Disney Aims to Push Its Gaming Branch Forward
Disney’s high-ranking executives are rumored to harbor ambitions of cementing the company’s status as a dominant force in the gaming industry. This ambition has led them to contemplate a potentially groundbreaking acquisition: Electronic Arts. Nevertheless, the ultimate decision-maker, Disney CEO Bob Iger, remains rather noncommittal when it comes to this audacious concept.
Bloomberg has reported that Iger’s subordinates have been ardently advocating for a more daring transformation of Disney, urging the company to evolve from being a mere gaming licensee into a veritable gaming giant. One suggested route towards this transformative vision is the acquisition of Electronic Arts. Yet, Mr. Iger’s stance on this matter is far from definitive, leaving the idea’s fate hanging in the balance.
Disney’s foray into the gaming realm has been far from static. In 2016, the company ceased its game publishing activities, notably shuttering Avalanche Software. Instead, Disney pivoted towards the strategy of licensing its cherished intellectual properties to external developers. Recent licensed Disney games have included well-received titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi: Survivor, and Return to Monkey Island. Furthermore, Disney has openly expressed its eagerness to collaborate with studios of all sizes, even those of the indie variety.
This isn’t the first instance where Electronic Arts has been at the center of acquisition rumors. In the past, there were reports of potential mergers, such as the failed one between NBCUniversal and EA just last year. Moreover, speculations swirled around Amazon’s purported interest in acquiring EA, although nothing materialized on that front. Disney’s potential acquisition of Electronic Arts remains a tantalizing prospect, yet the final verdict lies within the hands of its cautious CEO, Bob Iger.