May the 4th be with you!
May 04, 2023 – minute read
Some fandoms run deep — and perhaps there are no better examples than that of the Star Wars community on YouTube. Pair that fandom with video games and we’ve taken it to the next level. In fact, the Star Wars gaming community uploads over 1,000 gaming videos related to Star Wars to YouTube — Every. Single. Day.1
The Star Wars gaming community uploads over 1,000 gaming videos related to Star Wars to YouTube — Every. Single. Day.
And these gaming videos aren’t just gameplay. They include incredible ways the community has gone above and beyond to bring the Star Wars universe to life, from fan fiction cinematic masterpieces, to reenactments, to history lessons and deep lore from some of the best in the game.
Creators have been using Star Wars games to create fan fiction stories and sketches for more than a decade- remixing, retelling, reinventing, and parodying Star Wars within and through the games. These include feature-length fan films created within the games to tell expanded stories of the in-game universes, tying in the comics and books and short films created using cinematic tools in games like Battlefront and Battlefront II. They even include stop-motion reenactments using LEGO Star Wars games as their canvas for creation.
And there’s no better way to dive into the lore and backstories using the games as connection points to go even deeper into Star Wars fandom. Creators on YouTube treat the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR, KOTOR 2, and Star Wars: The Old Republic) games as their own stories separate from the cinematic universe, but also as integral pieces in Star Wars lore and history connected to the greater franchise. They delve into long-form analysis and video essays piecing together the game-specific characters and stories in KOTOR and the potential implications on the current canon. And with KOTOR remaining as one of the top 10 most uploaded Star Wars games on YouTube almost twenty years after its release2, it’s a testament to the staying power of this beloved game.
We can’t celebrate without including the latest release, Jedi: Survivor. In preparation, Creators have been providing story summaries and explanations of the events and characters in Fallen Order. The games’ stories provide a link in the timeline between the prequel trilogy events and the original trilogy events. Because of the robust and complex network of stories in this period in Star Wars lore, fans are deeply interested in the games’ connections, deep lore, and how it opens up stories in the shows and films.
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With Star Wars gaming videos averaging millions of views a day3, there’s no end to the creativity, excitement and passion for Star Wars within the YouTube Gaming community. So on this special day, May the 4th be with you.
1. YouTube Data, Global, 14 Apr 2022 - 11 Apr 2023
2. YouTube Data, Global, 01 Jan - 26 - Apr 2023
3. YouTube Data, Global, 01 Jan - 12 Apr 2023