Disney Boss Reportedly Being Urged To Acquire A Major Game Publisher
To become a "gaming giant"
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Disney executives are reportedly encouraging CEO Bob Iger to consider expanding Disney from a "gaming license" to a "gaming giant".
In a report published by Bloomberg (via VGC), it seems that all is not happy at the House of Mouse, with reports of discontent following comments made before the SAG-Aftra strike and a handful of flops at the box office. And one way that executives have suggested that Disney can get back on even footing is by looking at video games.
Apparently, publishers Electronic Arts and Ubisoft have been mentioned, and both have a very recent history of handling a number of Disney IPs. But Iger — who is currently in his second term as CEO after returning to the position in November 2022 — has reportedly been "noncommittal".
There are plenty of video games out there that use the Disney license — Disney Illusion Island, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Disney Speedstorm, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are all recent examples — but we've got upcoming titles like Iron Man, Black Panther, and Star Wars Outlaws (none of which are coming to Switch). While Jedi: Survivor, Iron Man, and Black Panther are being handled by EA, Outlaws is with Ubisoft.
Of course, these are all just reports for now, with nothing confirmed from Disney itself. We'll have to wait and see what happens over the course of the next few months for the House of Mouse.
Iger's first stint as head of the entertainment company ran from 2005 to 2020, which saw the company acquire a huge number of studios such as Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. On his return to the position in 2022 following a shaky tenure under former head of parks Bob Chapek.
The next licensed Disney game to be hitting shelves is a remaster of the Sega Genesis platformer Gargoyles, which launches on 19th October 2023.