Disney has always had an interesting relationship with games. There was always some iteration of Disney Interactive (Disney Software, Buena Vista Games) which contracted seemingly random studios...
Disney has always had an interesting relationship with games. There was always some iteration of Disney Interactive (Disney Software, Buena Vista Games) which contracted seemingly random studios for projects. The earliest I remember is Capcom making Duck Tales and then Virgin Interactive doing a lot of tie in platformers like Aladdin, Jungle Book and Lion King.
For years they were publishing everything from Preschool Edutainment to Toy Story 2 (which in my head is still the greatest game ever I will never destroy the illusion by replaying it) and the immortal Cory in the House for the DS. And Kingdom Hearts... It happened, is happening, I don't know what's going on there.
But they really tried going all in on the Disney infinity project back in the early 2010s and it was positioned as a Amiibo physical collectable. I remember going to Disney land at the time and while those things were everywhere, there wasn't any hype or push to buy it. It inevitably failed and I think the c-suite took it as a sign to streamline the process. Disney Interactive died and each IP worked directly with a studio
So I'm interested in where this Epic deal will go, especially with so many people having a piece of the Disney pie. EA has their star wars plan, Gameloft has the Dreamland IP, Square has a handle on Kingdom Hearts, Ubisoft, Bethesda, TTGames. And there hasn't been any complete failures that's come to mind recently.
My guess is more Fortnight and crossover campaigns. Maybe even a major Disney themed permanent mode, something to actually deliver in the Infinity concept. Also plenty of potential with the popular Lego games in the Lego Fortnight mode. Maybe even Disney assets in thier creator ecosystem. I think Disney is probably loosing a bit of relevance in younger markets. Epic wants to compete with Roblox. It's a win/win.
I don’t follow this stuff super closely but the recent Disney games on my radar were Dreamlight Valley and Speedstorm. Both look decent on their face but seem to be overly reliant on...
I don’t follow this stuff super closely but the recent Disney games on my radar were Dreamlight Valley and Speedstorm. Both look decent on their face but seem to be overly reliant on microtransactions. Fortnite being cut from the same mold seems like a continuation of that model. In my opinion it’s predatory and gross and on top of that just not very fun. But it’s indicative of where Disney’s priorities lie these days.
How is it predatory? Fortnite's revenue comes mostly from sales of their seasonal Battle Passes, which only give people access to some exclusive cosmetics for that season, and even the "V-Bucks"...
How is it predatory? Fortnite's revenue comes mostly from sales of their seasonal Battle Passes, which only give people access to some exclusive cosmetics for that season, and even the "V-Bucks" microtransaction side of the business is only for purchasing entirely optional character cosmetics too. And much like with Rocket League, it's pretty easy to earn enough V-Bucks from the Battle Pass rewards every season to re-subscribe to the next season's Battle Pass without having to spend any more money. E.g. Fortnite's Battle Pass currently costs 950 V-Bucks, but contains 1500 V-Bucks in rewards.
A bit off-topic, but I have recently been through two events that kind of illustrate Disney's priorities: Netflix could not process the monthly payment due to some card issues; I got a warning in...
A bit off-topic, but I have recently been through two events that kind of illustrate Disney's priorities:
Netflix could not process the monthly payment due to some card issues; I got a warning in the app and could still use it
Disney+ could not process the payment. They instantly cut off my access & so far I got 6 e-mails telling me to update my payment info or get my sub cancelled
I've been playing it for a year, now, and Dreamlight Valley is actually really good on microtransactions. They're actually pretty generous with giving users ways to get free Moonstones (the...
I've been playing it for a year, now, and Dreamlight Valley is actually really good on microtransactions. They're actually pretty generous with giving users ways to get free Moonstones (the premium currency), and Moonstone are only used to buy cosmetic items (so no using it to speed up progression).
The community has also been really satisfied with the size and scope of the first paid expansion, and there are still more free content updates planned.
I appreciate this response. I think the game actually looks pretty charming, like something my daughter would enjoy. But I’ve been trying to shield her from microtransactions as a matter of...
I appreciate this response. I think the game actually looks pretty charming, like something my daughter would enjoy. But I’ve been trying to shield her from microtransactions as a matter of principle. I don’t “like” them at all, because it seems like the upsell ads always encroach on gameplay in more obtrusive ways, replacing fun with dissatisfaction, and frankly we’re advertised to enough already… but I recognize that there are degrees of predation and I’m relieved that Disney hasn’t gone full Candy Crush.
If it’s cosmetic stuff only and not a pay-to-win conveyor belt or Skinner box slot machine, I might be persuaded to pick it up for her.
It will be interesting to see what kind of a role Iger takes in this acquisition. He's been interested in the gaming space, particularly metaverse stuff for awhile now, even sat on the board of an...
It will be interesting to see what kind of a role Iger takes in this acquisition. He's been interested in the gaming space, particularly metaverse stuff for awhile now, even sat on the board of an avatar styled web3 company called Genies.
It's not an acquisition. Epic's latest valuation was over $30Bn, so it's unlikely the $1.5Bn investment would have even gotten Disney anywhere close to a controlling stake.
It's not an acquisition. Epic's latest valuation was over $30Bn, so it's unlikely the $1.5Bn investment would have even gotten Disney anywhere close to a controlling stake.
Sure my mistake. Do you have any thoughts on the point of my post? Do you think Iger will be involved given his interest in this space in the past or do you think that's unlikely?
Sure my mistake. Do you have any thoughts on the point of my post? Do you think Iger will be involved given his interest in this space in the past or do you think that's unlikely?
No idea. The details of the investment deal, and Iger's potential role at Epic (if any), are pretty vague so far, as is Tim Sweeney's statement about "collaborating on something entirely new to...
No idea. The details of the investment deal, and Iger's potential role at Epic (if any), are pretty vague so far, as is Tim Sweeney's statement about "collaborating on something entirely new to build a persistent, open and interoperable ecosystem that will bring together the Disney and Fortnite communities." I'm sure we'll hear an announcement with upcoming plans soon enough though.
What an interesting move with how close Apple and Disney have often been. I know it was mostly over inflating a single comment from Iger about selling to Apple, but going in with Epic is a pretty...
What an interesting move with how close Apple and Disney have often been. I know it was mostly over inflating a single comment from Iger about selling to Apple, but going in with Epic is a pretty different direction.
Disney has always had an interesting relationship with games. There was always some iteration of Disney Interactive (Disney Software, Buena Vista Games) which contracted seemingly random studios for projects. The earliest I remember is Capcom making Duck Tales and then Virgin Interactive doing a lot of tie in platformers like Aladdin, Jungle Book and Lion King.
For years they were publishing everything from Preschool Edutainment to Toy Story 2 (which in my head is still the greatest game ever I will never destroy the illusion by replaying it) and the immortal Cory in the House for the DS. And Kingdom Hearts... It happened, is happening, I don't know what's going on there.
But they really tried going all in on the Disney infinity project back in the early 2010s and it was positioned as a Amiibo physical collectable. I remember going to Disney land at the time and while those things were everywhere, there wasn't any hype or push to buy it. It inevitably failed and I think the c-suite took it as a sign to streamline the process. Disney Interactive died and each IP worked directly with a studio
So I'm interested in where this Epic deal will go, especially with so many people having a piece of the Disney pie. EA has their star wars plan, Gameloft has the Dreamland IP, Square has a handle on Kingdom Hearts, Ubisoft, Bethesda, TTGames. And there hasn't been any complete failures that's come to mind recently.
My guess is more Fortnight and crossover campaigns. Maybe even a major Disney themed permanent mode, something to actually deliver in the Infinity concept. Also plenty of potential with the popular Lego games in the Lego Fortnight mode. Maybe even Disney assets in thier creator ecosystem. I think Disney is probably loosing a bit of relevance in younger markets. Epic wants to compete with Roblox. It's a win/win.
I don’t follow this stuff super closely but the recent Disney games on my radar were Dreamlight Valley and Speedstorm. Both look decent on their face but seem to be overly reliant on microtransactions. Fortnite being cut from the same mold seems like a continuation of that model. In my opinion it’s predatory and gross and on top of that just not very fun. But it’s indicative of where Disney’s priorities lie these days.
How is it predatory? Fortnite's revenue comes mostly from sales of their seasonal Battle Passes, which only give people access to some exclusive cosmetics for that season, and even the "V-Bucks" microtransaction side of the business is only for purchasing entirely optional character cosmetics too. And much like with Rocket League, it's pretty easy to earn enough V-Bucks from the Battle Pass rewards every season to re-subscribe to the next season's Battle Pass without having to spend any more money. E.g. Fortnite's Battle Pass currently costs 950 V-Bucks, but contains 1500 V-Bucks in rewards.
A bit off-topic, but I have recently been through two events that kind of illustrate Disney's priorities:
I've been playing it for a year, now, and Dreamlight Valley is actually really good on microtransactions. They're actually pretty generous with giving users ways to get free Moonstones (the premium currency), and Moonstone are only used to buy cosmetic items (so no using it to speed up progression).
The community has also been really satisfied with the size and scope of the first paid expansion, and there are still more free content updates planned.
I appreciate this response. I think the game actually looks pretty charming, like something my daughter would enjoy. But I’ve been trying to shield her from microtransactions as a matter of principle. I don’t “like” them at all, because it seems like the upsell ads always encroach on gameplay in more obtrusive ways, replacing fun with dissatisfaction, and frankly we’re advertised to enough already… but I recognize that there are degrees of predation and I’m relieved that Disney hasn’t gone full Candy Crush.
If it’s cosmetic stuff only and not a pay-to-win conveyor belt or Skinner box slot machine, I might be persuaded to pick it up for her.
It will be interesting to see what kind of a role Iger takes in this acquisition. He's been interested in the gaming space, particularly metaverse stuff for awhile now, even sat on the board of an avatar styled web3 company called Genies.
It's not an acquisition. Epic's latest valuation was over $30Bn, so it's unlikely the $1.5Bn investment would have even gotten Disney anywhere close to a controlling stake.
Sure my mistake. Do you have any thoughts on the point of my post? Do you think Iger will be involved given his interest in this space in the past or do you think that's unlikely?
No idea. The details of the investment deal, and Iger's potential role at Epic (if any), are pretty vague so far, as is Tim Sweeney's statement about "collaborating on something entirely new to build a persistent, open and interoperable ecosystem that will bring together the Disney and Fortnite communities." I'm sure we'll hear an announcement with upcoming plans soon enough though.
What an interesting move with how close Apple and Disney have often been. I know it was mostly over inflating a single comment from Iger about selling to Apple, but going in with Epic is a pretty different direction.
When will the growth of these mega corporation behemoths that gobble up companies stop?
When we make laws against it.
What does that have to do with this situation? This isn’t an acquisition.
I must have misread, I thought the article stated that Disney's 1.5 billion dollar stake was controlling in value.