Clone Wars Adventures' Update goes live -- the Producers discuss collaborative project
At Fan Faire last week, we brought news of the upcoming story-based update to Clone Wars Adventures, which will bridge the gap between Season Three and Season Four. That update goes live today, and we talked a bit more about the process at a round-table with Senior Producer Todd Carson, Game Designer Justin Dazet, and Dave Filoni, Supervising Producer for the TV show.
This is a first for both the MMO and the show, and they shared some insight into what went into the project. For highlights from the round-table, read below the cut!
As you read earlier this week from Fan Faire, the content that's coming in today's game update begins where Season Three had ended. The Separatists are in the process of invading Mon Calamari, and you're tasked with helping to evacuate the residents of nearby Iceberg 3, and also prepare the way for Anakin and the others to counter-attack.
There are several mini-games that players will need to complete, and if they do, they'll receive a title, a trophy, and a new ability to be used in future Republic Defender missions. Also, fans of the show will get details of the storyline leading up to Season Four's premier that are only available in game. The content from Battle for Iceberg 3 will remain in game even after Season Four's premiere, and new players can take advantage of a special "Summer Pass" membership that grants full access to the new content throughout the summer.
Both teams seemed excited about this new project, and they have plans for more joint endeavors in the future. As Carson explained, both the show and the game bring fans into one common universe, even though they deliver that experience in different ways. In the past, the SOE development team has delivered weekly content based on the show, including costumes, holoprojector illusions, and droids. The team would watch the show in advance, see the assets, and develop content that matched with new items and characters from the show. This update, however, seems to be a much more collaborative effort between the two teams.
Filoni talked about how the Clone Wars MMO has enabled children to become involved in the storyline much more, because the passing details from the show are part of the world they're experiencing. He talked of how he once saw a player wearing a Cad Bane bounty hunter hat along with Clone Trooper armor, and thought of how kids today are able to do what we as adults wanted to do as kids -- mix and match outfits, and customize our own Star Wars character. He added that players end up knowing tertiary characters from the show because they see them and even get to play them in game.
He also said that the show and the game have influenced each other more and more, and he described how he's seen hats in the game that he ended up including in the show. Also, as Carson mentioned, this game update helps provide something to fans during the summer slowdown between seasons.
Lastly, Carson briefly talked about the demographics for the game, saying that about half of the playerbase is between the ages of eight and fourteen. However, a good number of adults in their twenties and thirties also play. While there is a mix of old and young, Filoni stressed that their focus is on their core fan-base, which are the kids. They want to continue to provide that sense of wonder that kids have always experienced in the Star Wars universe, and they look forward to more collaborative projects to bring that in both the show and the game.
