Pretend, for a brief moment, that new “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” villain Kylo Ren isn’t so bad. Perhaps he’s good after all.
Welcome to the world of “Disney Infinity,” where fans and players can remix the “The Force Awakens” to suit their imagination.
J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars” vision isn’t confined to movie theaters this weekend. Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm on Friday released a “Force Awakens” addition for the popular kids- and family-focused game “Disney Infinity.” It adheres to the guidelines set up by the film — to a point.
FULL COVERAGE: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Fly the Millennium Falcon on the war-torn desert planet of Jakku, or engage in a blaster battle on a lush forest green planet. Or maybe make that a lightsaber battle. Like previous iterations of “Infinity,” the game will twist and turn depending on which character is used. That means Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren can be re-imagined as a hero, or Daisy Ridley’s hardscrabble Rey can participate in scenes in which her character wasn’t present for the film.
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Stormtroopers interact with the crowd at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Daisy Ridley, who stars as the new character Rey, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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John Boyega, who stars as Finn, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Carrie Fisher, who reprises the iconic Leia, plays with the photographers at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Maz Kanata, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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George Lucas, left, creator of the “Star Wars franchise, and director J.J. Abrams chat at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Adam Driver, left, who plays Kylo Ren, and Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actor Harrison Ford and his wife, actress Calista Flockhart, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Oscar Isaac, right, sneaks up on Adam Driver at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Anthony Daniels, left, who plays C-3P0, and Peter Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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George Lucas, left, creator of the “Star Wars franchise, and director J.J. Abrams share a hug at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actress Kate Capshaw, left, and her husband, director Steven Spielberg, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actress Carrie Fisher, left, poses with her daughter, Billie Lourd, at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actor Andy Serkis arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Domhnall Gleeson, who plays General Hux, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Maz Kanata, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Adam Driver, who plays Kylo Ren, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Photographers swarm droid BB-8 at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Droids C-3PO, left, and R2-D2 arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Max von Sydow, who plays Lor San Tekka, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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A peek inside the tent at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” reveals a silvery character.
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Statues of characters Rey, Kylo Ren and BB-8 made of Lego bricks are displayed inside the tent at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Daisy Ridley, one of the new stars of the franchise, walks the red carpet for the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, gestures toward photographers on the red carpet for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Harrison Ford and his wife Calista Flockhart pose on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Carrie Fisher quiets a raucous crowd while walking the red carpet.
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Director J.J. Abrams greets Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee at the red carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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John Boyega, who plays Finn, arrives at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Actress and cast member Lupita Nyong’o walks the red carpet.
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Adam Driver and Oscar Isaacs clown around on the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, strikes a pose at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3P0, poses on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Billie Lourd, solo, on the red carpet.
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Clare Grant and her husband Seth Green, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and producer Kathleen Kennedy and husband Frank Marshall take in the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Peterr Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca, takes to the red carpet with his lightsaber cane.
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“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” actor Andy Serkis makes it known that he is in the seventh installment of the “Star Wars” franchise at the film’s Hollywood premiere.
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C-3PO and R2-D2 at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Hollywood Boulevard.
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Mellody Hobson and George Lucas arrive at the world premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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A large Captain Phasma awaits inside the tent housing the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Karrueche Tran, left, and Chantel Jeffries make their way down the red carpet at the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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The stewards of “Star Wars,” George Lucas, left, and J.J. Abrams, meet and hug on the red carpet.
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J.J. Abrams acknowledges George Lucas as he continues down the carpet toward the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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More of the atmosphere inside the tent housing the red carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg.
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Musician Janelle Monae.
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Robert Iger, chairman and chief executive of the Walt Disney Co., arrives on the red carpet with his wife, Willow Bay.
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Model Kelly Rohrbach catches photographers’ flashes.
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“Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland and actor Dominic Sherwood hit the red carpet for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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“Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland and actor Dominic Sherwood kiss on the red carpet.
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Stormtroopers continue to make their presence felt on the red carpet at the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Stormtroopers drink in the spotlight on the red carpet -- while keeping order, of course.
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Actor Max von Sydow.
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An Empire-themed car is displayed at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
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“Heroes Reborn” actor Greg Grunberg
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Reporters wait for the stars to arrive at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
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Actress Zendaya
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Rey, Kylo Ren and BB-8 figures at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
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Stormtroopers inside the tent housing the red-carpet premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’
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Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew (background) attend the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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A security dog keeps watch.
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A cosplay staple at “Star Wars” events, the Hip-Hop Stormtrooper arrives for the premiere.
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The red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Darth Vader and Stormtroopers decorate a dress at the premiere.
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Eric Garcetti, Andy Serkis and Domhall Gleeson.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left; Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee; and Sofia Vergara.
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Zendaya, Constance Zimmer and Jaime King.
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Actress Gina Rodriguez, left, Chris Hardwick and Lydia Hearst, and Geena Davis.
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“Game of Thrones” actress Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, takes selfies with “Star Wars” fans.
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Actresses Carrie Fisher and daughter Billie Lourd attend the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
(Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney) And even those characters who aren’t in the film — hello again, Yoda — can visit the universe of “The Force Awakens.”
Although this is par for the course in the toys-to-life game “Disney Infinity,” it represents a relative recent shift for licensed interactive entertainment, where film and video game properties are increasingly treated as separate entities that don’t always have to reflect the needs of the other.
“We talked a lot about not making strictly the game about the movie,” says Lucasfilm senior executive Ada Duan. “People have seen the movie. We want there to be some freedom and creativity where people can play. What was important for us was making sure we got certain key cinematics that accurately reflect the film so it’s familiar. But then it’s really about freedom and having agency within the game world itself to just explore — to fly the Millennium Falcon, to explore Jakku.”
To experience “The Force Awakens” on “Disney Infinity,” which is available for all major video game consoles, isn’t cheap. Players first will need a $64.99 “Disney Infinity” starter pack, which comes bundled with a game inspired the prequel and animated “Clone Wars”-era “Star Wars” worlds. Then expect to spend about $35 for “The Force Awakens” playset. Included are figures based on Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn (the cast of “The Force Awakens” lent their voice talents to the game).
Staff writer Tre’vell Anderson discusses first “Star Wars” memories with actors and filmmakers at the premiere for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
When the figures are placed on a plastic disc, they spring to action in the game. Additional toys, such as Kylo Ren, are available for about $14. Players at various points during the game will gain abilities that allow them to use past and present “Star Wars” heroes and villains with “The Force Awakens” playset, allowing for the narrative to be altered or remixed at will.
In one of the film’s scenes, for instance, ace pilot Poe Dameron, portrayed by Oscar Isaac, is leading an X-wing in battle with evil First Order fighters. Feel free, however, to use Dameron instead as part of the game’s ground assault. He, after all, has a handy special ability, one that allows him to use the faithful spheroid droid BB-8 to distract Stormtroopers.
“We try to figure out what is the best thing for the players and fans without breaking what we consider our brand guidelines,” Duan says. “We do take good care in playing through the playset and not just having every single character thrown in there. You have to actually go through the story and unlock certain characters, and then you can bring those players in.
“We didn’t want an experience where you’ve invested in the game and you get a character and you can’t play it.”
It’s also recognition that when it comes to interactive entertainment, players expect a certain level of control.
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Scenes from the opening night of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”: Fans wait for the start of the movie at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
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Souvenir cup, $6.95; figurine topper, $9.95; straw, $4.95, at the Chinese Theatre.
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A fan holds a lightsaber in the theater.
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Fans line up outside the theater.
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Caroline Ritter and Andrew Porters, both of Singleton, Australia, got married in front of the theater.
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Fans play with lighsabers.
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An Ewok (Nate Clukey of Cumberland, Maine) was the first in line, spending 13 days and 12 nights at the theater.
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Tony Brennan, left, of Cypress, Dawn Bright of Riverside and Hau Nguyen, from Orange, at the opening.
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Serena Schiffman, 5, of Valencia in an impromptu battle with Shawn Crosby, aka Obi-Shawn, from Westchester.
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Serena Schiffman strikes a pose.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Though it was odd, at first, to see Kylo Ren attacking the very armies he commands, “Infinity” gets around any narrative incongruities by stressing that the characters used in the game are digital toys rather than by-the-book interpretations of their cinematic counterparts. Think of it more as kids playing with video game action figures rather than running through a straight adaptation of the film.
“ ‘Infinity’ has more than 100 characters across the entire company,” says John Vignocchi, vice president of production for Disney Infinity. “They’re all toy versions. No one is confused that this is Yoda from ‘The Phantom Menace.’ That’s the ‘Disney Infinity’ Yoda. It looks like a toy, acts like a toy, breaks apart like a toy.”
Vignocchi was allowed to read the script for “The Force Awakens” in August 2014 after pitching an “Infinity” version of “Star Wars” to Duan and her team in late 2013. The plan, at the time, was to make a game of the upcoming film, but Lucasfilm, says Duan, wanted all iterations of “Star Wars” — the new Abrams-directed film as well as the original trilogy and the prequels — to be represented in “Infinity.”
“We look at the research, and when we look at the demographics certain characters resonate more with certain fan groups,” she says. “We found that in certain games, in which we only focused on the classic trilogy, some of the teens and tweens were saying, ‘Where’s my favorite character? Where’s Darth Maul? Where’s Qui-Gon?’ We can’t have them miss out.”
After Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, there was a brief lull in “Star Wars” video games as the Lucasfilm game division was essentially shut down and reconfigured. But there has been more activity in the interactive space this year, with the release of the more grown-up shooter “Star Wars: Battlefront” by Electronic Arts and now three “Star Wars”-focused “Infinity” products. An additional narrative-focused “Star Wars” game has been announced; it’s in development at Electronic Arts studio Visceral Games.
Just as Disney and Lucasfilm have plotted out “Star Wars” movies for the foreseeable future, there will be no shortage, says Duan, of “Star Wars” games.
“With all the new films coming out,” she says, “there’s going to be a lot more new narrative space to play with and a lot more content.”
MORE:
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J.J. Abrams on going old school and how ‘Star Wars’ differs from ‘Star Trek’
Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan on the past, present and future of ‘Star Wars’
The women of ‘Star Wars’ speak out about their new Empire
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