Disney Gaming

According to GameSpot, Disney has outlined the importance of video games to the company's future. In a blog post, the company's gaming boss, Sean Shoptaw, revealed that games are now a fundamental part of the broader entertainment landscape. He said Disney has reaped the rewards, with nine of its gaming franchises grossing more than $1 billion at retail so far.

Some of these franchises include Kingdom Hearts and Marvel Strike Force, as reported by GameSpot. Shoptaw added that more than half of the nine franchises have only appeared in the past 12 years. Disney runs multiple game outfits, including Disney Pixar Games, Marvel Games, Lucasfilm Games, and 20th Century Games, all of which live under the broader Disney Games banner.

GameSpot reported that Disney Games has reached about $3.5 billion in consumer spend annually for the past four years, exceeding $4 billion in the past fiscal year alone. Shoptaw said this helps hammer home how gaming will be a key part of Disney's storytelling strategy in the present and the future. He added that Disney isn't necessarily interested in doing things like movie tie-ins, which were popular in the '90s and early 2000s.

Instead, Shoptaw said Disney wants to create original games that tell new stories, with Marvel's Wolverine cited as a prime example, according to GameSpot. One of Disney's biggest bets in gaming in recent years has been through its partnership with Epic Games and Fortnite. Disney has invested more than $1.5 billion into Epic Games, and Shoptaw said its partnership is a really important one.

GameSpot reported that Disney has brought many of its franchises to Fortnite already, and its Simpsons collaboration was particularly successful. Looking ahead, Disney is planning even more in Fortnite, reportedly including an Arc Raiders-style game. Disney's new CEO, Josh D'Amaro, is a big believer in games and has suggested gaming could be Disney's next big growth-driver.