Disney+ Subscribers To Get Exclusive ‘Star Wars Outlaws’ DLC: But Is It Worth the Giant Price Tag and Masculinized Kay Vess Character?
Ubisoft is set to release Star Wars Outlaws, a new game based in the time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, on August 30. But, if you’re a Disney+ subscriber, you get something a bit extra as well.
Nix’s Promotion
As part of a Disney promotion, those who subscribe to Disney’s streaming service will receive a minor cosmetic change for Nix. Nix is the main character’s sidekick, which is a small and toyetic creature. The cosmetic will allow Nix to sport a blue piece on its tail.
According to the promotion, the cosmetic will be exclusive for Disney+ subscribers. But one has to ask themselves, is this enough? For those keeping up with the news surrounding Star Wars Outlaws, something seems amiss in a galaxy far far away.
Controversial Marketing Campaign
As reported by Bounding Into Comic’s Editor and Chief, Spencer Baculi, Ubisoft paid influencers to fly into LA, specifically to visit Disneyland, in a bid to drum up positive buzz around the game. According to the report, influencers were treated to a whale-watching tour, flights, hotels, and even a VIP tour of Disneyland itself.
A pretty strong flex, one might say, in order to garner some positive buzz. As one YouTuber noted in the report, “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that when a company puts a lot of money into something, it will of course only do so if it benefits from it”.
And then, there’s the controversy surrounding the physical appearance of the protagonist.
Controversy with Protagonist’s Appearance
How can we put this gingerly? The protagonist has a lot of male features, and when compared to the voice actress, Humberly González, the appearance is… off. Between the very pronounced chin, odd hairstyle, and jawline, it’s not hard to believe that something other than pure design fueled the choices made.
As reported previously, the creative director of Outlaws brushed aside any criticism. Saying in short, “Kay is meant to be approachable, a petty thief who ends up barreling through this story, making bad decisions and centered with a lot of humor, humility, and toughness. That’s what’s important to me.”
But once compared to other voice actors, it’s a bit difficult to not notice something:
For many gamers, this brings some not-so-good memories of the Mary Jane controversy around Spiderman 2. There, many pointed out that Mary Jane seemed to be purposefully masculinized by the developers. This didn’t even touch on the missions many fans felt were unneeded.
Then, there’s the price.
Backlash Over Price
So what’s up with the price? Well, Outlaws comes in four editions, with one priced if you’re a member of Ubisoft+. Excluding the latter, the price for this game ranges from $69.99 to a whopping $129.99. What do you get with the other editions?
Glad you ask! As you can see below, it ranges from a pre-order bonus, a whole three-day early access to the game, two bundles a digital art book, and a season pass.
As reported back in April by Ryan Pearson, fans weren’t exactly thrilled at the editions or the price. So it seems that between all the controversies surrounding the game, one could guess that this small cosmetic gesture to Disney+ fans is Ubisoft’s attempt to keep the game in interested parties’ minds.
But one has to ask, is it enough?
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