Star Wars: Squadrons the imminent release by EA Motive is carrying a lot of pressure on it’s shoulders, If ever there was a game that needed to go right out of the gate. It’s this one. After a few failed attempts with the Star Wars licence and a couple of successes EA really needs this game to work and really needs it to be a hit with fans alike.
You could even argue that EA would prefer a critical hit to a commercial successes. Of course the publisher will want both but, if push came to shove I think EA would take the critical acclaim first and foremost and this is because the game is carrying the hopes and dreams of so many different people. The bases it touches are all different and unique and a hit with any of the many different demographics could prove crucial to not only EA’s long term success but also how Disney view the licencing agreement of one of the most lucrative licensing deals in the world. The licence to make future Star Wars games.
I mean just look at the groups this game will be most heavily marketed too
1 Gamers. Probably the group EA is targeting the most. After all this is a game! There also the group that EA will have to handle with kid gloves as EA does not have the best reputation in the game industry. With the vocal minority in the gaming community constantly berating EA as a terrible place to work that wants profit over innovation and is happy to re-skin a sports title each year and just reap in the rewards. This is EA’s big shot. Plus the fact the the game is developed by EA Motive and not the main arm of EA could help swing some of the less critical parts of the internet in their favour
2 VR Okay bear with me. I know I just listed gamers as my number 1 pick but, I am going to cheat a little and add a section in for VR gamers. After all Star Wars: Squadrons is seen as something of a holy grail amongst VR gamers and VR enthusiast alike. I mean doesn’t want to fly a space ship through space dodging giant space boulders and laser fire left and right. It’s everyone’s space fantasy come true to life and could be utterly breath taking in VR. There is a chance the immersion could be truly incredible and could be the game that does for VR what Sonic and Mario did for home consoles all those years ago. Be a game that defies the term ”it’s only a game” and lives outside of that shell a game description. It could ne something that everybody wants to play and with it looking incredible outside of VR we won’t have to repeat the old line ” you have to see it in VR” People will want to pick it up for themselves
3 The Children. Think of the children EA. The Star Wars franchise must be one of the easiest thing to sell. Stick a S tar Wars logo on anything from a chocolate bar to a stuffed toy and it’s bound to sell more units. We all know that Star Wars: Squadron is game that will sell well with children from kids badgering their parents to Grand Parents picking it up at Christmas just because it has a recognizable logo on the box – basically it’s going to sell. The problem here is that if it’s bad and I mean really, really bad this could hurt EA going into the future. After all who wants to buy anything from a company that made a bad game about flying a space ship in the Star Wars universe? I mean how can you get that wrong. Its just sheer wish fulfilment
So there you have it. There you have my three ( very long winded) reasons why I hope Star Wars: Squadrons won’t suck.
I am now going to sit here. Fingers crossed until the first reviews are out
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