So Disney has finally pulled the plug on the silently dying LucasArts. The company had a decent run that was marred by too many delays, too many unfulfilled ideas, and an extremely underproductive generation of gaming. It was kind of frustrating that the sibling company related to movie franchise monoliths like Star Wars and Indiana Jones couldn’t come up with a consistent amount of good games to satisfy the souls of gamers everywhere.
That being said…why can’t Disney conquer the gaming industry?
Where on earth is Disney while the gaming industry expands to levels never-before imagined?
As a matter of fact if it weren’t for the Kingdom Hearts franchise---which is also dying slowly, Disney would pretty much become a mere mole in the face of gaming. And it makes minimal sense simply because of the overarching reach of the Disney brand. There is so much more to Disney than just…Disney. We are far past the company that got by in terms of gamers with its nice relationship with Capcom and Sega back in the 90s. Disney doesn’t have to license all their franchises. Disney can formulate a team and honestly take on the competitors themselves. They have the money, talent, and resources. So what are they waiting for?
Disney has hundreds of movies in its arsenal to start with. Movies like Aladdin, Hercules, Alice in Wonderland (the cartoon version), Treasure Planet, The Incredibles, The Black Hole, Tron, Tarzan, Pirates of the Caribbean, and so much more can be made into great modern-day games. I am aware some of these movies have been made into games, but they were mostly half-arsed efforts by companies that were only in it to make a quick slick buck. Can you imagine the mere story of Aladdin becoming a massive game? Exploring the Cave of Wonder, running around the streets avoiding the guards, and ultimately taking on one of the best animated villains ever? What about Hercules and his quest for becoming a God by taking on oodles of monsters all over the map? And don’t get me started on what Tron can look and play like….
Disney also has lots of parks full of stories that can also become great video games and/or remakes of past failed Disney games. Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Mission: Space, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and perhaps even Test Track (the new version) comes to mind.
Then there’s the fact that Disney now owns Pixar, Marvel, AND LucasArts---all purchases done within the last decade. Where are the spiritual prequels and/or sequels to The Incredibles? Wall-E would also make for a fantastic exploration game if done correctly. Same goes with Finding Nemo. Then there’s the potential for nice adventures for the characters from Brave. Its all here. And not just a mere adaptation for the tykes, we can do legit, full-length adventure/action games for the serious gamers.
Marvel. Freakin’ Marvel. 5,000+ characters in the Marvel universe and the Imagineers can’t try to make a good game themselves? The potential for great massive games is strongest here as the Marvel brand offers excellent heroes, characters, and villains. Imagine a Spider-Man game that allows you to also play the role of Venom, perhaps even Carnage. Imagine the Disney budget being given to Iron Man. Imagine being able to build your own suit for Iron Man as he battles crime. Disney, are we taking notes here?
Of course, now Disney also has Star Wars to depend on. You know, the 6 epic movies and the infinite amounts of spin-off storylines to choose from. Simply remaking the 6 movies into grand scale video games would be a very nice way to re-branding yourself to the gaming industry.
Disney has far too many valuable products, franchises, and ideas to still remain in neutral in this aspect of entertainment. The gaming world should be excited for whatever Disney is doing, not ponder which franchise will temporarily receive access to translating the latest Mickey film to video game. If Disney were to take the gaming world seriously-----and not as a small quick investment----they can reach out towards the male/female teenage audience and college audience; an audience that Disney always struggles to entertain. Mickey Mouse has far too many great friends to just sit back and watch smaller companies like Sony and Nintendo make extremely good money.
Seriously Disney, you can be just as big a presence in the gaming industry as in the film industry.
