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Report: Disney video game division lays off 50 employees
Separate from the closure of Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios, the developers of the Epic Mickey series, 50 more employees reportedly lost their jobs at Disney Interactive yesterday, according to the LA Times. The paper's source is "a knowledgeable person not authorized to discuss the matter publicly."Disney Interactive Studios endured huge layoffs across 2011, including the closure of Split/Second developer Black Rock. We've reached out to Disney Interactive Studios for comment on today's report.We learned yesterday Epic Mickey 2 sold 529,000 copies in the US during 2012, with that return on investment certainly sealing the deal on Junction Point's closure. Since then, Epic Mickey creator and Junction Point founder Warren Spector posted a public goodbye to his studio on Facebook, which we've printed in full after the break.Spector was effusive in his farewell to Junction Point, saying he's rarely worked with a "team more dedicated or harder working." While he noted the games "polarized" critics and fans, Spector said he's never been part of anything as deeply touching as his Epic Mickey series.Will the man behind Deus Ex be back? "Let just say, now it's time to move to the next adventure," Spector wrote. "I honestly don't know what that will be yet, so don't ask."
NYT: Disney, YouTube strike new content partnership, will launch kid-friendly channel
Disney is certainly no stranger to YouTube, but the company is looking to strengthen those ties today, with a new video partnership. According to the New York Times, Disney Interactive Media and YouTube have struck a deal that will bring original, kid-friendly content to a new co-branded online channel. Under the agreement, slated to be announced later today, the two parties will devote a combined $10 million to $15 million to video production, in the hopes of helping each other patch up some of their respective holes. From Disney's perspective, the deal could help attract more viewers, while funneling more users to its soon-to-be revamped website, which has seen a marked traffic decline in recent months. YouTube, meanwhile, could use the deal to help boost its reputation among parents, many of whom may have reservations about letting their youngsters loose on a site rife with unwholesome content. It may also signal a move toward those regularly scheduled channels we've been hearing so much about. We're still awaiting official confirmation on this, but we'll update this post as soon as we get it.
Disney Interactive Media president resigns
Steve Wadsworth, head of Disney's Interactive Media Group -- better known to us as "the guy in charge of Disney's video game arm" -- has stepped down. According to a New York Times report, Wadsworth issued a late-night missive to his staff last Thursday announcing his resignation. "I have been thinking about this for quite some time, and while it is difficult to leave a great company, an exciting business and a wonderful group of people, my desire and excitement to pursue other opportunities is too great to ignore." Disney confirmed the news and offered an official statement from Wadsworth: "While there is never a good time to leave a great role at a great company, for many reasons now is the right time for me to move on. I am extremely proud of the huge progress we've made at Disney Interactive Media Group, and am confident that the business is well-positioned for continued significant growth." The split appears to be amicable, with Disney CEO Robert Iger offering only kind words about Wadsworth (found in full after the break). The NYT also heard from "people with knowledge of the matter" that a replacement should be revealed "shortly," with Playdom head John Pleasants allegedly being eyed for the position (a social game developer that Disney acquired earlier this year).
Disney's games and internet divisions merging
Disney Interactive Studios and the company's Internet Group will merge into one unit, named Disney Interactive Media Group. Disney Interactive Studios has published games like Hannah Montana, High School Musical and Turok; meanwhile, the internet division was responsible for hundreds of online casual games and Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Clearly, the merger makes sense, and can be likened to when Sony Online Entertainment became part of SCEI.Variety speculates the merger is so that Disney can report all its digital revenues in one spot, instead of games being lumped in with the consumer products. It doesn't appear many (if any) pink slips will be handed out in the unification, as these seemingly offline and online games divisions continue doing their separate things. Source -- Disney Merging WDIG Group With Games UnitSource -- AllThingsD Iger memo
