Since Disney acquired the Star Wars property they have ruthlessly embarked on a well-planned campaign of expansion and merchandising: SW: Rebels was the first step in claiming the Civil War Era, then demolishing the Expanded Universe canon entirely; then the planned sequels and splinter movies. As if on cue, we've receiving SW: Rebels ships and the new Core Set, three months before the film's release, with a tidal wave of new toys and merchandise of characters we hardly know anything about, all before we know if Episode VII is going to be loved or hated.

It all feels a little unfamiliar and forced. If Wave 1-7 was about seeing the most esoteric of the old EU finally represented on the tabletop, Wave 8 and onward is going to be what Disney depicts on screen and dictates to be merchandised. Nostalgia no longer; Cold blooded profit motive is going to be what drives future waves of X-Wing releases.

In a way, it was inevitable, I suppose, that we run out of ships - nostalgia isn't an infinite store. Now, I'm not a curmudgeon or a luddite by any stretch. I fully embrace all new releases and constant change in the meta, which keeps the game fresh and new. I like the new/old T-70 and the F/O TIE, and I love my BB8 Sphero droid. But I can't help feeling a little bit cynical on how Disney is so mechanically and ruthlessly pushing their new range of Star Wars toys on us and how naive we must be (self included) if we're just gobbling it up- all before the film has even been released.

What a load of crap.

The Expanded Universe was never canon. Repeat after me: The Expanded Universe was never canon.

Consider one of the first 'mechandising' tricks back when ANH was fresh was selling kids an empty cardboard box!

Another was sending in proofs of purchase to get a Boba Fett figure. I had one some time before ESB was even released.

God how much would that be worth now?

Star Trek films today = Logic and Story replaced by special effects and action scenes.

Seems like ppl can't get enough of special effects and action scene movies.

Star Wars today = ?

I expect the worst so I can't be disappointed.

while agreed, especially compared to the original tv show (at least, next generation which is the only one I've watched apart from the movies ), JJ's trek is not a complete train wreck

it is simply, in my personal opinion, very ******* boring

compared to the SW prequels, this is an improvement over everything except for Palpatine haming it up

so if you expect the worst, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. As I said, we've had worse

The next sentance is a load of crap:

The Expanded Universe was never canon. Repeat after me: The Expanded Universe was never canon.

Fixed that for you...

Seriously though, it was canon, some of it still is canon.

Reference: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Legends

"Page quote: On April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm Ltd. announced that in preparation for the upcoming sequel trilogy, the Expanded Universe would not appear in any future Star Wars materials; past tales of the Expanded Universe will be printed under the Star Wars Legends banner, and a new continuity has been established that consists only of the original six films, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and film, and all future material from that point onward. Though past elements of the Expanded Universe have been declared non-canon as a whole, they remain a resource for future Star Wars material to reference elements of the EU, thus bringing these elements into the new continuity as canon.^[1][2]"

Sources included on that page.

Previous to Disney nu-canon SW had 3 main levels of canon, A canon being the films, B canon being the books, and C canon being most games. (There may have been a D canon and Not canon as well, it's been a while). So while not everything is Film level canon, it's still bloody canon, and if it exists in the EU - as long as not overwritten by a nu-canon source then it may be used and may be treated as canonical.

Star Trek films today = Logic and Story replaced by special effects and action scenes.

Seems like ppl can't get enough of special effects and action scene.

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

True to some extent. I think it's more the good parts where Trek actually met it's potential being remembered while a lot of mediocre chaff being forgotten (On the other hand, the fans haven't forgotten what happened with Voyager, Nemesis, etc, so it's not like they're blind).

Which also explains the exact reason why so many folks are always convinced that the music from their youth is so much better than the music of the current day.

Star Trek films today = Logic and Story replaced by special effects and action scenes.

Seems like ppl can't get enough of special effects and action scene movies.

Star Wars today = ?

I expect the worst so I can't be disappointed.

Its not like the Star Trek movies were that good to begin with. The series are awesome, no question, but the movies are so much hit and miss. Some are nice. Some are The Final Frontier.

Too bad that Star Trek series are pretty much dead. I would love a new one.

The Expanded Universe was never canon.

Yeah, I never understood the uproar about Disney converting the EU into Legends, because the policy they put in was effectively the same that George followed the whole time.

There was never a point in time in which George would of included Thrawn in any post Endor movies he would of made, because he was forced to. The EU was never more then secondary canon at best.

I've said it before and will say it again now. We're actually better off now, since under Disney everything will be canon.

Star Trek films are like windows releases. If the movie or release is good, the next will be terrible, if the previous was terrible, the next will be good.

Star Trek TNG and DS9 were good, Voyager was quite weak except for a few wham episodes (anything with the borg makes ST better). Enterprise I just couldn't watch through.

Star Trek films today = Logic and Story replaced by special effects and action scenes.

Seems like ppl can't get enough of special effects and action scene movies.

Star Wars today = ?

I expect the worst so I can't be disappointed.

Its not like the Star Trek movies were that good to begin with...

The next sentance is a load of crap:

The Expanded Universe was never canon. Repeat after me: The Expanded Universe was never canon.

Fixed that for you...

Seriously though, it was canon, some of it still is canon.

Reference: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Legends

"Page quote: On April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm Ltd. announced that in preparation for the upcoming sequel trilogy, the Expanded Universe would not appear in any future Star Wars materials; past tales of the Expanded Universe will be printed under the Star Wars Legends banner, and a new continuity has been established that consists only of the original six films, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and film, and all future material from that point onward. Though past elements of the Expanded Universe have been declared non-canon as a whole, they remain a resource for future Star Wars material to reference elements of the EU, thus bringing these elements into the new continuity as canon.^[1][2]"

Sources included on that page.

Previous to Disney nu-canon SW had 3 main levels of canon, A canon being the films, B canon being the books, and C canon being most games. (There may have been a D canon and Not canon as well, it's been a while). So while not everything is Film level canon, it's still bloody canon, and if it exists in the EU - as long as not overwritten by a nu-canon source then it may be used and may be treated as canonical.

That's not what that quote says at all - I'll redo it with emphasis on the important bits

"Page quote: On April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm Ltd. announced that in preparation for the upcoming sequel trilogy, the Expanded Universe would not appear in any future Star Wars materials; past tales of the Expanded Universe will be printed under the Star Wars Legends banner, and a new continuity has been established that consists only of the original six films, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and film, and all future material from that point onward. Though past elements of the Expanded Universe have been declared non-canon as a whole, they remain a resource for future Star Wars material to reference elements of the EU, thus bringing these elements into the new continuity as canon.^[1][2]"

I think, properly interpreted - this quote says - "EU is non canon as a whole but we aren't burning the books and declaring everything off limits in the new canon. We can mine the EU for ideas and characters but are not beholden to anything in them. Thrawn could be in Aftermath. And he could be orange and that would be the new reality regardless of what came before." (shrug)

Why is canon important?

as long as not overwritten by a nu-canon source then it may be used and may be treated as canonical.

That's actually debatable. Legends may or may not be canon. You can look at it from two very different POV's. Either Legends is canon until it's overwriten. Or you can look at it as that Legends is untrue unless something from the new canon includes it.

I take the view that since it was never anything other then secondary canon at best, it should still be treated that way, until it's included in something that is actually canon. One of the first pages of Aftermath make it quite clear that Disney doesn't consider any of the Legends books to be Canon.

That and when you consider how pretty much everything is being over written, it seems highly unlikely any of the Legends is going to survive the end of this year.

Literally anyone except Lucas.

Disney films/Pixar which they have some involvement in, are generally of quality.

This is the company that made Fantasia. It's not going to be ****.

Why is canon important?

For this game? It's not really. For general discussions about the Star Wars universe it's important because it established the generally accepted facts of the universe.

Without canon, discussing Star Wars would be like trying to discuss WWII with someone who believes Aliens were actually the ones behind the Axis powers.

Yeah ... maybe they figured out that there are more non-Trekkies.

Funny, I like his movies better than some (most) of the original timeline movies, some of which were utter drek.

Many people like movies whose story exist to connect special-fx scenes and is not of further importance.

Quite likely, yes. Not me though, my favourite movies rely on actual acting. That doesn't mean though that I can't thoroughly enjoy a big effects blockbuster.

But please, if it makes you feel better about yourself, by all means remain on your high horse.

I am still amazed that people are attributing LFL's actions to Disney. Has no one actually paid attention to LFL before?

Literally anyone except Lucas.

Disney films/Pixar which they have some involvement in, are generally of quality.

This is the company that made Fantasia. It's not going to be ****.

Well, Disney has produced some real stinkers. And most of their direct to video stuff was thoroughly cash driven. But they haven't had a real flop in the last few years, so that's something.

Literally anyone except Lucas.

Disney films/Pixar which they have some involvement in, are generally of quality.

This is the company that made Fantasia. It's not going to be ****.

Well, Disney has produced some real stinkers. And most of their direct to video stuff was thoroughly cash driven. But they haven't had a real flop in the last few years, so that's something.

Stinkers with their theatrical releases? Such as?

Mistakes in targeting the right audience perhaps, but stinkers?

Literally anyone except Lucas.

Disney films/Pixar which they have some involvement in, are generally of quality.

This is the company that made Fantasia. It's not going to be ****.

Well, Disney has produced some real stinkers. And most of their direct to video stuff was thoroughly cash driven. But they haven't had a real flop in the last few years, so that's something.

Stinkers with their theatrical releases? Such as?

Mistakes in targeting the right audience perhaps, but stinkers?

A lot of their live action movies in the 60s and 70s.

I am more worried about JJ facation!!! of the movies... Or worst the kidifacation of them simply to sell more toys... My plastic Crack Star wars miniatures are not TOYS it says so on the package!!!

Or worst the kidifacation of them simply to sell more toys...

Unlike what George did?

Literally anyone except Lucas.

Disney films/Pixar which they have some involvement in, are generally of quality.

This is the company that made Fantasia. It's not going to be ****.

Well, Disney has produced some real stinkers. And most of their direct to video stuff was thoroughly cash driven. But they haven't had a real flop in the last few years, so that's something.

Stinkers with their theatrical releases? Such as?

Mistakes in targeting the right audience perhaps, but stinkers?

A lot of their live action movies in the 60s and 70s.

Herbie was awesome! I was a little kid and I loved it, it was directed at little kids.

Literally anyone except Lucas.

Disney films/Pixar which they have some involvement in, are generally of quality.

This is the company that made Fantasia. It's not going to be ****.

Well, Disney has produced some real stinkers. And most of their direct to video stuff was thoroughly cash driven. But they haven't had a real flop in the last few years, so that's something.

Stinkers with their theatrical releases? Such as?

Mistakes in targeting the right audience perhaps, but stinkers?

Pocahontas is the only relatively recent one, but there were some before my time, as I understand.

A lot of their live action movies in the 60s and 70s.

Herbie was awesome! I was a little kid and I loved it, it was directed at little kids.

I'm aware of that -- I watched many of the Disney LA movies as a kid. However, Disney was clearly at its nadir. It wouldn't be until the post-Little Mermaid renaissance that their movies would be really good again.

So it's lowest point was producing cheapish movies that were popular among their intended audiences and have had remakes made within the last 10 years?

Ok sure. I'll take that.

If that's their lowest point, then we can't lose.