Why was Disney closed the game department while it was successful in movies?

In 1988, Disney launched "Walt Disney · Computer Software" as a game department and was involved in the game in the position "Third party will make spin-off game of portfolio owned by our company", 1994 In December he established "Disney Interactive" to make game software himself, and since then he has also been a game company.

Although it was an image that acquired several game companies and is taking an expansion route, it closed the umbrella studio that was left in 2016, shifted the focus to the licensing business center, and returned to the policy before 1994 It was.

Inside Disney's messy video game business - Tech Insider
http://www.techinsider.io/inside-disneys-messy-video-game-business-2016-5

Disney Cancels Infinity, No Longer Self-Publishing Games - IGN
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/05/10/disney-cancels-infinity-no-longer-self-publishing-games

There were a number of studios in the umbrella of this interactive division.

◆Avalanche Software


Perhaps the most well-known Disney Interactive game company (development team) is this "Avalanche Software". Four men in the company called Sculptured Software, established in October 1995, produced software for Genesis (North American version MegaDrive) and Super NES (North American version Super Nintendo), with more than 100 staff members It was.

Disney acquired this company in April 2005 and has produced Disney content games such as "Chicken Little", "Volt", "Toy Story 3", "Cars 2".

"Disney Infinity" released in August 2013 is a hit movie released worldwide in 3 million copies, released in November 2013 and sold 500,000 books in Japan, and in 2014 the sequel "Disney Infinity 2.0" In 2015 "Disney Infinity 3.0" of further sequel was released.

Disney INFINITY 3.0 Disney Infinity 3.0 | NAMCO BANDAI Entertainment Official Site
http://disney-infinity3.bn-ent.net/


◆Propaganda Games
Prior to Avalanche, Disney established "Propaganda Games" in April 2005. Former Electronic Arts The staff of Canada is the center and has released FPS game "Turokku" and action adventure game "Tron: Evolution".

Tron Evolution World Premiere Trailer [HD] - YouTube


Production of Turlock's sequel "Turok 2" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned" was forecasted, but in January 2011 before that release It was closed.

Pirates of the Caribbean Armada of the Damned E3 2010 Debut Trailer [HD] - YouTube


Incidentally, this "Tulock" has nothing to do with "Space-time warrior Tulock" (Development: Iguana Entertainment) released to NINTENDO 64 in 1997, and its sequel "Violence Killer TUROK NEW GENERATION".

◆Fall Line Studios
In 2006 it was founded as a sister studio of Avalanche Software. Like "Avalanche" such as "Horn of the Narnia: Prince Caspian", I was producing a game using Disney content, but in 2009 it merged with Avalanche and disappeared.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian New Game Trailer - YouTube


◆Black Rock Studio
A company founded in 1998 as "Pixel Planet" is predecessor. This company was acquired by British game development company "Climax Studios" in 1999, renamed "Climax Brighton", and in 2004 it became "Climax Racing" by group restructuring.

It was bought by Disney in September 2006 and two games were put out, but it was closed in June 2011.

Split / Second E3 trailer - YouTube


◆Junction Point Studios
Action RPG with Looking Glass StudiosSystem ShockDeveloped such asWarren SpectorFounded in 2005 by Mr. et al. The company name "Junction Point" comes from the title that was discontinued when Spector was enrolled in Looking Glass Studios.

Disney acquires in July 2007. Action adventure game for Wii "Disney Epic Mickey ~ Mickey Mouse and Magical Brush ~"And its sequel"Disney Epic Mickey 2: Two PowerAlthough it produced, it was closed in January 2013 because sales were not good. In the same year, Mr. Spector also left Disney.

Wii U / Wii "Disney Epic Mickey 2: Two Power" - YouTube


◆Wideload Games
Bungie Software "Halo: Combat Evolved"A company was founded in 2003 by seven people including Mr. Alexander · Cellopian who developed"

Disney acquired in September 2009, released a puzzle game for Wii "Guilty Party" in August 2010. After that, with the rebuilding of Disney Interactive's business reconfiguration turned to mobile game production, Marvel's superheroes appeared "Avengers Initiative" released. However, it was closed in March 2014.

Disney Guilty Party Trailer - YouTube


◆Other
Besides this, in April 2008 we acquired China's independent game maker Game Star, and in July 2010 we acquired the social game maker's play dam.

However, the interactive division struggled, and in the huge Disney it contributed little. The deficit recorded from 2008 to 2014 amounted to 55 million dollars (about 6 billion yen), and after the settlement of accounts in 2014, personnel cuts were made, and former "play dam" department was dismissed with hundreds of people It was.

◆Withdrawal from the game department and the reason
Speaking of Disney, Mickey Mouse and Disney Land, ESPN for sports channels, Marvell, in 2012Acquired LucasfilmI also have "Star Wars" in hand.

In other words, although it can be said to be "the world's most successful entertainment enterprise", I closed Avalanche Software, which had been producing "Disney Infinity" on May 10, 2016. Although I will continue the mobile game field in the future, I decided to withdraw from large game production such as PS 4 and PC.

Mr. Alexander Cerropian, who was at the core of Disney's games department from 2009 to 2012 on the acquisition of Wideload Games on the point that "Disney does not work in the game field" said, "From a financial perspective, it was surprisingly strict "I talked about its inner circumstances.

It is natural that there is an accounting department in a big company, and Bungie Software once belonged to Mr. Seropian was also under the umbrella of Microsoft, so that person in charge of accounting was included. The judgment was "It was a bit more focused on the product and I was able to make a managerial decision to make profits if I make the right one." However, Disney does not have it, it seems that it was judged by seeing the spreadsheet rather than the product.

"Disney did not know the game well," said Mr. Seropian. In retrospect, I finally got a hit titled "Disney Infinity", but even with this title it was a result that was below the sales plan for several years, so that "I was afraid" and the game department completely collapsed It was decided to be.

Disney's CEO Robert Eiger commented on this report that he thought that it would be better to manage the risk by concentrating on the licensing business rather than putting out the game on their own.