Gaming News & Opinions

Let Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Success Be a Lesson to EA

As EA proclaims Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order as its top-selling SW launch title, it would do well to consider what led to that success.

  • EA announces Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order as its best-selling PC Star Wars launch title.
  • The game has garnered a positive reaction from critics and players alike.
  • EA should take note that gamers are hungry for single-player games free of microtransactions.

Electronic Arts (EA) announced today in a press release that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now the publisher’s top-selling launch-period Star Wars game on PC. The game also secured the fastest-selling digital launch for a Star Wars game in its first two weeks.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Critical and Commercial Success

It comes as little to surprise to anyone who’s sampled the delights of what is a fitting homage to the Star Wars universe and a worthy addition to the action-adventure genre. Critics agree, with generally positive reviews across the board and a healthy 8.2 user score over on Metacritic.

With accolades such as the “best Star Wars game in recent memory” associated with Fallen Order, it’s no wonder gamers have flocked to spend their hard-earned cash.

Fallen Order provides a long-awaited quality Star Wars title to gamers. And its commercial success may also have a bearing on how EA approaches its future releases.

In the age of online play, gamers still crave for quality single-player titles. | Source: Respawn Entertainment/EA

Gamers Hunger for Single-Player Games

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has two defining features that set it apart from the usual crop of EA titles.

Firstly, it’s a single-player game through and through. Secondly, there isn’t a single microtransaction in sight. Whether that be of the twisted pay-to-win variety or a flimsy cosmetic, you get what you pay for.

The game recoups development costs by weighing heavily on a strong narrative and compelling gameplay that appeals to gamers. It’s a refreshing departure from the all too thinly veiled predatory monetization of the publisher’s flagship FIFA franchise and Battlefield V’s disastrous game-as-a-service model.

It’s a potent cocktail that players clearly want and appreciate. As is often said, consumers talk with their wallets, and gamers have spoken.

The success of Jedi: Fallen Order proves that AAA titles can succeed without microtransactions and other predatory practices. | Source: Respawn Entertainment/EA

EA Should Take Note

Aside from proving that EA has taken feedback from the Battlefront 2 monetization fiasco to heart, we also hope that it teaches EA a lesson it has long put off learning. Well-crafted, story-driven games that are free of micro-transactions sell, and they do so awfully well.

As Disney SVP for Games and Interactive Experiences, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Sean Shoptaw aptly says,

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order demonstrates the amazing potential for original storytelling in Star Wars games.

Last modified: September 23, 2020 1:18 PM

Thomas Bardwell

UK-based writer covering the video game industry. Email me | Bug me on Twitter