Disney has announced plans to create a new division called Disney Interactive Media Group, merging the activities of its Walt Disney Internet Group and Walt Disney Interactive Studios divisions. It means that virtual worlds and MMOs will be sitting under the same roof as the company's console and handheld game publishing business.
The new division will be led by WDIG president Steve Wadsworth. MocoNews has the full internal email from Disney boss Bob Iger, which refers to the “convergence of connected console, Internet and mobile-based games”. He goes on:
“The uniqueness of the Disney brand provides us an opportunity and an imperative to create a unified Disney-branded experience and community across all connected devices. Additionally, as console and handheld games become more connected to the Internet, and as Internet and mobile become increasingly robust destinations for games and a range of interactive entertainment, we are taking this opportunity to integrate these activities.”
The most immediate impact will be to allow Disney to consolidate its digital revenues into one division, but the intriguing thing is what it’ll mean for its existing virtual world and MMO properties. For example, could Club Penguin get spin-off games for, say, Nintendo DS and mobile phones? Watch this space.
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