Overview
Over a century of gaming history has unfolded within the Star Wars galaxy, spanning from the earliest home consoles to modern high-definition experiences. The franchise's digital presence splits into three distinct chapters. The first era ran from 1979 to 1993, featuring simple action titles by various developers that retold scenes from the original trilogy or offered basic adventures without deep storytelling. These games relied on the 8-bit and 16-bit hardware limits of their time. George Lucas eventually established LucasArts in 1993 to gain creative control, ushering in an age where graphics could support complex narratives with voice acting and CGI cutscenes. This period produced iconic hits like The Force Unleashed and KOTOR, which expanded the lore beyond the films before Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. When LucasArts closed its doors in 2013, the entire back catalog shifted to the non-canon Star Wars Legends label in 2014. The current era began when Electronic Arts secured exclusive rights to publish these games. Titles released under this license carry the EA Star Wars logo and adhere to continuity managed by the Lucasfilm Story Group. While EA held the sole license until 2023, new partnerships now allow other studios to create canonical experiences alongside them. Despite numerous independent fan projects, official releases remain the primary source for playable stories. By 2020, sales figures exceeded 90 million copies across all platforms, proving the enduring appeal of fighting for the Rebellion or serving the Empire.
