It turns outStar Wars video gamesare big business. Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney in 2012 for more than $4 billion. That has proven to be a great investment, as it has resulted in billions at the box office, as well as untold merchandising possibilities. But EA, who had been exclusively publishing games set within the franchise since the merger, recently revealed that their collaborations have resulted in more than $3 billion in revenue.
The reveal came during a recent EA earnings call. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson was asked a question about user behavior. That prompted Wilson to brag a little bit about their output over the last handful of years, as well as the enormous amount of money that output has generated. Here’s what Wilson had to say about it.
“We have generated a number of great franchises,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,Galaxy of Heroes,Battlefront,Jedi: Fallen Orderand most recently,Squadrons. That represents over $3 billion life-to-date net bookings and 52 million games sold. And Galaxy of Heroes is a $1 billion franchise. As we’ve established the very strong part of that franchise, you should expect that we will continue to invest in those as well as some new experiences across platforms for the future.”
Star Warsvideo games have been a huge part of the franchise for decades now. Disney and EA have seemingly managed to milk that cow for all its worth. This, despite the fact that theBattlefrontgames disappointed huge sections of the fanbase. ButJedi Fallen Orderproved to be a huge hit, critically and commercially. Not to mention that the mobile gameGalaxy of Heroes, on its own, is a $1 billion franchise, according to Wilson.
ButEAwill soon have competition. Lucasfilm Games was recently launched to specifically handle the development of the studio’s various franchises into video games. Other studios will be getting in on the action. Ubisoft, for example, is working on an open-worldStar Warsgame. But Andrew Wilson, addressing this issue, says EA’s output will not lessen as a result.
“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. And as I said before, 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 likeBattlefront, likeStar Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, likeJedi: Fallen Order, likeSquadrons. You should expect us to continue to invest in our Star Wars relationship. It’s been very profitable, to this point, over $3 billion in net bookings and we’re excited by what we’ll be able to do in the future. But you shouldn’t read this as necessarily us building the less titles.”
In terms of specifics, we know aJed Fallen Ordersequel is on the table. There have also been rumors of aKnights of the Old Republicremake as well. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any furtherStar Warsvideo game news unfolds. This news comes to us viaSeeking Alpha.
