Disney game group revs rise on Epic Mickey

After announcing last year that it would be backing off from the high-end console market, Disney has set about changing the gaming outlook within its Interactive division. That process has resulted in the purchase of casual-gaming network Playdom for more than half a billion dollars, the closure of Tron: Evolution studio Propaganda Games, and layoffs within Disney Interactive Media Group and Epic Mickey outfit Junction Point Studios.

That change in direction looks to be having a positive impact on Disney Interactive's earnings. As part of The Walt Disney Company's first-quarter earnings report today, the multinational conglomerate said that its Interactive Media division grew revenue by 58 percent to $349 million. However, losses mounted to $13 million, due in large part to expenses related to the acquisition of Playdom.

Notably, Disney said that it actually experienced gains in console game sales. The company said it saw a "strong performance" from Epic Mickey and Toy Story 3, which outperformed last year's releases that included Sing It Pop Hits and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. According to the LA Times, Epic Mickey's first-month sales tallied more than 1.3 million units, even if critics responded tepidly to the title.

The Disney Group as a whole performed extremely well during the quarter ended January 1, 2011. Company-wide revenues rose 10 percent to $10.7 billion, while net income rocketed up 54 percent to $1.3 billion.