E3 '07: DGamer heads to DS

Disney planning community-based online network to launch in May 2008 for Nintendo handheld.

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Surprising to some, a few of the biggest announcements coming out of this year's E3 Media and Business Summit weren't from the big-three participants; rather, they came from Disney Interactive Studios. During Microsoft's press conference, Jeff Bell revealed a deal with Disney to bring a whole slate of films to Xbox Live Marketplace. Yesterday, the House of Mouse revealed its unlikely pairing with industry luminary Warren Spector, whose credits include the universally lauded System Shock II, Deus Ex, and Thief games.

Disney revealed one final announcement for the show. Partnering with Nintendo, Disney will launch the social-networking service DGamer for the Nintendo DS. By way of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, DGamer lets players create and customize personal avatars, chat with other DS owners, view leaderboards, and vote in polls. DGamer will come packed in with all Disney games on the DS released after the service launches, and gamers can also access the network through the DGamer Channel on Disney's Web site.

The first games to implement DGamer will be the recently announced The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Spectrobes II, and Hanna Montana 3, all coming next year for the DS. By completing challenges in-game or online, players will be able to unlock special content for their DGamer profiles, including game-themed backgrounds, items, skins, and avatar costumes. Players can then trade or gift these items to others in the DGamer network.

DGamer is the product of Disney's Fall Line Studio, which was created last year to focus exclusively on Nintendo Wii and DS development. DGamer is set for a May 2008 release in North America, and Disney plans to expand the service to its worldwide audience at a later date.

50 Comments

  • NiiN-10-Doe

    Posted Jul 25, 2007 6:34 pm PT

    this might b cool wit Spectrobes II. maybe Prince Caspian. i hope they come out with more original titles like Spectrobes.

  • Act_IV

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 9:24 pm PT

    It's gonna be filtered to hell.

  • GspotDeluxer

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 11:34 am PT

    Uh..................to bad the games will suck

  • easteast

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 10:56 am PT

    Only the movies will sell well on the Marketplace. I don't know of any XBL users who like Hannah Montana...

  • krypto74

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 12:35 am PT

    Hannah Montana, the newest Vivid girl for 2010. Yaaay, now 3 year olds can chat with other disney game fans!! I think this isn't really news.

  • geardawg

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 9:32 pm PT

    But some 3rd party n00bs and cartoon people jump in? Pfft... good luck

  • geardawg

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 9:21 pm PT

    or maybe a firmware update with a GBA slot HDD/Memory expansion pak thingy to store Mii's or chat or send messages or "Channels" so you have a non motion senitve Wii in your pocket? Cha-Ching!!! for nintendo

  • Neomelkoreta

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 7:33 pm PT

    HOLY **** Hanna Montana 3 is gunna drop bombs all over you noobz! Cant wait to get online and chat to fellow lil girls about our secksual fantasies!!!!

  • Lord_Artix

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 6:06 pm PT

    Yeah...Nintendo should do this for all their games. Then maybe I'd give a damn...But Disney? No. Just no...

  • nintendo_fan675

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 11:05 am PT

    I always hated Disney games for there low quality this better be good

  • BoogleandFoogi

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 7:31 am PT

    seems interesting, hopefully something like this happens on the Wii, because I think I'm gonna sell my DS

  • Bandit_Haze

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 6:03 am PT

    -InsrtNameHere- Interesting... Alot like Microsoft and their 'achievements'

    indeed, though thats not a bad thing if thats what you're gettin at.. i think this is a good idea, i hope other publishers follow suit

  • -InsrtNameHere-

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 6:56 pm PT

    Interesting... Alot like Microsoft and their 'achievements'

  • DSJAM

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 6:23 pm PT

    This is a great idea,I just wish it was for more than just disney games.

  • jesus_knight

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 5:03 pm PT

    cool the nintendo DS will be even more popular

  • Yodax007

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:03 pm PT

    actually home sounds a lot like animal crossing. Except for the in game advertising...

  • jem_gal

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:43 pm PT

    sounds interesting...and that's all i can say

  • rockinrobot1991

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:56 am PT

    Hopefully Nintendo will catch on and let people chat in their games. Mario Kart minus trash talking equals less fun.

  • lase88

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:15 am PT

    @msudude

    And Home kind of seems like a Sims game, but also seems like myspace, which seems like facebook, which kinda seems like talking to people in real life, which is kind of like life, which is...wait a minute...

  • msudude211

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:32 am PT

    Kind of seems like the PS3's "Home" idea.

  • magicmo

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 5:54 am PT

    Very nice concept.

  • net_mugger

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:56 am PT

    Well...let's see how it goes...what else can I say?!

  • Thorpe89 Site moderator

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:39 am PT

    Think I'll be leaving this one.

  • etcetcetc

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:17 am PT

    oh man dgamer sounds awesome, oh shi- hannah montana 3 i am now the happiest gamer ever *WARNING* major sarcasm alert

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:32 am PT

    doesn't sound that interesting..

  • MasterAsh42

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:12 am PT

    So. . .online features DS owners are clamoring for are being put into games they don't play?

    Nintendo. . .buddy. . .pal. . .Why do you test me so?

  • Bansheesdie

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 10:01 pm PT

    A Disney title, sure, why not?

  • Pete5506

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 9:51 pm PT

    ok good I gess

  • Saphire_Kitsune

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 9:06 pm PT

    Um...Okay. *shrugs* It sounds kind of interesting...I guess...maybe...possibly..sort of...

  • SpikeCool

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 8:20 pm PT

    This is going to be either very good or very bad

  • SinceThe80s

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 8:11 pm PT

    woot

  • icytower38 Site moderator

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 7:21 pm PT

    One word... interesting

  • roan23

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 7:02 pm PT

    Disney, Noooooooooooo, try to go to PSP plz. More kids games, and crappy games for DS, they just want to expended the DS library.

  • jesus_knight

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 6:38 pm PT

    yea maeros4 disney games sometimes are very good, remember lion king and aladin for the snes

  • Maeros4

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 6:15 pm PT

    i like disney getting in videogames

  • DouglasBuffone

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 5:14 pm PT

    Huh this is kind of an interesting idea, I think this could work as a good prototype.

  • Banhammer3000

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 4:54 pm PT

    Yay more crap for the Ds.This wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt because friend codes are going to cripple the game real bad.

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 4:33 pm PT

    Sounds like it could work well but needs more games.

  • Agreb91

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 4:29 pm PT

    A Hannah Montana game! Wow!

  • teknicz

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 4:08 pm PT

    Agreed with the other posters, let's do this for all DS games, or make a new firmware to include it in the DS itself.

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 3:20 pm PT

    Wow! That's a lot of Disney movies!

  • JFannn

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 3:09 pm PT

    hopefully our avatars wont have to be Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

  • yoshi_64

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 3:06 pm PT

    Wow.. Disney tops Nintendo in their own network? Who'd of thunk? Sadly it's just Disney games... get back to me on that Warren Spector game then if it's for the DS, and hopefully it has this... hell Nintendo... are you listening?

  • bobtheflounder

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 3:02 pm PT

    If they had something like this that worked with ALL DS games rather than just Disney games, I might actually be excited about this. Who knows, maybe this will finally convince me to pick up Hanna Montana 3. I was skeptical about HM 1 and 2, but the third time might just be the charm.

  • dragonlordalpha

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 2:59 pm PT

    Well this is going to suck... This would be cool if it wasn't Disney themed

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 2:47 pm PT

    What's the point? Don't people already complain the DS Wi-Fi is an uber pain in the ass to use?

  • Adam_the_Nerd

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 2:43 pm PT

    Sounds kind of like, Disney Chatroom + Xbox LIve on the DS = ummm, market gimmick?

  • kylestarr

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 2:27 pm PT

    They should incorporate the VMK onto the DS!!

  • trj156

    Posted Jul 13, 2007 2:22 pm PT

    ds would be awesome with a network similar to xbox live.

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