The new partnership of Disney and Epic Games is a hot topic across the gaming industry. But are you aware that this $1.5 billion investment is not limited to games only and has implications far beyond? We are talking about the new future that Disney aims to create with Epic Games! It is a form of a media business, the metaverse theme park.
This deal between Epic Games and Disney is the largest-ever investment in games and aims to extend into the metaverse. Disney initially tried to create their metaverse. However, the project was soon taken down after one year of initial developments. Now with Epic Games, on their back, Disney is aiming for the success of their previous attempt.
“What we’re seeing right now is following in the footsteps of Lego’s massive success on ‘Fortnite,’” said Joe Ferencz, CEO of the metaverse studio Gamefam. He added, “Instead of trying to build proprietary metaverses, the most important IPs in the world are looking to Epic to be the platform on which they build their metaverse.”
The Competition
Disney is looking for potential acquisition targets for its metaverse ambitions, and Epic Games is one of the contenders. However, Roblox is also a viable candidate due to its immersive virtual world and gaming experiences. Despite this, Disney has a strong partnership history with Epic, particularly in promoting its iconic properties like Marvel and Star Wars. Therefore, last week’s acquisition announcement was a natural progression of their established partnership. With Disney’s increased investment, Epic’s gaming platforms could potentially evolve into comprehensive showcases of Disney intellectual properties, similar to the company’s physical theme parks.
“There’s probably a strong business case for Disney to look at acquiring Epic,” said GameFan’s Ferencz. He added, “But managing a video game company, and creating synergy from that video game company, has always been a moving target for legacy media companies.”
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