MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The previously-closed developer behind Disney Infinity Avalanche Software is to re-open its doors courtesy of a deal with Warner Bros. The publisher has announced that it has re-established Avalanche Software as a first-party studio. Despite its new ownership, the developer will still be led by previous CEO John Blackburn and …
Read More »Disney Infinity server shutdown timetabled
The clock is ticking on the online services for the Disney Infinity series. Having announced its abandonment of the franchise in May, Disney has now revealed a systematic timetable of server shutdowns that will see the series turned off on every format. Polygon reports that the first of these changes …
Read More »Overall toys-to-life sales down 12% so far in 2016
More people may own toys-to-life games than ever, but players are spending less on them. That’s according to GfK Entertainment. MCV last week revealed that over 620,000 UK consumers own either a copy of Skylanders Superchargers, LEGO Dimensions or Disney Infinity 3, making it the most successful eight months yet …
Read More »Ron Gilbert: ‘Disney, please sell me the Monkey Island IP’
The creator of Monkey Island Ron Gilbert has publicly asked Disney for the rights to some of his gaming IP. Taking to Twitter (below), Gilbert specifically is after the Monkey Island and Maniac Mansionproperties – franchises that he created during his time at LucasArts. He even goes as far as …
Read More »UK toys-to-life sector is bigger than ever
Forget the toys-to-life crisis. More than 620,000 UK gamers have bought Disney Infinity 3, LEGO Dimensions or Skylanders Superchargers. That’s a rise of 21.2 per cent compared with the number of toys-to-life starter packs sold during the same period a year before. The data follows concerns for the genre sparked …
Read More »Disney Infinity 4.0 would have offered $45 12-inch figures
Inside sources at Disney have expressed dismay at the cancellation of the Disney Infinity series. Kotaku reports that assorted plans were in the pipeline for the next game in the series, chief of which was a new range of 12-inch figures retailing at $45 a pop. These would have included …
Read More »What the death of Disney Infinity means for toys-to-life
Alex Fleetwood, founder of Fabulous Beasts developer Sensible Object, reflects on the future of connected play in the aftermath of Avalanche Software's closure – and explains why it doesn't spell doom for the genre
Read More »Avalanche Software closed as Disney kills Infinity franchise
Nearly 300 staff laid off at creator of toy-to-life series, with Disney Interactive to no longer self-publish games
Read More »Disney gives up on console games as it ends Infinity range
It may be the biggest name in movies, but Disney’s failure in video games is now complete. Despite some initial video game investment back in 2007/2008 (resulting in the poor selling Turok and Split/Second), Disney has struggled to match the success of rival Warner Bros. It cancelled most of its …
Read More »Toys-to-life war: What should you stock?
There is an onslaught of toys-to-life products about to hit retail. In total, there are almost 30 different software SKUs between Amiibo, Skylanders Superchargers, LEGO Dimensions and Disney Infinity 3.0. In terms of figures, playsets and level packs, there are more than 95 extra products for retailers to stock associated …
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