Support NeoGAF

[IbizaPocholo]

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order -- Lucasfilm Was Originally Resistant To The Idea, And Here's Why

Some at Lucasfilm asked Respawn to make a game with blasters instead of Lightsabers.

www.gamespot.com

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was released in November to mostly positive reviews and strong sales numbers, but the game's success was not always a sure thing. Game director Stig Asmussen said in a new interview that Lucasfilm--which controls the Star Wars franchise--was originally resistant to Asmussen's pitch for the game.

In early meetings, the Lucasfilm team suggested that Respawn go a different direction and make a game using blasters instead of Lightsabers. The reason being was that Lucasfilm is very protective of Jedi in particular, Asmussen said.

"They weren't super comfortable with the idea," Asmussen said of his initial pitch for a melee-focused action game on the AIAS Game Maker's podcast. "I pitched, 'Hey what if we do a game about Jedi and Force powers, and they were not super comfortable with that. They threw it back and said, 'What about blasters and bounty hunters?' That's not the background of the team we've built; you might as well ask me and us to start building a racing game at this point. I don't think anybody's going to be happy with the results of that.

"What I came to learn is for them, Jedi is the Holy Grail. To make a game about Jedi, you gotta earn it. There was a little bit of a back and forth but they could see where I was coming from."

Later in the interview, Asmussen mentioned that Respawn and Lucasfilm had numerous "fights" about creative decisions regarding Jedi Fallen Order. He said he understands Lucasfilm's position being the rights-owner of the Star Wars series. He also said recalled that Lucasfilm came back to him with a "hard no" on several different ideas. He said his team at Respawn became frustrated at times, but again, Asmussen said he understood that Lucasfilm has final say being the owner and controller of the Star Wars franchise.

Asmussen said Lucasfilm was ultimately agreeable to the idea of Respawn making a game with a character who can use the Force but is not a Jedi, and that's what the team ended up making. The game's main character, Cal Kestis, is a Force-user who becomes a Jedi in the course of the game.

The entire interview is incredibly in-depth and fascinating, offering an illuminating and insightful look into the origins of Jedi Fallen Order. It's available everywhere you can find podcasts, including Spotify.

 

[phil_t98]

I think if there is a sequel then maybe Lucasfilm may listen a Bit more as this game was really good.

 

[TeamGhobad]

but they are ok with the new movies?

 

[dan76]

Man, bounty hunters and blasters sounds so much better. I hope there's Mandalorian game in the works somewhere, it has so many videogame tropes already.

 

[Carna]

Star wars games during the ps2/Xbox/GameCube was a time to be alive

 

[tassletine]

The interference clearly damaged the final product, which is still very much worth playing I think. You can feel the ambition in the title, even if it doesn’t hang together all that well At times.

 

[brian0057]

Literally any Star Wars game pre-2009 > Literally anything Star Wars post-2009 (Yes, that includes The Mandalorian).

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Space Magic bullshit is what kills Star Wars so I'm not surprised they're woke at this stage.

 

[Hendrick's]

Lucasfilm should spend more time worrying about their movies.

 

[HarryKS]

Space Magic bullshit is what kills Star Wars so I'm not surprised they're woke at this stage.

Space magic is what makes Star Wars Star Wars. Otherwise it's run-of-the-mill sci-fi.

 

[VertigoOA]

Lucas film is run by monkeys

 

[Guardian's Light]

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order -- Lucasfilm Was Originally Resistant To The Idea, And Here's Why

Some at Lucasfilm asked Respawn to make a game with blasters instead of Lightsabers.

www.gamespot.com

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was released in November to mostly positive reviews and strong sales numbers, but the game's success was not always a sure thing. Game director Stig Asmussen said in a new interview that Lucasfilm--which controls the Star Wars franchise--was originally resistant to Asmussen's pitch for the game.

In early meetings, the Lucasfilm team suggested that Respawn go a different direction and make a game using blasters instead of Lightsabers. The reason being was that Lucasfilm is very protective of Jedi in particular, Asmussen said.

"They weren't super comfortable with the idea," Asmussen said of his initial pitch for a melee-focused action game on the AIAS Game Maker's podcast. "I pitched, 'Hey what if we do a game about Jedi and Force powers, and they were not super comfortable with that. They threw it back and said, 'What about blasters and bounty hunters?' That's not the background of the team we've built; you might as well ask me and us to start building a racing game at this point. I don't think anybody's going to be happy with the results of that.

"What I came to learn is for them, Jedi is the Holy Grail. To make a game about Jedi, you gotta earn it. There was a little bit of a back and forth but they could see where I was coming from."

Later in the interview, Asmussen mentioned that Respawn and Lucasfilm had numerous "fights" about creative decisions regarding Jedi Fallen Order. He said he understands Lucasfilm's position being the rights-owner of the Star Wars series. He also said recalled that Lucasfilm came back to him with a "hard no" on several different ideas. He said his team at Respawn became frustrated at times, but again, Asmussen said he understood that Lucasfilm has final say being the owner and controller of the Star Wars franchise.

Asmussen said Lucasfilm was ultimately agreeable to the idea of Respawn making a game with a character who can use the Force but is not a Jedi, and that's what the team ended up making. The game's main character, Cal Kestis, is a Force-user who becomes a Jedi in the course of the game.

The entire interview is incredibly in-depth and fascinating, offering an illuminating and insightful look into the origins of Jedi Fallen Order. It's available everywhere you can find podcasts, including Spotify.

Not a flame post, but, what if they were contrary because they didn't like the idea a game could be infinitely better than the sequel movie trilogy? Lol

 

[#Phonepunk#]

* kills 1313, a game where you play as Boba Fett *

“Hey how about a game with blasters and bounty hunters?”

 

[VertigoOA]

Not a flame post, but, what if they were contrary because they didn't like the idea a game could be infinitely better than the sequel movie trilogy? Lol

I think they want to limit the amount of Jedi remained alive after order 66.

you know... you always assumed Vader killed EVERYONE and Luke was the last Jedi left.

Now there’s like 20 alive post episode 3. Probably lots more... meh

 

[Guardian's Light]

I think they want to limit the amount of Jedi remained alive after order 66.

you know... you always assumed Vader killed EVERYONE and Luke was the last Jedi left.

Now there’s like 20 alive post episode 3. Probably lots more... meh

Well, they could always say some JediS were smart enough to stealth outlive the order 66
I had the same perplexity with Cal before playing jfo tho, at some point in the sequel/sequels he has to either die or go into hiding as a normal person forever

 

[EverydayBeast]

I don't see Star Wars games ending, delays, avoiding certain games may occur but Star Wars has been great for a long time.

 

[GreyHorace]

Lucasfilm can get fucked as far as I'm concerned. They greenlighted many of the terrible ideas that sank the sequel trilogy so for them to say they're being protective of the brand is laughable. There needs to be a situation just like in the MCU where a Kevin Feige steps up to take complete creative control of the brand and drowns out the dissenting voices (Ike Perlmutter, the Marvel comics story group). That person cannot be Kathleen Kennedy.

Star Wars is a lucrative franchise that is a ripe for gaming, It's a vast universe that game studios can play around with. Lucasfilm can still have a say in what goes down, but at least give some leeway for developers to make some really good titles.

 

[Fbh]

After the new movie trilogy this whole "we are protective of the brand" stance just sounds like bullshit.

Anyway, I'm glad they allowed Respawn to use a Jedi. The game is pretty great and if I'm just going to be shooting guns in space I'd honestly rather have EA make a (good) new Mass Effect.

I think they want to limit the amount of Jedi remained alive after order 66.

you know... you always assumed Vader killed EVERYONE and Luke was the last Jedi left.

Now there’s like 20 alive post episode 3. Probably lots more... meh

That's why I wish they'd just treat the games as a separate non canon thing or just went ahead and made them all take place a long time before or after the movies.
Knowing no one they introduce can be very relevant (because they don't show up nor are they mentioned during the movies) kinda kills the excitement. Like the entire premise of the story in Fallen Order is instantly unexciting because you know what they want to do won't happen.

 

[zcaa0g]

I enjoyed the Fallen Order but I kept wanting to hit a damn pick up key to pick up the blasters and have guns like I did in Jedi Knight, Outcast and Academy.

 

[kretos]

The fucking mouse buying Star Wars IP was a big mistake, seems working with them is a nightmare

 

[A Most Virtuous Cat]

but they are ok with the new movies?

Exactly!

 

[lukilladog]

Canon is in the toilet, what are they protecting?.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

Shout out to Jedi Knight 1 and II

RIP my youth

 

[Northeastmonk]

Give him a blaster for parrying, ala Bloodborne.

 

[Mass Shift]

Canon is in the toilet, what are they protecting?.

EXACTLY. There really was no where to go as far as carving a decent game out of the last trilogy.

I mean Abrams, Johnson and Disney broke everything. Long established lore was just smashed to smithiters. And it sure didn't help that movie goers were being told that the answers to the canyon of plot holes were hidden in the desperately uninteresting series of novels that were released around the films.

 

[Silent Duck]

but they are ok with the new movies?

No character in the history of Star Wars “earned it” more than Rey.

 

[GV82]

Then why the Fuck did they cancel 1313 if that’s exactly what they wanted?
Why not just reshape 1313 to fit Cannon.

Oh yeah this is why, when the president of Lucasfilm comes out with this sort of gem below.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

That's not the team you built? Your studio has only made first-person shooters... It would have been great.

 

[iorek21]

So, LucasFilm is protective about their IP, right?

Then why didn't you protect it from Jar Jar Abrams, Rian Johnson and BATMAN VS SUPERMAN's WRITER??????????????

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Space magic is what makes Star Wars Star Wars. Otherwise it's run-of-the-mill sci-fi.

Yeah but it's always used poorly. I love Baby Yeed but he's a get out of a jail free card and Rey got maxed out stats as a Jedi and potential Sith. It's not handled well.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Sounds to me like Respawn pulled a fast one. Respawn really told lucas their team isn't equipped to make a game about blasters and bounty hunters. Respawn you so slick.

 

[Harlock]

Good luck working with this people.

 

[HarryKS]

Yeah but it's always used poorly. I love Baby Yeed but he's a get out of a jail free card and Rey got maxed out stats as a Jedi and potential Sith. It's not handled well.

That much I agree. I personally have misgivings about Anakin's demonstration of force during his duel with Obi-Wan. Still, force powers are the star of the show.