Disney To Develop Nintendo Games

Elizabeth Millard, newsfactor.com

Disney’s video game publishing division, Buena Vista Games Group, announced development of the smaller group, called “Fall Line Studio,” which is tasked with creating Disney-inspired games for Nintendo’s devices.

Based out of Salt Lake City, Fall Line Studio is expected to draw on the iconic Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, for the upcoming titles.

Chosen as vice president and general manager of the new studio is Scott Novis, who helmed the Rainbow Studios teams that developed a video game based on the Disney Pixar animated movie “Cars.”

Game On

Disney’s ongoing trek into game development falls in line with comments made in September by Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger. He noted then that Disney can earn more by developing its own games rather than licensing characters and content to other game companies. Disney has spent $200 million in the past two years to buy or start game development studios.

A notable buy in 2005 was Avalanche Software, which led to the creation of Propaganda Games in Vancouver, managed by former executives of Electronic Arts Canada. In September 2006, the company bought England-based Climax Racing, a developer of automotive-themed games.

Graham Hopper, general manager of Buena Vista Games, noted in a statement that it is likely another $200 million will be spent in the coming years to continue beefing up Disney’s game-development efforts.

Buena Vista aims to produce 80 percent of its games internally, Hopper noted, and in the last 19 months has tripled its number of employees to 600.

Why Wii?

The choice to align with Nintendo, rather than create games that could be played on other consoles, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3 or Microsoft’s
Xbox 360, was made because Disney felt that Nintendo users tend to be younger.

While Microsoft and Sony compete for “ardent video game fans with high-end graphics and complex games, Nintendo has made the Wii simple and easy to use with a controller sensitive to motion,” Disney noted in its announcement.

Younger children find Xbox and PlayStation games difficult to learn, the company added, but can usually pick up a Nintendo game and start playing quickly.