It’s no secret that mobile is making great gains in the gaming world. In the last year, numerous ports of popular PC and console games came to iOS and Android devices. Now, it seems Disney plans to expand further into the mobile gaming space. On Tuesday, Kyle Laughlin, Senior VP of Disney’s Games and Interactive Experiences, announced the entertainment powerhouse will partner with four major mobile developers to create a whole slew of new games bearing the Disney name.
Fans of Disney games were distraught last spring when the company closed the doors on Avalanche, the studio that made the popular Infinity series, effectively putting an end to the game for anyone who played online via PC or consoles.
I’m sad Disney infinity died. They had a good thing going, the figures were great. Shame Disney screwed up and they shut it down
— me right here (@Chappy4214) January 13, 2018
While candid about plans to end in-house game development, Disney offered little information about the future of its games beyond a statement mentioning movement to third-party developers. Now we know Disney will be partnering with four well-known mobile game studios to produce their future games. These partners include Gameloft , Glu , Ludia and PerBlue.
So what could Disney have in mind as they partner with these game studios? While no titles have been officially announced, it appears the company is looking to diversify its offerings, as each studio has a distinctive style for which they are known. Gameloft has already gotten Disney’s foot firmly in the mobile gaming door with its ongoing hit, Disney Magic Kingdoms, but it’s also the studio behind Asphalt Streetstorm and Sonic Runners Adventure. Glu Games is known for its celebrity adventures like Kim Kardashian Hollywood, Ludia for simulators like Jurassic Park Builders, and PerBlue for developing a variety of RPG/Strategy-type games. During his talk at Casual Connect USA, Laughlin did mention RPGs and brawlers as some of the genres Disney is actively researching for development. While the company is focusing most of its energy on mobile, there is still interest in development for PC via Steam.
“We’ve been working hard to find the right partners and work with developers and partners that have had success before,” Laughlin said.
Despite drawing further away from console games, Laughlin assured fans that Disney will continue working with Square Enix on the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III, scheduled to release on consoles later this year.
