Today I’m taking a break from the Q&A to talk about Disney and gaming.
This video originally started as a rant, but the last thing the internet needs is more
negativity and pessimism.
So while I still plan to talk about what I think Disney is doing wrong when it comes
to gaming, I also want to talk about how I think they can fix it, and I think it begins
with them buying Ubisoft.
My biggest issue with Disney’s approach to gaming today is that it’s hard to even
call it an approach.
They’re not really doing anything with gaming these days.
It’s no secret either.
Back in May of 2016, to the surprise of many fans, Disney not only cancelled Disney Infinity
but they also announced their plans to back out of video game publishing entirely and
instead depend on licensing out their intellectual property to publishers like EA.
As disappointing as this news was, it wasn’t bad business.
While their Consumer Products and Interactive Media division was doing well, it was doing
well in spite of their video games, not because of them.
Luckily merchandise revenue from cash cows like Frozen and licensing Star Wars to EA
for Battlefront both offset the drop in sales for Disney Infinity.
Today when it comes to Disney and video games what we get are mostly low budget mobile games
and licensed Star Wars titles from EA.
There’s also Kingdom Hearts but let’s be real here, it’s one series, and the last
full console release came out 11 years ago.
Sometimes I think maybe Disney forgot that Square Enix is even working on it.
But in any case, what’s the problem?
Kingdom Hearts is a great series, the Battlefront games aren’t amazing, but they’re not
really horrible either, and while the mobile stuff is a whole different can of worms, it
still has its audience and makes money.
It’s all nothing spectacular, but it’s safe and reliable.
Well, that’s the problem.
It’s safe!
This is Disney.
This is the company founded on the ideal of taking creative risks.
Walt put everything he had on the line to start making animated shorts.
He did it again to make Snow White years later.
He did it again even later to build Disneyland.
“Yeah but that was Walt.
He’s been dead for a long time now.” It doesn't matter.
Even in the Eisner era of the company this trend continued.
It was Eisner and Wells who ultimately backed out of working with hotel chains to build
new resorts at Disney World themselves because they realized that Disney would do a better
job making hotels the “Disney Way.”
They stepped out of the shadow of the retail middle-man by creating The Disney Store.
They stopped licensing their characters to cruise lines so that they could form their
own and build their own ships.
When it comes to doing things the Disney way, Disney excelled at doing it on their own.
However this is the Iger era and that’s not really his style.
Pixar. Marvel. Star Wars
Iger is about finding established talent and buying it, and you know what?
It works.
All three studios are doing really well right now, and it’s undeniable that the company’s
health has improved over the years from this tactic.
So nevermind doing it on their own.
Disney can still do it the Iger way by buying a video game publisher.
They can do it by buying Ubisoft.
Why Ubisoft?
First off, before I get into that we need to put aside some things.
Within the world of hardcore gaming this company gets a lot of flak, some of it deserved, and
some of it undeserved.
Here’s the thing: you can complain about open world tropes and microtransactions all
you want, but what you can’t do is deny that they’re a pretty successful publisher.
Last year they sold $1.7 billion dollars in games and put out 8 titles, with half of them
being AAA.
Like it or not, there is a market out there that buys and enjoys Ubisoft titles.
Now I’m not saying they’re perfect.
Far from it.
But that’s what makes them a great choice.
They’re successful enough that there’s something there worth buying, but there’s
enough room for improvement for Disney to fix them up and install the “Disney way”
into the company.
Ubisoft has a number of successful game franchises in its library.
Rainbow Six, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Rayman and Rabbids, Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia.
On top of that they’ve been known to dabble in more small scale indy-like games such as
Child of Light, Valiant Hearts, and the latest Call of Juarez.
These are also properties that Disney could put to use outside of video games.
A good Assassin’s Creed movie.
Some Rayman cartoons.
A Rabbids Disneyland ride.
OK, not that last one.
Let’s forget I said that.They’ve got enough going for them that if Disney wanted, they
could just let Ubisoft operate normally and still be pretty well off.
However why do that when you can combine some of Ubisoft's 33 game studios with Disney’s
varied IP?
Imagine more fleshed out AAA marvel games based not only on the Avengers, but individual
heroes, or maybe the Netflix characters like Jessica Jones and Daredevil.
How about games based on Pixar films that are built in partnership with Pixar themselves?
Not just cheap tie-ins, but in-depth experiences.
Or maybe a really good Wreck-It Ralph meta game or a Moana title that plays like a Zelda
game.
What about a AAA Pirates of the Caribbean RPG or a AAA Guardians of the Galaxy sci-fi
RPG similar to Mass Effect (the good ones)?
Imagine a game like Rayman, but based on the latest Mickey Mouse shorts and its art style.
These are the kinds of experiences we’re missing out on as a result of Disney just
focusing their gaming efforts on mobile and Star Wars games.
I get why they’re doing it.
On paper it makes sense.
It’s safe and makes for better earning calls, but that’s not what made Disney into
the company it is today.
They’re knocking it out of the park with films, and they’ve got some amazing stuff
lined up with theme parks.
It’s time for them to stop being so timid and put that talent and effort into video games.
What do you think?
What should Disney on the video game front?
More specifically, what kind of Disney video game would you like to see get made?
Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave any questions for future Q&A videos
down there as well.
Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you next time!