Disney invites game devs to get creative with its IP Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Disney invites game devs to get creative with its IP Following the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. News by Emma Kent Contributor Updated on 13 Feb 2020 26 comments Last year, Disney's share of the US film market managed to reach a record 35 per cent (thanks to its merger with Fox) - so I guess it's just as well the company's open to having game developers reimagine its franchises. That is a lot of IP. Speaking at this year's 2020 DICE summit, Disney exec Sean Shoptaw said the company wants to empower game developers to do "really unique things" with its catalogue (via The Hollywood Reporter). "We want to tap into the power of creatives across the industry." According to Shoptaw, two recent examples of this are Respawn's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, along with Marvel's Spider-Man by Insomniac Games. Both saw significant sales (with Fallen Order beating EA's own expectations and Spider-Man becoming the fastest-selling PS4 game of 2018), but Shoptaw emphasised the importance of original storytelling and "reimagining" Disney settings. Watch on YouTube Disney currently has a number of long-standing partnerships with major developers: including Square Enix for Kingdom Hearts, and EA for the Star Wars franchise. It's worth noting the latter's deal isn't completely exclusive - Star Wars titles by other developers such as Oculus and Warner Bros. have been given the go-ahead over the last few years, along with mobile titles and franchise tie-ins with games like Fortnite. With regards to Star Wars, I'd imagine the call to get creative is as much about smaller spin-offs as the mainline games by EA. Given Disney specifically cited it as an example, I also can't help but compare this emphasis on creativity and uniqueness to accounts of what it was like to work on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. During last year's E3, I spoke to lead combat designer Jason de Heras about the creative process, and it sounded rather different. "We have to work with Lucasfilm on everything, we have to approve everything and have to collaborate with them, so there's give and take," he told me. "Sometimes we want to do something that's more gameplay-driven or out the box but then we have to sit with them and find a middle ground. Same with everything - combat, exploration, story, all the departments have to collaborate. We're trying to make an authentic game, so we're trying to stay on that level. Authentic's the word." Perhaps the uniqueness is only allowed so far. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store