remakes of, classic games from the '90s. Last year's Streets of Rage 4 is still one of the best games I've played this generation, and I can't wait to see how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge turns out. But before that hits, the company is gi??ving players a one-two punch of some classic run'n'gun games from the 16-bit era of consoles.

On June 29, Dotemu and LucasFilm Games are bringing Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC as a combo pack. The last time either of these titles saw the light of day was back on the Nintendo Wii when they released on Virtual Console. This time around, the games will ship with some new features, including a quick save option, gallery of previously unreleased artwork, video interview wit??h the original developers, and achievements.

If you've never tried these games and are looking for more local co-op titles, I highly suggest checking them out. While Ghoul Patrol may not have aged all that well, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is an eternal joy. You can pick up both games digitally for $14.99, but if you'd rather have a hard copy, Limited Run Games is handling the physical release and will announce details on?? when it'll open for preorders at a later date.

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Loss of exclusivity not a factor, says CEO

Last month, the newly revitalized Lucasfilm Games announced that it was currently working with Ubisoft studio Massive Entertainment to create a new, open-world adventure set in the Star Wars universe. What made the news particularly surprising was the lack of contribution by Electronic Art??s, who has held exc?lusive rights to the blockbuster IP for the past decade.

Shortly after the announcement of the untitled Ubisoft project, Disney's Senior VP of Interactive Experiences Sean Shoptaw confirmed that "EA has been and will continue to be a very strategic and im??portant partner for us now and going forward. But we did feel like there's room for others."

Andrew Wilson addressed the changing situation in a call to investors yesterday, where the EA CEO was questioned as to how the loss of exclusivity has impacted the publisher's plans in regards to the future development of Star Wars video games.

"I don't think you should imagine that the fact that some other people will build some Star Wars games is going to change our commitment to that IP, or our ability to build the appropriate number of games," said Wilson. "We've had a long partnership with Disney, both before our exclusive period that gave us a great opportunity to really establish some very strong franchises like Battlefront, like Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, like Jedi: Fallen Order - you should expect us to continue to invest in our Star Wars relationshi?p. It's b??een very profitable to this point - over $3 billion in net bookings - and we're excited about what we'll be able to do in the future."

EA does indeed have several notable franchises already established within the digital Star Wars canon, many of which it would be foolish for the publisher to simply abandon. While EA would perhaps wish the world would forget the negative press surrounding the launch of 2017's Star Wars Battlefront II, recent releases such as Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Motive's Star Wars Squadrons received almost unanimous praise from critics?? and fans.

It remains to be seen what steps EA will take with the Star Wars license going forward, (although a Fallen Order sequel seems to be a foregone conclusion), but perhaps the new competition provided by other studios, coupled with the franchise's ongoing financial success, will see?? the publisher maintain its recent track record of producing solid and engaging experiences set in a galaxy far, far away.

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We got Indy and Vader, we just need Howard the Duck

Publisher Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment have announced that production has begun on an open-world adventure set in the Star Wars universe. The as-yet-untitled new project will be released under the recently revitalized Lucasfilm ??Games banner.

First revealed in an article with Wired, the Star Wars project is in its very early stages, with Massive Entertainment (of The Division and The Crew fame) still in the recruitment stage. The Ubisoft title represents the first major Star Wars game not produ??ced ??at Electronic Arts in almost a decade.

"EA has been and will continue to be a very strategic and important partner for us now and going fo??rward," said Sean Shoptaw, senior VP of Interac??tive Experiences at Disney. "But we did feel like there's room for others."

Yves Guillemot spoke of his excitement for the project. "The Star Wars galaxy is an amazing source of motivation for our teams to innovate and push the boundaries of our medium," said the Ubisoft CEO. "Building new worlds, characters and stories that will become lasting parts of the Star Wars lore is an incredible opportunity for us, and we are excited to have our Ubisoft Massive studio working closely with Lucasfilm Games to create an original Star Wars adventure that is di?fferent from an??ything that has been done before."

The news comes less than 24 hours after it was revealed developer MachineGames and publisher Bethesda are starting work on a new title set within the Indiana Jones universe. Given that the re-launch of Lucasfilm Games was only announced scant days ago, clearly the brand is eager ?to stake its spot in the world of AAA gaming, capitalizing on some ??of its biggest and most profitable IPs to do so.

Lucasfilm Games' new?? jaunt means the galaxy's the limit [Wired]

We’re thrilled to announce we are working with @Ubisoft and @UbiMassive to develop a bra??n??d-new, story-driven, open-world Star Wars adventure!

Learn more about the future of @LucasfilmGames in the Star Wars galaxy and beyond: //t.co/uO1K1pivl2 pic.twitter.com/wRDccZvi3o

— Lucasfilm Games (@LucasfilmGames) January 13, 2021

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