Disney merges games and Internet
Citing an evolving market, the media multinational merges divisions behind Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Turok, and Hannah Montana.
Today it has been confirmed that Disney will be merging its Internet Group with games publisher Disney Interactive Studios to form the Disney Interactive Media Group. Web site PaidContent.org broke the news, which came from an internal memo from Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Iger wrote, "As console and handheld games become more connected to the Internet, and as Internet and mobile become increasingly robust destinations for games and a range of interactive entertainment, we are taking this opportunity to integrate these activities."
The new division will be headed up by Steve Wadsworth, who previously led the now-defunct Walt Disney Internet Group. He will be assisted by the former executive vice president and general manager of Disney Interactive Studios, Graham Hopper. The existing management teams will continue to run the combined group.
Disney Interactive games include Disney Friends, Disney's Meet the Robinsons, Hannah Montana, Ratatouille, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The Walt Disney Internet Group worked on titles such as Pirates of the Caribbean Online.
This isn't the first time that Disney's games division has had a name change--it was founded in 1988 as Walt Disney Computer Software, then in 1996 became Disney Interactive. In 2003, the decision was made to "diversify its portfolio" and distance itself from the Disney brand and become Buena Vista Games. Then in 2007, it remerged the two divisions it had set up in 2003--Buena Vista Interactive and Disney Interactive--and became Disney Interactive Studios.
47 comments
Some Disney movies are actually pretty good, but nine times out of ten the games suck. The last good Disney game I ever played was Toy Story 2, and before that was Toy Story and Aladdin for the Sega Genesis. I mean, seriously. If they want to execute what they're trying to do (make more money) then they should start by making good video games, because that's where it's at right now.
I see a lot of people here are ripping Disney but let us not forget, if there were no Disney, we would never have Kingdom Hearts... Either that, or it would be a merger with Looney Tunes instead. :-(
Hellmetal789 "no way online disney games as if single player ones didnt suck already" LOL, Thats pretty much what i was thinking.
disney has already made games such as pirates and others. disney isnt what it use to be when i was a kid now they like to push the limit and have cursing, violence, etc. however i think some of there games are good but most are kid games that should be wii exclusive. i did play and beat games that were on snes that were fun but i was also a kid at that time but recently as an adult in my late 20's i found the pirates game very fun and entertaining. that may also be because i am a huge fan of the series of movies but having disney as a mainstream video game maker is not a good idea at all and i cant back them up on that. they have the micky image and its hard to shake that when everyone just thinks of disney as kids heaven but we shall have to wait and see what the future holds.. they have a lot of work to do.
Some films on Disney are good sometimes even they are for children but the story it has behind the film is very interesting and sometimes can touch people a lot...
Wow are thay makeing the worst game in history? No realy I mean all the games listed are bad!
Some of the Disney games were good like the ones on the Genesis, but..... that was 15 years ago so....
Well, the last Disney game that was any good that I played was Tron 2.0. Disney does, however, own Junction Point Studios, the studio run by Warren Spector who brought us Deus Ex and System Shock , among other classics.
As for me I have never bought any of their games. Take a look for yourself not even gamespot will waste their time in trying to review the games.
Yay, more exploitation of people, by putting even more effort into selling off absolute rubbish. Seriously they'd be much better off if they tried working with other companies like they did with Kingdom Hearts.
I'm not for their own games, but they have been quite successful with Square Enix on the Kingdom Hearts series...
I thought Hercules on the PS1 was pretty good. Other than that, the only good games I've seen with the Disney label on them are the Kingdom Hearts games and those ROCK!!
How about a game set in the turok universe where you play as a stranded Hanna Montana who can wield a cutlass and a flintlock like a pirate arrrrrrr......
@FLzthvikings87 Either way he's right their games are awful, and their pretty late to discover an amazing feature called "Multi-Player."
They need to make a Shrek FPS asap! Maybe GTA style game where you play goofy and you've been pushed too far. Finally a Donald Duck game where you play a detective. They could call it Donald Dick
When was the last Disney game any good anyways? " Chip n' Dale's Rescue Rangers for NES =)
As long as Disney keeps churning out movies and shows that their company can develop games for there's bound to be more name changes in the future.
"GatCloudx-how about better games your games suck and also you guys are late to the party with online " how about you stop writing as if its going to be sent directly to disney
how about better games your games suck and also you guys are late to the party with online
How about re-releasing that old side-scrolling Toy Story game? That thing was awesome when I was a kid.
They can stop changing the title now... just give me Wall-E with a nice "Disney Interactive" label...
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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
- Publisher(s): Disney Interactive Studios
- Developer(s): Eurocom Entertainment Software
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