I actually thought of Kingdom Hearts and how sweet a sequel with Star Wars characters would be.

 

Let's remember that Disney is not a "children's company". They're smooth professionals, possibly the best in the world when it comes to managing franchises and producing innovative intellectual property and creative content.

 

They brought us Pirates of the Caribbean and Avengers Assemble. Those are the measure we should be judging Disney by, it's silly to think that Disney will "dumb down" or otherwise vandalize the next Star Wars film. The people writing and producing the new film (and any games that may accompany it) are devoted fans just like the people on these forums. They care about the mythology of Star Wars and will preserve the integrity of Lucas' vision. To do otherwise would really just sabotage their own profits in the end.

Before I begin may I say I'm not in the camp that believes Star Wars is going to be transformed into some kiddie thing/Jar Jar the Movie. I'm in the camp which is a little nervous about, as you say, the 'smooth professionals' with dollar signs in there eyes.

 

For example: the entire 'Avenges' thing was a money grabbing corporate scheme, and Avengers Assemble was essentially an average film. It drew viewers in with stunning visuals and lots of superheroes, but that was all it was designed to do - make money. And in did that at the expense of quality and the loss of a great opportunity. But then again that's nothing new to Marvel. Case in point: Iron Man 2, the suckiest action film I have ever seen.

 

But that's just me bashing the Avengers and likely has little bearing on the quality of the sequels. However one thing Disney seem to like doing (ironically like the evil corportation of the gaming world - EA!) is latch onto a loved concept and milk it for all its worth. We've got what, 6 Marvel films now? Iron Man 3 is on its way, Captain America 2 and possibly the Hulk 2 and Thor 2 as well, and then we've got Pirates of the Carribean which is likely going to go all the way up to six. And now, its been announced that two Star Wars spinoffs will be gracing our screens (oh boy). And something tells me it won't stop there. Any movement like that is inevitably going to lead to some 'dumbing down' of the franchise into just a money making machine.

 

But I'm not talking about the movies here, the above is just a worst case scenario that may or may not happen. What I'm talking about is videogames. Kingdom Hearts for example, yeah its cute but ultimately its just a fun distraction. And while it would be cool(ish) I'm not a big fan of Star Wars videogames delving into the world of non-canon. Sub-standard games like Star Wars: Kinect are just that, sub-standard. They just appeal to the mass audience who think Star Wars is a fun concept, there's no real depth or appeal to gamers looking for real quality. But hey, that's just me being skeptical. Perhaps under Disney we'll still see great games like the TOR series, Jedi Knight, Battlefront and TFU. And hopefully First Assault and 1313 will not remain in limbo for long. But if EA's business practices are anything to go by, we should be somewhat concerned.

Getting rid of the Clone Wars - the series that brought Darth Maul back and made Bariss Offee a villain - good idea!

Cutting LucasArts is basically just trimming the fat. They haven't actually been a developer in almost a decade now. They just lease out stuff and slap their name in the opening splash screen now.

Getting rid of the Clone Wars - the series that brought Darth Maul back and made Bariss Offee a villain - good idea!

Translation: Getting rid of Clone Wars - the series that added depth to a character with wasted potential and made Bariss Offee interesting as oppossed to a standard goodie goodie background Jedi - bad idea!

Cutting LucasArts is basically just trimming the fat. They haven't actually been a developer in almost a decade now. They just lease out stuff and slap their name in the opening splash screen now.

But is it really necessary? Lucasarts has a lot of talent and potential, all it needs is a boost from Disney (which the sequels will bring) to get back into the game. And let's not forget Star Wars: 1313 and First Assault. What will happen to them if Lucasarts is shutdown? Good lord what will happen to SWTOR - EA and Disney? That's too many big corporations for my liking.

 

That's a question, lets say this does happen. What effect will it have on SWTOR? What effect will it have on Star Wars as a whole? What with Lucasfilm/Lucasarts being the go-to source for what's OK and what's not in terms of canon.

 

However I'm not sure it will, Lucasarts has too much going on for Disney to just shut them down. I mean right now their not exactly stagnant.

But that's just me bashing the Avengers and likely has little bearing on the quality of the sequels. However one thing Disney seem to like doing (ironically like the evil corportation of the gaming world - EA!) is latch onto a loved concept and milk it for all its worth.

 

Any movement like that is inevitably going to lead to some 'dumbing down' of the franchise into just a money making machine.

 

Tell me with a straight face that under Lucas the franchise wasn't leasing out toys for every character under the sun and turning TCW into a money making machine. The difference is that Disney, under the direction of Bob Iger, is pursuing a much longer term strategy.

 

I disliked how far they've taken Pirates of the Caribbean, but that is in part because there's apparently an audience that exists for those films. The fourth movie was actually an improvement over the third film, but the fact is that there's no existing canon for them to trample, it's whatever they want to do with that IP. They're creating the fan base, not having to interact with an existing one.

 

I don't entirely understand your anger towards Avengers. It was a very good film, both from a cinematic and a storytelling perspective. It was also the only one to be produced by Disney, all the preceding "background" films were not actually produced by Disney. They stepped in on the last film and there was a marked jump in quality over the preceding films. Avengers was primarily an action film, but it had emotional depth and some great character development, mainly on the part of Tony Stark and Dr. whoever-the-Hulk's-name-is.

 

But I'm not talking about the movies here, the above is just a worst case scenario that may or may not happen. What I'm talking about is videogames. Kingdom Hearts for example, yeah its cute but ultimately its just a fun distraction. And while it would be cool(ish) I'm not a big fan of Star Wars videogames delving into the world of non-canon. Sub-standard games like Star Wars: Kinect are just that, sub-standard. They just appeal to the mass audience who think Star Wars is a fun concept, there's no real depth or appeal to gamers looking for real quality. But hey, that's just me being skeptical. Perhaps under Disney we'll still see great games like the TOR series, Jedi Knight, Battlefront and TFU. And hopefully First Assault and 1313 will not remain in limbo for long. But if EA's business practices are anything to go by, we should be somewhat concerned.

 

Wait... " Kingdom Hearts for example, yeah its cute but ultimately its just a fun distraction"... that's all video games ever are. A fun distraction. If I'm not amused or distracted by them, I have work to do, or other things to occupy my time. A great story is a good distraction, it draws you in and keeps you interested. A fun game distracts you with its gameplay, entertaining you. Any game that fails to be a "fun distraction" in my book, is an utter failure as a game.

 

Star Wars: Kinect was substandard junk, but Kingdom Hearts was a fun, lighthearted game. Emphasis on fun. Battlefront is fun. TOR is fun (sometimes). TFU was not fun, it was aggravating because you felt like a powerless piece of crap fighting uber-powered stormtroopers. Bad game, great graphics and a story that was just good enough to get me to weather through the gameplay.

 

The same is true of TOR, in a sense. The story is such that it pulls me in, but the gameplay itself is rather dry and repetitive. The first ten levels of the game are outstanding, but after that it begins to feel like you're slogging through encounter after encounter just to get to the next part of the story. So, distracting but not fun.

 

Disney understands that quality is essential in any intellectual franchise, especially when long time fans are concerned. Mr. Iger understands that profits are more assured in the long term by high quality productions that remain consistent with the Star Wars continuity, and will mainly fund and guide LucasFilm in their production of new content and stories that contribute positively to the Star Wars universe.

 

 

 

 

EDIT:

But is it really necessary? Lucasarts has a lot of talent and potential, all it needs is a boost from Disney (which the sequels will bring) to get back into the game. And let's not forget Star Wars: 1313 and First Assault. What will happen to them if Lucasarts is shutdown? Good lord what will happen to SWTOR - EA and Disney? That's too many big corporations for my liking.

 

That's a question, lets say this does happen. What effect will it have on SWTOR? What effect will it have on Star Wars as a whole? What with Lucasfilm/Lucasarts being the go-to source for what's OK and what's not in terms of canon.

 

However I'm not sure it will, Lucasarts has too much going on for Disney to just shut them down. I mean right now their not exactly stagnant.

EA, unlike Disney, is a management disaster. They're proven quite inept at handling franchises, and their stock prices show it. Disney however has been on one upward climb for a long time, and not because of sleazy management stunts, but because of sound business strategies.

 

LucasArts won't be dissolved, but they probably will be trimmed down to a very minimal staff and relegated to simply vetting potential games and perhaps providing some production effort. Even if LucasArts was completely absorbed into LucasFilm/Disney, the writers of SWTOR would just be directed to contact someone else within the company for approval of canon ideas/etc.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Ventessel

But is it really necessary? Lucasarts has a lot of talent and potential, all it needs is a boost from Disney (which the sequels will bring) to get back into the game. And let's not forget Star Wars: 1313 and First Assault. What will happen to them if Lucasarts is shutdown? Good lord what will happen to SWTOR - EA and Disney? That's too many big corporations for my liking.

 

That's a question, lets say this does happen. What effect will it have on SWTOR? What effect will it have on Star Wars as a whole? What with Lucasfilm/Lucasarts being the go-to source for what's OK and what's not in terms of canon.

 

However I'm not sure it will, Lucasarts has too much going on for Disney to just shut them down. I mean right now their not exactly stagnant.

 

Who cares about games that only exist in the forms of teasers with the LucasArts track record of being ****? As good as 1313 made me want to believe it would be great, I'm just not quite that gullible. Disney probably are closing LA, and they probably should. That side of the company is a money vacuum. And really, this is par course for companies that get bought out. People should of seen it coming.

 

SWTOR won't be effected. Its not an internally developed game.

Tell me with a straight face that under Lucas the franchise wasn't leasing out toys for every character under the sun and turning TCW into a money making machine. The difference is that Disney, under the direction of Bob Iger, is pursuing a much longer term strategy.

 

I disliked how far they've taken Pirates of the Caribbean, but that is in part because there's apparently an audience that exists for those films. The fourth movie was actually an improvement over the third film, but the fact is that there's no existing canon for them to trample, it's whatever they want to do with that IP. They're creating the fan base, not having to interact with an existing one.

 

I don't entirely understand your anger towards Avengers. It was a very good film, both from a cinematic and a storytelling perspective. It was also the only one to be produced by Disney, all the preceding "background" films were not actually produced by Disney. They stepped in on the last film and there was a marked jump in quality over the preceding films. Avengers was primarily an action film, but it had emotional depth and some great character development, mainly on the part of Tony Stark and Dr. whoever-the-Hulk's-name-is.

How were they making TCW into a money making machine? Other than by producing more seasons. I'm not saying making money is bad only if at the expense of quality. And so far Lucasfilm has not done that. And what you said about canon, that's just it, with Star Wars its a whole different story because their is canon to trample over. And not just that but there's a strict 'this is how is must be done' set up which Disney doesn't seem to be following. Spin-offs for example, Star Wars just isn't suited to spin-offs, it just dilutes the integrity of the films. It should be prequels, originals, sequels, nothing more. The big blaring opening should be reserved for those films only, not some random spin-off about Jango Fett or something. And before you say it, yes, I was opposed to TCW becoming a movie, it wasn't even that good and just didn't really deserve the title of a Star Wars movie. Not that those episodes were bad, but they just didn't work in the movie format. Not enough 'gravitas' if you like.

 

The Avengers, was a rehash of Transformers 3/every other superhero movie. Bad guy/alien race comes to earth, they use some magical device to form an army, big fight ensues (unusually in a city) and the good guys win and send the bad guys packing. You may notice this is effectively the plot of Transformers 3. And there was so much wasted potential, they brought all these characters together and did little with them except have them exchange a few quips and witty remarks. And that little twist at the end amounted to nothing. I was disappointed. It had great acting and great visuals but was severely let down by story - which was generic.

Disney understands that quality is essential in any intellectual franchise, especially when long time fans are concerned. Mr. Iger understands that profits are more assured in the long term by high quality productions that remain consistent with the Star Wars continuity, and will mainly fund and guide LucasFilm in their production of new content and stories that contribute positively to the Star Wars universe.

 

EDIT

 

EA, unlike Disney, is a management disaster. They're proven quite inept at handling franchises, and their stock prices show it. Disney however has been on one upward climb for a long time, and not because of sleazy management stunts, but because of sound business strategies.

 

LucasArts won't be dissolved, but they probably will be trimmed down to a very minimal staff and relegated to simply vetting potential games and perhaps providing some production effort. Even if LucasArts was completely absorbed into LucasFilm/Disney, the writers of SWTOR would just be directed to contact someone else within the company for approval of canon ideas/etc.

Well, you seem to have a lot of faith in Disney so *shrug* I'll remain optimistic. However IMO shutting down Lucasarts (speculation I know) and making Star Wars spin-offs is a step in the wrong direction.

How were they making TCW into a money making machine? Other than by producing more seasons. I'm not saying making money is bad only if at the expense of quality. And so far Lucasfilm has not done that. And what you said about canon, that's just it, with Star Wars its a whole different story because their is canon to trample over. And not just that but there's a strict 'this is how is must be done' set up which Disney doesn't seem to be following. Spin-offs for example

There's nothing necessarily wrong with the plethora of action figures, toys, and merchandise that spun off of TCW, but it certainly could feel engineered to produce a great deal of that. All I'm saying is that Disney couldn't possibly commercialize Star Wars anymore than it has been since the very beginning.

 

The spinoff films are pure speculation at this point, I very much doubt that Disney will approve their production. A TV series, be it live action or animated, is far more likely.

 

The Avengers, was a rehash of Transformers 3/every other superhero movie. Bad guy/alien race comes to earth, they use some magical device to form an army, big fight ensues (unusually in a city) and the good guys win and send the bad guys packing. You may notice this is effectively the plot of Transformers 3. And there was so much wasted potential, they brought all these characters together and did little with them except have them exchange a few quips and witty remarks. And that little twist at the end amounted to nothing. I was disappointed. It had great acting and great visuals but was severely let down by story - which was generic.

 

Star Wars is a very generic story as well. It's all in the execution of the story, the way that the tale is spun out, that a film finds itself. Basic themes are usually the best, when woven together with interesting characters and good cinematography.

 

I never watched Transformers 3, I saw the first segment of the second film and just quit then and there. Michael Bay is pretty much a no-talent hack with an addition to mindless special effects.

 

The dialogue and interactions with the Avengers themselves was very well done. Within the context of a two hour film, that movie did an excellent job of balancing pacing and character growth with action and plot development.

 

The "little twist" at the end represented great character growth, akin to Han Solo's last minute return during the attack on the Death Star. You saw Tony Stark really make a transition from the arrogant playboy he started out as into a "team player" more along the lines of Captain America, albeit without the no-nonsense attitude and brusque soldiery that characterizes Cap.

The spinoff films are pure speculation at this point, I very much doubt that Disney will approve their production. A TV series, be it live action or animated, is far more likely.

I'm afraid that actually isn't the case, good ol' Bob Iger has confirmed Star Wars spin-offs which will be based on "great Star Wars characters that are not part of the overall saga". Its pretty much happening, and I'm not sure I like it.

Star Wars is a very generic story as well. It's all in the execution of the story, the way that the tale is spun out, that a film finds itself. Basic themes are usually the best, when woven together with interesting characters and good cinematography.

 

I never watched Transformers 3, I saw the first segment of the second film and just quit then and there. Michael Bay is pretty much a no-talent hack with an addition to mindless special effects.

 

The dialogue and interactions with the Avengers themselves was very well done. Within the context of a two hour film, that movie did an excellent job of balancing pacing and character growth with action and plot development.

 

The "little twist" at the end represented great character growth, akin to Han Solo's last minute return during the attack on the Death Star. You saw Tony Stark really make a transition from the arrogant playboy he started out as into a "team player" more along the lines of Captain America, albeit without the no-nonsense attitude and brusque soldiery that characterizes Cap.

Star Wars is 'generic' in the most basic of senses, its essentially 'the Hero's Journey'. And that concept only makes up the foundations, it is then expanded and built upon to make something entirely original but with a traditional concept which all viewers can relate to.

 

Whereas the Avengers is just a complete rehash of something I've seen time and time again, and the story is generic on every level, little effort is made to complicate it. Oh and this is the basic plot of Transformers: evil robots grab some pylon thingies and use them to summon an army of robots to conquer the Earth, massive fight between good guys and bad guys ensues in the a city below the portal. Good guys beat the bad guys and yay party. Notice some similarities?

 

And yeah, acting etc. was great but like I said I feel the story let it down. Nothing excited or surprised me because I knew what was going to happen. Bad guy shows up, good guy shows up - fight ensues etc. etc. And after a while the big fight in the city just got boring as I got over the flashy visuals and realised it was just that. As for the twist I was more referring to the whole nuke the city thing, I feel that conflict between the practical 'corporation' type and the hero figures could have been expanded on. That is an example of a traditional concept which when expanded and elaborated on works. And the whole Tony Stark thing had the life sucked out of it when he ended up surviving.

Seems to me that Disney is making all the right moves to create the NEW Star Wars generation.

 

I will probably receive a lot of hate here, but I'm going to say it anyways.

 

I grew up with Star Wars, ever since I was a very young kid. I live and breath the old Star Wars movies and have been through many years of gaming with SW games such as the Battlefront series, SWG, KOTOR series, TOR, etc. However, in terms of the "big picture", Disney wants to launch a new generation of Star Wars from this new trilogy hence the "original story" for the movie script. I'm sure pieces of the lore will be kept intact from the original trilogy and story line, but Disney wants to build a new foundation for the NEXT generation of Star Wars lovers. What George Lucas did with Star Wars over the years (as a whole) is amazing in the grand scheme of things. The story, the ideas, the characters, all of it. In the big picture, George Lucas brought to light what we all know and love today. As much as I still enjoy what Star Wars "is", I am excited now for what Star Wars "will be" rather than a "was". Star Wars needs to be given new life to continue on for the next generation of Star Wars fans. Sure, they still have to hold on to the fans that currently keep the Star Wars Universe alive, but they also have to build for the future.

 

Disney is making smart moves to instill new life into Star Wars, which will serve as the BASIS for new projects later down the road i.e. video games, spinoffs, comics, etc. I know a lot of you are resistant to change, but this is the right time for it to happen. We've already seen the video game scene for SW kind of take a dive and maybe this new foundation will serve as a re-birth to these projects in the future. Maybe not now, but as the new movies start to release and bring in new Star Wars fans and possibly bring back old Star Wars fans. Just embrace the change and stop making judgements about what Disney is doing before anything has really happened yet. Jumping to conclusions isn't going to do anything but upset you.

 

My two cents.

Translation: Getting rid of Clone Wars - the series that added depth to a character with wasted potential and made Bariss Offee interesting as oppossed to a standard goodie goodie background Jedi - bad idea!

 

Have you even read MedStar I and MedStar II?

 

The last episodes of season 5 are COMPLETELY out of character.

Seems to me that Disney is making all the right moves to create the NEW Star Wars generation.

 

I will probably receive a lot of hate here, but I'm going to say it anyways.

 

I grew up with Star Wars, ever since I was a very young kid. I live and breath the old Star Wars movies and have been through many years of gaming with SW games such as the Battlefront series, SWG, KOTOR series, TOR, etc. However, in terms of the "big picture", Disney wants to launch a new generation of Star Wars from this new trilogy hence the "original story" for the movie script. I'm sure pieces of the lore will be kept intact from the original trilogy and story line, but Disney wants to build a new foundation for the NEXT generation of Star Wars lovers. What George Lucas did with Star Wars over the years (as a whole) is amazing in the grand scheme of things. The story, the ideas, the characters, all of it. In the big picture, George Lucas brought to light what we all know and love today. As much as I still enjoy what Star Wars "is", I am excited now for what Star Wars "will be" rather than a "was". Star Wars needs to be given new life to continue on for the next generation of Star Wars fans. Sure, they still have to hold on to the fans that currently keep the Star Wars Universe alive, but they also have to build for the future.

 

Disney is making smart moves to instill new life into Star Wars, which will serve as the BASIS for new projects later down the road i.e. video games, spinoffs, comics, etc. I know a lot of you are resistant to change, but this is the right time for it to happen. We've already seen the video game scene for SW kind of take a dive and maybe this new foundation will serve as a re-birth to these projects in the future. Maybe not now, but as the new movies start to release and bring in new Star Wars fans and possibly bring back old Star Wars fans. Just embrace the change and stop making judgements about what Disney is doing before anything has really happened yet. Jumping to conclusions isn't going to do anything but upset you.

 

My two cents.

 

I will side with you on this. It is like the new Star Trek. A lot of old fans blast it because they have taken the "Trek" out of it and have made it action/adventure. I understand what those people are feeling and do feel for them. However, Star Trek has never been bigger. It has changed, but by all appearances, it has changed for the good.

 

I get the feeling that we Star Wars fans are going to go through similar growing pains.

Edited March 24, 2013 by TheBBP

Have you even read MedStar I and MedStar II?

 

The last episodes of season 5 are COMPLETELY out of character.

 

Yes, but The Clone Wars is canon as to where the EU is not.

Have you even read MedStar I and MedStar II?

 

The last episodes of season 5 are COMPLETELY out of character.

Have you ever heard of retconning? It happens, and general makes improvements. Case in point: Bariss Offee. And Kestalas, I agree with you. I guess I'm just worried about what the future will be. Still, I think shutting down Lucasarts is unnecessary, so I don't think Disney will do it.

I am tired of the people that are saying that Disney is ruining Star Wars and that they are canceling everything you guys just need to be quiet. The officials in lucasfilm have stated that nothing is going to be canceled and that the clone wars with continue along with 1313, swtor, detours, etc. and if you look at marvel and Pixar Disney has done a good job with them and they weren't ruined in the slittess.

I am tired of the people that are saying that Disney is ruining Star Wars and that they are canceling everything you guys just need to be quiet. The officials in lucasfilm have stated that nothing is going to be canceled and that the clone wars with continue along with 1313, swtor, detours, etc. and if you look at marvel and Pixar Disney has done a good job with them and they weren't ruined in the slittess.

(emphasis mine)

 

Do you have a link to something official to back that up, or is that just what you hope will happen?

Why do you hope this?

 

In all honestly Disney has probably been one of the most corrupt / evil corporations in the past couple of decades.

In all honestly Disney has probably been one of the most corrupt / evil corporations in the past couple of decades.

Yeah, they caused the BP oil spill, are funding third-world dictators on the African continent, and summoned Hurricane Katrina during a midnight sacrifice of Nepalese orphans.

Yeah, they caused the BP oil spill, are funding third-world dictators on the African continent, and summoned Hurricane Katrina during a midnight sacrifice of Nepalese orphans.

You forgot how they gambled away people's retirements and gave home loans to millions of people who could not afford them causing the mortgage crisis.

You forgot how they gambled away people's retirements and gave home loans to millions of people who could not afford them causing the mortgage crisis.

 

Joseph Kony was supposed to be the next Disney Princess, but Kim Il Song outbid him after Disney took over control of the Illuminati and called a meeting of the minds in Chernobyl to discuss trimming the excess population with a Third World War.

Joseph Kony was supposed to be the next Disney Princess, but Kim Il Song outbid him after Disney took over control of the Illuminati and called a meeting of the minds in Chernobyl to discuss trimming the excess population with a Third World War.

 

This is all making sense now. They have trained EA well.

Yeah, they caused the BP oil spill, are funding third-world dictators on the African continent, and summoned Hurricane Katrina during a midnight sacrifice of Nepalese orphans.

Joseph Kony was supposed to be the next Disney Princess, but Kim Il Song outbid him after Disney took over control of the Illuminati and called a meeting of the minds in Chernobyl to discuss trimming the excess population with a Third World War.

This made me laugh

Dark Times have came... Battlefront 3 is gone, So is Star Wars 1313, All the LucasArts staff have been laid off from what Iv'e heard. The world is about Money not what the Fans love. Star Wars Rebels will be horrible, not even as good as SWTCW since Rebels took place in the New Hope Time. I was looking forward to Star Wars 1313 and Battlefront 3, A game based on Star Wars Bounty Hunters sorta and a sequel to one of the best Star Wars Games ever like Republic Commando, KOTOR and other sort of things.

Dark Times have came... Battlefront 3 is gone, So is Star Wars 1313, All the LucasArts staff have been laid off from what Iv'e heard. The world is about Money not what the Fans love. Star Wars Rebels will be horrible, not even as good as SWTCW since Rebels took place in the New Hope Time. I was looking forward to Star Wars 1313 and Battlefront 3, A game based on Star Wars Bounty Hunters sorta and a sequel to one of the best Star Wars Games ever like Republic Commando, KOTOR and other sort of things.

Battlefront 3 is eh?