Developer Spotlight: Disney Interactive

Saturday, 21 December 2024

Developer Spotlight: Disney Interactive

Added: 18.02.2015 1:00 | 71 views | 0 comments

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? Usually, the answer is obvious: M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Since Mickey's debut in 1928's Steamboat Willie, Disney has been not only a powerhouse, but an innovator and pioneer in animation, be it shorts like The Band Concert, syndicated television such as DuckTales and Chip 'N' Dale Rescue Rangers, or any of the multitude of Disney classic animated films like 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and last year's blockbuster Big Hero 6. From ABC to ESPN, the original Disneyland in Anaheim to the upcoming Disneyland Shanghai, the power of the magic can be felt far and wide. In the realm of video games, however, Mickey Mouse is not the leader of the club. In fact, he's barely in the club. Disney Interactive Studios, the arm of Disney Consumer Products dedicated to gaming on console, computer, social, and mobile platforms, has seen far better days. Disney Interactive has posted losses in annual reports five out of six of the past years, and has seen the willing departure of co-president and former Playdom CEO John Pleasants and the unwilling departure of three development studios under the DI banner and 700 employees under its own roof.