Disney, Please Use More Than Just Star Wars And Marvel In Games

When you think of Disney today, there’s a good chance either Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to mind. That’s not surprising either – it’s the two properties Disney pumps the most time and money into. 

In games, it seems as if Disney exclusively pours resources into them – yes, there’s Kingdom Hearts, which has been great for decades but it seems that series is heading into a decidedly less Disney-based future – and it’s a shame because the nearly 100-year-old company has so much to offer to the video game space, both to classic fans and new ones alike. That’s why Disney needs to tap into its history.

Star Wars, MCU, or Star Wars movies, are two of my favourites. I’m also a big fan of games that take place in distant lands or follow a Marvel timeline. But let’s be honest: we almost always know what we’re getting when Lucasfilm or Marvel flashes on screen when we boot up a game. If it’s Star Wars, you’re either getting a Jedi game, a dogfighting game, or a shooter.

Marvel games are even harder to distinguish. Are you familiar with the MCU hero? Well, here’s a game using a different version of that character with a third-person viewpoint and a slant towards action-adventure gameplay. There’s nothing wrong with this, and I’d argue that players as a whole aren’t quite burnt out on these two Disney universes yet, but surely that day will come. 

In Disney’s defense, it is attempting to break out of that mold a bit. XCOM developer Firaxis Games is currently making Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which is a turn-based, card-based take on the property of the (almost) same name. However, at the end of the day, it’s still a Marvel game, and one day when Marvel oversaturates the gaming market, people might be wary of booting up any game with that red logo on the box, regardless of genre. 

Remember when Disney used to make games (kinda) based on its own original movies à la The Lion King? There are some Disney films that I immediately recognize as being ripe to be made into a video game. Raya and The Last Dragon – make it a Souls-like game if you’re feeling frisky, Disney, or even something akin to this year’s Kena: Bridge of Spirits. MoanaThis is already set up as a video game, in terms of narrative and pace. It also has built-in bosses. Give us her raft and let us sail around the Pacific Ocean Assassin’s Creed Black Flag-style. 

Take a look at Alice In WonderlandGame that allows you, the player to make the right choices and fix all the problems with the Tim Burton live action remakes. Angels in Outfield – boom, there’s your sports game. Fantasia, obviously a music rhythm game (and one that doesn’t use Kinect, please). Finding NemoThis could be an excellent game for building ocean ecosystems. FrozenLet It Go Karaoke is an experience that speaks for itself. Bambi, clearly that’s a hunti…you know what, never mind. 

Disney is a rich source of movie and TV material that can be used to develop games. However, Star Wars and Marvel are the most popular. These two brands make money and make lots of it. They’re also great for endless sequels, but so are many of Disney’s other franchises. Pirates of the CaribbeanInstantly comes to my mind. 

There’s a dearth of pirate games out there, despite pirates being the most “uhhh yeah, pirates + video games = easiest financial slam dunk of all-time.” Sure, there’s Sea of Thieves, which I love, but that feels very particular in style and not for everyone. Yes, it was a good game. Pirates of the CaribbeanHowever, expansion was not going to be as popular as a single game that is based on the IP. It also doesn’t allow for sequels, which Disney loves so much. 

There’s also Ubisoft’s Skull & Bones, but that’s stuck in development hell, and who knows when that’s coming. It’s not just a game. Pirates of the Caribbean have a three-movie history to draw on – oh yes, I definitely am aware there are five movies – but it also has over 50 years of Disney Parks ride history to use. Do you want to stay away from movie characters? It’s easy to make a game of Captain Redd, from the classic ride. 

Make a deal with Hell! HalloweentownGame and tell Hogwarts Legacy you want to kick rocks. OK, okay. Halloweentown isn’t a true Harry PotterIt’s not perfect, but it gets the point across. What I’m saying is that the foundation for a great Disney game is out there. Actually, many foundations exist, even hundreds. Disney still seems to build its empire on Star Wars or Marvel. When you think about it, not developing games based on other properties is really just money left on the table, and oddly enough, that’s not really Disney’s modus operandi. 

Of course, there is the whole “mega-billion dollar company definitely knows its business better than someone writing about how they want a Pirates of the Caribbean game” aspect of this all, but even if a game like that doesn’t sell as much as Star Wars or Marvel, it’s not like Disney doesn’t have the cash to burn. Plus, let’s not act like every one of these games is a slam dunk, especially when Marvel’s Avengers, a game that absolutely should have been a slam dunk, was disappointing overall for Square Enix. Let’s see, what the heck? Disney, just do it.

#Disney #Star #Wars #Marvel #Games