It has been our pleasure periodically to tell you about Ubisoft Massive's Star Wars game. According to the updates, it is an MMO with an open world, and it is looking to challenge The Old Republic. However, the more important news is how Ubisoft Massive got the contract for Star Wars.
It appears that Ubisoft owes this success to Avatar. In fact, Disney was concerned with who would take the license (possibly after EA did EA things and gave it incredible backlash). Yet after Disney heard Ubisoft Massive's love of Star Wars, they were convinced to let Ubisoft Massive make the Star Wars MMO.
Star Wars MMO Mad After Avatar Meeting
Disney announced the Star Wars MMO earlier this year and revoked EA's exclusive license to create Star Wars video games. This came as a great surprise (and relief) for many fans, but who would lead this endeavor? The development of the open-world game was entrusted to Ubisoft Massive.
Ubisoft didn't immediately acquire the Star Wars license when Disney decided to give someone else the rights, according to an IGN interview with Disney Games Vice President Sean Shoptaw. Sean Shoptaw said that the company is wary of handing over such a lucrative license to just anyone. As a result, it took a lot of convincing from Ubisoft Massive to get this opportunity.
Ubisoft was not even on Disney's radar for the next Star Wars game. At the time of their first meeting, Sean Shoptaw discussed the new Avatar game with Ubisoft Massive but was led to the Star Wars franchise by Massive's love of Star Wars. From there, Ubisoft was given the rights. Therefore, many Star Wars fans can also make Star Wars games.
To quote Disney Games Senior Vice President Sean Shoptaw:
"We really wanted [the Star Wars game] to come at the right time with the right partner, the worst thing we could do is do it wrong, and do it our way that doesn't resonate with fans or doesn't meet that bar… That first meeting we had with (Ubisoft) Massive around the Avatar game after we acquired Fox was really the jumping-off point for the Star Wars game. There was such alignment and such creative passion around the Star Wars IP from that team that it just was a natural evolution to the relationship, and really led to the Star Wars game we announced not too long ago."
There is still so much mystery surrounding this new Star Wars MMO. There isn't even a name for the new Star Wars MMO released to the public yet. So for now, all we know for sure is that it exists.
The Star Wars game won't arrive until after Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora revealed at Ubisoft Forward during E3. The game is due out in 2022, so we don't know much about the Avatar game either. However, there is a possibility that this game will feature some gameplay elements that will be present in the upcoming Star Wars MMO.
Undoubtedly, there would not have been a new Star Wars MMO if not for the Avatar game meeting between Ubisoft Massive and Disney.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Star Wars , Gaming News , PC Gaming , and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora pages.