Disney has plans for game developers to reimagine its vast library of intellectual properties. That encompasses Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios. Insomniac Game's Marvel’s Spider-Man and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order are examples of gigantic hits for both Sony and EA respectively. Classic and modern hits adapted into video games has always been a dream come true for fans.
On February 12, 2020 last week, senior VP of Games and Interactive Experiences, Sean Shoptaw, stated at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas that Disney wants to “empower” developers to use its' catalogue of IP.
“I’m here for one specific reason: to empower you to do really unique things with our [catalogue]... We want to tap into the power of creatives across the industry. We want to dream big and look forward to all the things we can do together.” - Sean Shoptaw
Disney decided to invest and devote more resources to the gaming industry. Not only in-house projects, but also external game studios. By adopting a licensing approach, interested developers and publishers are able to access Disney's IPs. This is a huge change for the company, considering they have been licensing out IPs for in-house development only.
Disney currently has a number of long-standing partnerships with major developers. Square Enix for Kingdom Hearts, EA for the Star Wars franchise. Some Star Wars titles are developed by other studios such as Oculus and Warner Bros. As for mobile games, franchise tie-ins games like Fortnite are likely to proceed further. Upcoming projects are Camouflaj's Marvel's Iron Man VR (in May 15), Crystal Dynamics Montreal & Square Enix's Marvel’s Avengers (in September 4).
With the booming of Google Stadia and Microsoft Project XCloud, there is no shortage in the gamer-verse. It is a great time to add an extra layer to powerful franchises.
With the booming of Google Stadia and Microsoft Project XCloud, there is no shortage in the gamer-verse. It is a great time to add an extra layer to powerful franchises.
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