Disney Allegedly Exploring Acquisition of a Major Gaming Publisher

According to recent reports, Disney is considering acquiring a prominent gaming publisher, such as Electronic Arts, as a means to reestablish itself in the gaming industry. Bloomberg reports that certain Disney executives have proposed the idea of transforming the company from a gaming licensee to a publisher through the acquisition of EA, although CEO Bob Iger remains noncommittal on the matter. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Disney for further clarification. It is reported that EA engaged in discussions with Disney last year regarding potential acquisition plans and also held talks with other major companies, including NBCUniversal, Amazon, and Apple, although negotiations with NBCUniversal ultimately fell through. Disney previously operated as a games publisher until 2016, when it shifted its focus to a licensing model, allowing developers to utilize its properties. Recent games featuring Disney licenses include Return to Monkey Island, Disney Illusion Island, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Upcoming titles featuring Disney licenses include Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars: Outlaws, and an Indiana Jones game developed by Machine Games. In recent years, Disney has expressed its desire to collaborate with studios of all sizes as it expands its presence in the gaming industry, emphasizing that no intellectual property is off-limits to independent developers.