Toy Story 3

Saying a no go Disney plans to cut their longtime ties with THQ Inc. in order to develop the new Toy Story 3 game in house. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on this general trend that Hollywood studios are taking. They are slowly planning to stop outsourcing video game production to companies like EA. Disney will be increasing its budget for interactive entertainment to more than $180 million for this year and an additional $350 million annually within five years. With box office receipts slowly rising and dvd sales sinking the only growth is found in interactive media.

Obviously with this trend Disney isn’t the only one bringing it home. Both Viacom and Time Warner are setting aside $500 million for future developments. The failures of the past still linger though as names like Atari and Midway Games Inc. haunt the companies decisions today after years of recovering from failed ventures.

By the end of 2010 Disney plans to self-publish 80-90% of its games. Only time will tell if this decision will be a successful one. Even though I’m not much of a gambling man I think that with the support of Pixar’s John Lasseter that even if it does fail it won’t be for lack of trying.


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