Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Interactive Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher owned by The Walt Disney Company through Disney Interactive. Prior to its closure in 2016, it developed and distributed multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide.
Formerly
- Walt Disney Computer Software
(1988–1994) - Buena Vista Software
(1988–1994) - Disney Interactive
(1994–2003) - Buena Vista Games
(2003–2007)
September 15, 1988
May 10, 2016
Closed by The Walt Disney Company
Walt Disney Television (1988–1995)
Disney Interactive (1995–2016)
See § Studios
Most of the games released by Disney Interactive Studios were typically tie-in products to existing character franchises.[1] On May 10, 2016, as a result of the discontinuation of its Disney Infinity series, Disney shut down Disney Interactive Studios, and exited the first-party home console game development business in order to focus on third-party development of home console video games through other developers such as Electronic Arts (Star Wars games), Warner Bros. Games (owned by rival company Warner Bros., which handles the publishing of Disney-related Lego video games and Cars 3: Driven to Win), Bandai Namco Entertainment (Disney Tsum Tsum Festival), Square Enix (Kingdom Hearts), and Capcom (several Disney games, Willow games, and Marvel vs. Capcom). However, it continues to release games for iOS and Android mobile devices under its own label, Disney Mobile. Disney Electronic Content is a spiritual successor to the company.
History[edit]
1988–1994: Walt Disney Computer Software[edit]
Disney established its own in house gaming unit,[1] Walt Disney Computer Software, Inc. (WDCS), and it was incorporated on September 15, 1988.[2] WDCS generally used third-party development studios to design spin-off games using its existing portfolio of characters. WDCS failed to meet the high expectations that came with the Disney name, although three of its self-published computer titles---"Mickey's Runaway Zoo," "Donald's Alphabet Chase" and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" sold more than 100,000 copies, the industry equivalent of earning a Gold Record.[3] The underlying issues were later attributed by senior Disney executives as being due to low product quality and lack of understanding of the differences between film and games.[4]
WDCS also published a series of Nintendo (NES) and Gameboy platform game titles with Japanese video game company Capcom. Of these titles, 1989's DuckTales received the most commercial and critical success, selling approximately 1.67 million and 1.43 million copies worldwide respectively, each becoming Capcom's highest-selling titles for their respective platforms.[5] Produced by founding WDCS producer Darlene Waddington, DuckTales' Gameboy version was named "Gameboy Game of the Year" by PC Player Magazine.[6] DuckTales continues to be considered a game with high nostalgic interest[7] and was remade in 2013 as DuckTales: Remastered.[8]
Following DuckTales, WDCS developed and published another NES platform game with Capcom, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. Rescue Rangers proved to be a commercial success, selling approximately 1.2 million copies worldwide, becoming Capcom's fourth highest-selling game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.[9] Continuing with the success of these titles, Disney continued to find success with another Capcom developed title, Aladdin and The Lion King (developed by Westwood Studios) in 1993 and 1994 respectively. This led to a move from self-developed and self-published to funding and development management of games with third parties published the game.[4]