Could Disney be the next gaming giant? That idea may not be too far fetched, as Bloomberg has published a new story (alternate link) that discusses all of the problems that Disney’s businesses have been facing as of late, and in one portion, there’s a claim that Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, is being pushed by other higher-ups at Disney to transform the company into a gaming giant through means that include the acquisition of a major publisher or developer. Electronic Arts is name dropped here, and while this seems to be mostly speculation from the author, there are clearly some existing ties there, with Disney’s Lucasfilm Games having worked with EA already for various Star Wars games, including Respawn’s Jedi series, among other projects. Bloomberg’s article includes a box office chart that shows how films from Marvel, Walt Disney Animation, and Pixar have been under-performing, while another shows how Disney’s quarterly net income hasn’t been able to meet or exceed the numbers it saw back in 2019.
For years, Iger insisted Disney couldn’t get into gambling because of reputational concerns; now it seems like one way to plug holes. Iger’s deputies are pushing him to consider a bolder transformation of Disney from gaming licensee to gaming giant through, say, an acquisition of Electronic Arts. But, as with everything else, he’s been noncommittal.
Bob Iger’s first run as Disney CEO is the stuff of legend. His second has been marred by so many self-inflicted wounds, he’s jokingly asked friends why he even took the job https://t.co/jjgrq2rauT via @BW
— Bloomberg (@business) October 11, 2023