Disney merges games and internet divisions

Disney will be merging its games division Disney Interactive Studios and its online division Walt Disney Internet group into one division, the Disney Interactive Media Group, according to paidContent.

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, revealed in an internal memo that the existing management teams will continue to run the combined group and that it will be headed by Steve Wadsworth, formerly the president of WDIG.

"Digital media is a high priority for our company, and focusing all of our Disney-branded interactive digital media efforts in one group will ensure we are best positioned to maximise this emerging and dynamic opportunity," Iger said in his memo.

Disney Interactive's Europe GM, Thierry Braille, had recently told GamesIndustry.biz that it planned to use content generated from the games group across a range of other media - part of the reason given for this merger.

"The uniqueness of the Disney brand provides us an opportunity and an imperative to create a unified Disney-branded experience and community across all connected devices. Additionally, as console and handheld games become more connected to the internet, and as internet and mobile become increasingly robust destinations for games and a range of interactive entertainment, we are taking this opportunity to integrate these activities," Iger added.

"We have strong momentum in place in all of our digital media areas, and I'm confident that the newly combined DIMG management team will create one new organization that is well-integrated to maximize the opportunities that we have before us. "