The House of Mouse is looking to broaden its horizons into the world of video games. According to a report by Bloomberg, executives at media company Disney have been urging the company’s CEO Bob Iger to purchase a major game publisher and start making its own software. This news comes following a string of various financial disasters for Disney over the past couple of years following the return of Iger to the company. From the shuttering of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser after roughly a year of operation, to numerous film projects underperforming at the box office and on streaming platform Disney+, Disney is seeing its stock prices drop and consumer support wane, leaving the company in a financial lurch.
Disney CEO Bob Iger
For those wondering, yes, Disney has been a game publisher and developer in the past. Disney Interactive Studios was a longtime division (albeit under various names over the years) within the company before it was shuttered in 2007. Now, it seems Disney might be regretting the decision to license its properties instead of making its own games. The report alleges that studios like EA are being suggested for acquisition, which would certainly be a major shakeup in the industry. These executives also allegedly believe that by becoming a game maker once more, Disney will be able to regain its financial footing and start turning things around. Neither Disney nor Iger have commented on this rumor, but if we hear anything we’ll let you all know.
Source: Bloomberg via GamesIndustry.biz