Disney made a huge all-or-nothing move with Disney Infinity. The interactive entertainment division of the House of Mickey Mouse was under considerable strain not so long ago, scrambling to consolidate brand strategies, streamline outputs and all kinds of other terribly boring marketing talk which basically means they were trying to stop losing money. Disney Infinity did wonders to plug that leak - suddenly Disney Interactive was profitable again. It cost a fortune to get it done, something to the tune of $100 million, and it was the general consensus that if it failed at retail then Disney would have to completely rethink their gaming strategy going forward. Reading between the lines, it was a gamble which could have led to huge cuts and a severe down-scaling of the division and its future projects. But they knew they were onto a good thing. We've seen how Activision raked in the cash with their Skylanders brand, from which Disney Infinity borrows heavily in concept and execution. Take that idea - plastic toys being teleported into a game to be played with - and add the decades of love that we all have for Disney's immense roster of unforgettable characters, and it was destined to be a hit. The target market is like a dream come true for Disney: millions of children who love their films and the characters we all know so well. Children who would nag their parents for a cute little Mickey Mouse or Wreck-It Ralph figurine, even if they had no interest in the game itself. Children who would be spellbound to see their favorite characters brought to life from plastic toy form to their television screens. And that's not even taking into account the huge number of adults, young and old, who have grown up loving everything Disney. For fans of the films, Disney Infinity is an incredibly appealing concept, even for non-gamers. Add to that the ridiculously popular side-brands which Disney now owns the rights to (we'll get to those later) and the potential to see perfectly sculptured figurines of your favorite film characters makes it hard not to get excited. For those of us who have already succumb to the charm of this rapidly expanding gaming phenomenon, let's take a look at just what it is about Disney Infinity which makes it so hard to resist.
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
