by David Gunn » Mon May 23, 2016 4:19 am
I think all of the points made on this are pretty spot on. Infinity as a marketing and advertising branch for Disney and its properties, really was a brilliant franchise, having the ability to appeal not only to children but parent or adult alike. If Disney is counting on robust sales coming from future licensed movie tie-in games, like the ones of years past. I think they are in for a rude awakening. You take away the toy box, you take away player freedom, player choice, player creativity. And instead supply them with titles that are no larger in scale and scope than say a mobile game. Games with repetitive objectives, linear, dictated experiences, really offer nothing. You are not likely to endear yourself to consumers as anything more than quick cash grabs that we use to see all the time. When you think of all the back catalog characters and I.P.s, the theme parks, the future films..."20,000 leagues under the sea, Pirates, The live action Fairy tale films, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones...etc. Its impossible to ignore that as a company, any company, money is to be made there. Another interesting aspect to Infinity, is the way it could still sell product to some degree even if the connected movie property was not a hit. The new Alice film is not exactly getting great reviews, but I see many still wanting the Alice figures. And in turn even for some some , by having the Alice figures, they're bound to be those that go and see the film regardless of what they have heard about its own successes or failings. Lone Ranger was a bomb, but I know many who got the playset and figures as well. This is the kind of marketing reach you want to have with consumers. By not having anything like this and instead just having some cheap 2 hour tie in game. Your not gonna sell as much you think. The gaming industry is constantly changing, people are fighting back against pre orders, consumers are becoming more discerning. SW Battlefront made a lot of money, but it also burned a lot of people. Many tired of it quickly. Pay walls , season passes, repetitive experiences, etc. So EA is going to have to course correct on what they did with that title. But I'm not going to let my 6 year old play that Battlefront, so EA would be wise to want to reach out to me and my family combined with an experience that we can all participate in. Taking up Disney Infinity would be a good idea, even if its a long shot. If no one picks up Disney Infinity, I'd be willing to bet that in some years time it will become readily apparent, just how vital Infinity was as a franchise, as a pipeline for all the properties Disney wanted to have awareness for and in creating an interest in consumers using their purchasing power towards those properties and their related materials. Also in maintaining an awareness of its existing library and catalog of all things Disney, past ,present, or future. People wanted Peter Pan, its a classic, I'm willing to bet that it was also a title that families shared with each other, to their kids, and grandkids. So its a separate media they bought or rented or owned. The awareness of one created interest in the other. And for a company like Disney that should be music to their ears. The sound of cash registers all over the world. I would hope a company like EA would see that same potential, unless of course Disney once again made it so difficult to operate with the licenses, that EA would just say forget it, its not worth it. The consumers and teams that worked on this care about it, Disney does not. Disney exists only to profit any way they can. So its safe to say they will never know what they had within their grasp. Lets hope that maybe some one else will, a person or company with the ability to see 5 or 10 years out, can see how with some fine tuning, and restructuring with how the property operated,functioned, and delivered. Could possibly take the reigns. I certainly hope so. Otherwise it is a very large void that will always nag everytime some one puts in some mediocre two-bit tie-in cash grab that carries the word DISNEY on its cover.