With high profile news updates like the trainwreck launch of the hybrid CU/NGE rogue server and the addition of Bespin to the Legends rogue server, now seems like a pretty good time to reintroduce yourself to Star Wars Galaxies. But are these developments running on borrowed time? Is there a point where this much noise will incur the all-subsuming wrath of Disney’s corporate ur-beast? And what’s next for the game’s emulation as a whole? These are questions that have been tackled in a recent video from YouTube channel Napyet Gaming.
The video in question immediately takes on the fear of SWG rogue servers incurring a smiting from Lucasfilm and Disney, leaning on the question of “is the juice worth the squeeze” as a template for action (or as has been the case for years, non-action). Basically, Napyet reasons that an effort to close down rogue servers would only result in wasted money and time, bad PR, and the start of an endless cycle of shutting down additional servers popping up, as the emulation code is already widely distributed. Furthermore, if these servers aren’t making money off of the IP then they will likely remain off the legal radar. That said, he also appreciates that a server could get so big that it’d be impossible to ignore, though that event still seems unlikely by the reality of the fanbase’s size.
“If one of these Star Wars Galaxies servers blew up to the extent that it rivaled The Old Republic in terms of its playerbase, then I think we’d see some movement from the companies. But the likelihood of this happening is small, just like the community surrounding Star Wars Galaxies. And that’s the truth.
“When we’re in the midst of our hobby, surrounded by thousands of others who share our passion, we can develop a distorted view of reality. As we proselytize about our favorite game, we often feel there’s a horde of potential players out there who would only be playing if they knew the fun we were having. But the truth is the audience for Star Wars Galaxies in 2021 is small and will likely remain so; most of the people who would be playing are already doing so.”
As for what could possibly be next for SWG emulation, Napyet posits that major barriers like the game’s obtuse introduction and the inability for rogue server teams to come together and make their work open source are the larger hurdles for seeing the game grow to its full potential. Instead, fans are spoiled for choice, with a wide variety of rogue servers to choose from.
It’s a well-reasoned look at where things stand and what could be upcoming, and we’ve got it embedded below.
