Disney to triple games spending

House of Mouse in a bid to capitalise on 'real opportunity' in the industry.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End publisher Disney will be raising its game development spending to $130 million this year, up almost a third on last year's $100 million, reports Reuters.

Disney's chief financial officer Tom Staggs told journalists at a briefing in London, "We are ramping up our investment in video games... It is a market where there is real opportunity."

Staggs also stated that Disney would be continuing to ramp up its game-related cash to "about a pace of $350 million a year." The executive added that this would be mainly for console and handheld formats, with the majority of the development spend for established content franchises, and the remaining 30 percent or so on new IP.

First up for the company's ambitious plans include a Spectrobes sequel and a massively multiplayer online game based on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Late last year, Disney launched a Salt Lake City-based games studio, Fall Line Studio, focused on creating games for Nintendo's Wii and DS platforms. The company also renamed its games division, formerly known as Buena Vista Interactive, to Disney Interactive Studios at the beginning of February.

The company has so far published a number of titles, including action role-playing game Spectrobes, Kingdom Hearts II (co-published and developed with Square Enix), and Cars (co-published by THQ). Upcoming titles include rhythm game High School Musical in September, and a Turok first-person shooter for next-gen consoles (TBA).

Last week, Disney also announced that it had signed a deal with comic book legend Stan Lee to create a series of new superhero franchises, including games.

53 Comments

  • soldier1993

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 7:38 am PT

    cool

  • AnFangs_Endes

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 4:43 pm PT

    disney owns KH but SE is the only one who can make it right; if dis tried it all alone wouldn't end up right as it's also about 1/2 FF

  • SteadyShark

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 11:18 am PT

    Kingdom Hearts = Amazing. Turok = Sucks unless it's done right. Disney should just stick to pouring money into the Kingdom Hearts game.

  • JBiker51

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 5:33 am PT

    If they have more games like Kingdom Hearts II and Tron 2.0, I could see Disney becoming a big player in the gaming market.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:00 pm PT

    Do a Disney game right and it can be fantastic (anyone remember World of Illusion on the Mega Drive/Genesis?)

  • abw1977

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 7:04 pm PT

    Until they’re willing to delay a game to make it right, like PotC: World’s End, no amount of money is going to matter…

  • GizmoVirus

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 6:08 pm PT

    Lets hope there not like the other disney games

  • Pete5506

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 5:06 pm PT

    they do got game, but zero of the games they have I like

  • AceCometh

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 3:37 pm PT

    Heh, Disney got game.

  • litcarthoume

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 3:27 pm PT

    Stan Lee? Mad!

  • Luker123

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:49 pm PT

    Turok, seriously!? Didn't see that one coming, lol.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:45 pm PT

    ^_^ Yay!! More androgynous anime characters in the next Kingdom Hearts game!! You couldn't expect less when teaming up with Square Enix. Hail to the socially progressive gender benders!!

  • Sheiko

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:41 pm PT

    mhder has a point unless they actually gain some talent or work More with Excellent talent like Square Enix this isn't really worthwhile.

  • mhder

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:36 pm PT

    Disney Interactive studios.. have they made anything palatable? And for those fools out there saying "yes, Kingdom Hearts," give your head a shake and figure out who actually developed that game. Disney interactive has nothing to do with the development of games like Kingdom Hearts, Duck Tales etc etc. Those companies like Square-Enix and Capcom licensed the use of those characters. Don't insult those developers, and at the same time praise Disney Interactive studios by making it seem that there was some type of co-operation between the companies. It's not more money they need, it's talent.

  • VenDaler

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:35 pm PT

    Hopefully the language in Turok won't be too crude. Like some other shooters.

  • ssjlinkx

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:31 pm PT

    Hopefully the upcoming PR games won't be as half-assed as the more recent ones (I'm looking at you , Dino Thunder). They were best when Banpresto/Bandai developed them. I could care less about the movie games.

  • jacnewforce07

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:25 pm PT

    Stan Lee's characters are so awesome!!

  • Mr_Doom212

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:21 pm PT

    Why is everyone bashing Disney? Kingdom Hearts was good and Spectrobes was OK. I cant wait for Turok and the MMO Pirates sounds cool

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:09 pm PT

    lol e rated mmo

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 2:05 pm PT

    Like that will help them make games

  • V-r0cK

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 1:57 pm PT

    the best disney game(s) are the Kingdom Hearts series....wait a minute thats not by disney really.....nvm there are no good disney games

  • 619fan1

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 1:55 pm PT

    wahoo!! more crap for the systems especilly the wii and DS

  • axia_777

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    Three times the amount of spending equals three times the amount of craptastic games!

  • Brokendemise

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 1:12 pm PT

    Hope it's less triple the suckiness.

  • never-named

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:58 pm PT

    It's a true pity that the once revered Disney has so quickly fallen on it's dark days and is now a mere shadow of it's former self. Mr. Walt Disney would be spinning in his grave right about now.

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:53 pm PT

    MMO of Pirates of the Caribbean...How ridiculous can you get? (besides a Sims movie of course)

  • VV2K

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:39 pm PT

    My god, wasn't Disney about cute funny little cartoons and some main character dieing then magically being resurrected making kids cry. Now they all about gaming and cg. I don't think Walt Disney would be proud.

  • darren05r

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:27 pm PT

    oh thank god that disney is increasing spending!!! i cant wait for the next disney game!!!

  • Adamant_Faith

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:25 pm PT

    i can't wait to play Turok

  • Two400

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    i once went on the pirates of the carribean ride at disneyland and there was a drop part and i was scared and started crying

  • ssj4_2004

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:04 pm PT

    *looks at pirate of the carribean in top right-hand corner of this page*
    " Pirates of the Caribbean
    Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
    Developer: Eurocom Entertainment Software
    Genre: Historic Action Adventure
    Platform: PS3
    Release Date: May 22, 2007"

    Does this mean Davey Jones, and the Kracken are real? O_O

  • ElectrolightSH

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:51 am PT

    Everyone else is doing it, why not them?

  • nevershort

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:46 am PT

    @westsidejedi360 Catwoman....... UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (disgustingly).... terrible

  • westsidejedi360

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:42 am PT

    I absolutely hated Finding Nemo. The only worse movie i saw was catwoman.

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:35 am PT

    Old Disney come back! I missed your old movies like Alladin and old Genisis games! They were actually a bit "Unique"...unlike today...

    And lets not get started on old and new Disney cartoons!

  • Boy_Man07

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:31 am PT

    O.K., let's face it: i love Disney and its films(Pirates of the Caribbean, Lion King, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and many others) since i was a child. however, Disney, until now, have not made great games. Kingdom Hearts is fantastic, and just like The Legend of Zelda, one of the best games i've ever played. i love it and i just can't wait for Kingdom Hearts 3! but Kingdom Hearts is not a Disney game, but a Disney and a Square-Enix game...

  • DS_fan_atic

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:29 am PT

    one of America's largest conglomerates strikes again!

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:27 am PT

    How will this turn out I wonder...

  • dmish82

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:22 am PT

    With so many big Disney franchises, I'd hope they would use the money to make quality games. So many games just use movie licenses to sell a half-assed video game tie-in. Remember how great Duck Tales and Chip N Dale were for the NES? Disney needs some MODERN, solid video game titles in its lineup.

  • Willy105

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 11:11 am PT

    Well, if they make ORIGINAl games, the games may be good.

    Pirates MMO sounds interesting.

  • carddude

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 10:47 am PT

    Seriosly! Geez, movie games are the worst.

  • CamisadoBlue

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 10:38 am PT

    Yay! 3 Times as many bad games from disney!!

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 10:32 am PT

    Maybe if they triple game spending.... THEY'LL ACTUALLY MAKE GOOD GAMES. I don't understand why Pirates was such a crappy game. There is so much they could have done with it... it had so much potential. If they made a good pirates game, everybody would buy it.

  • Ardiendo_1

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 10:30 am PT

    I think Disney games are improving; the graphics on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End were worthy of at least a 9/10 in my opinion. I doubt they will ever make any really good games but I'm all for it if they team up with companies like Square in the future.

  • The_AI

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 10:04 am PT

    Kingdom Hearts on the DS, please.

  • Ardiendo_1

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 9:52 am PT

    Kingdom Hearts 3 please! If they don't get rid of Donald and Goofy (which they won't) they could at least give them normal voices, they are just sooo annoying.

  • Agreb91

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 9:39 am PT

    Well if Disney is comitted to making good games, this is an excellent move by them.

  • diablobasher

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 9:32 am PT

    This is doubtfull to make their games any better, although you can but hope. But in all honesty, when they have such terrible movies to base them on, there is little hope from the beginning, no matter how much money you throw at it.

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 9:03 am PT

    Hopefully this will make the games better.

  • mcxps3

    Posted Jun 11, 2007 8:39 am PT

    I need more Kingdom Hearts on my ps3 seiously i love those games i think numero dos was the most beautiful artistic and all around fun game i ever played plus no one gave the awesomely epic soundtrack any credit.

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