Star Wars is one of the biggest entertainment franchises of all time. The films are cultural milestones and have spawned countless spin-offs including books, toys, and video games.
We know Disney best as a film studio, but the company has long been branching out and getting involved with other areas of entertainment. The video games industry is worth billions of dollars, and lately, we’ve seen Disney focus further on Star Wars video games. Let’s find out more.
How is Disney Connected to Star Wars?
Many people don’t realise that there is a connection between Disney and Star Wars, as the former is usually associated with our favourite childhood animations, not the epic space opera conceived by director George Lucas.
In 2012, Disney acquired LucasFilm, the production company behind Star Wars, for a reported sum of $4.05 billion. This led to something of a Star Wars revolution which saw three new films released, all of which were smash hits at the box office.
What About Video Games?
There have been countless Star Wars games over the years, including Knights of the Old Republic, TIE Fighter, and Rogue Leader, many of which saw significant commercial success.
After Disney acquired LucasFilm, the LucasFilm video game production department was shut down, with all future Star Wars video game projects assigned to Disney’s video game arm, Disney Interactive. Since then, over 20 Star Wars video games have been released, across mobile, console, and PC platforms.
Whether it’s a free games download or the latest AAA console title, Star Wars games come in many shapes and forms, and Disney has continued LucasFilm’s mission of producing as many Star Wars games as possible.
Why is Disney Investing More?
According to reports, Disney has been very impressed with the market performance of its Star Wars games and is eager to continue spending and investing in its video games department.
The most recent Stars Wars game, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, was released in April 2023 as a joint project between Disney and development studio EA. The game was a critical and commercial success, it became the best-selling game of the month just two days after its release.
Video games are big business. The industry is worth billions of dollars and is growing rapidly. Recent technological developments, such as VR and AI, are making games more immersive and realistic, which in turn is attracting more players and more investors.
It’s unsurprising that Disney is looking to invest more in Star Wars games. They’ve got the perfect combination, a rapidly growing entertainment medium and one of the world’s most beloved franchises, which gives the company a huge opportunity to sell products.
Conclusion
Disney might have been a little late to the game when it comes to the video game industry. However, the company is certainly making up for lost time, taking over one of the industry’s most lucrative franchises. As Disney invests more, we can expect to see bigger and better Star Wars games hit the market very soon, which will be welcome news for fans across the world.
