EA now has all the Star Wars

[KLSymph]

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/ea-disney-exclusive-rights-star-wars/

"While we don't have any details to share today on specific titles, our development teams are already brimming with design ideas," said EA Labels President Frank Gibeau. "The EA Studios that will develop these games are some of the most innovative and popular creative teams in the world, and include DICE and Visceral, in addition to the BioWare team, which is already developing for the Star Wars franchise."

Games by DICE.
Games by Visceral Games.
Games by BioWare.

Draw your own impressions. I haven't played most of these games, but my shallow understanding of gamedev history suggests I should be somewhat leery about any blanket statement of innovation and popularity from EA.

[Brian]

I have no real hope for EA making decent SW franchise games.

I'm actually pretty saddened.  I guess it might save EA, though.

[thepanda]

Bets on Vader dlc for the next Madden?

[Grahf]

So, expect a string of safe and ultimately forgettable Star Wars games in the near future? Got it.

Microtransactions and always online optional.

[Brian]

Bets on Vader dlc for the next Madden?

Nah.  EA being sourced to develop SW games by Disney and EA controlling the IP directly are two different things.  Then again, didn't that fighting game have Vader in it?  I think it was a soul calibur?  Only the X-box edition, I think, but that happened, so ... who knows?

So, expect a string of safe and ultimately forgettable Star Wars games in the near future? Got it.

Microtransactions and always online optional.

'Safe' would be good for EA in general, but who knows how much control they'll actually have over the development?

You know, this reminds me of Pixar, and Disney's 'three movie contract' with them.  Disney wanted to buy Pixar, and their contract would make it easy, if Pixar's third movie in that contract were a flop.  So Disney gave the worst script and premise they could to Pixar, attempting to sabotage them.

That movie was Cars.  Disney didn't get a discount, but bought them anyway.

Odds on them having a similar loophole to aquire EA if they screw up, or at least aquire them more cheaply?