Video games and Disney haven’t exactly been a perfect pairing in recent years, save for t🀅he licensing permissions 🌊to allow Kingdom Hearts 3 to finally make its way in to the arm♎s of anxiously awaiting fans of the series. That, however, may be changing with Disney’s latest addition to the team.
Yesterday, it was that former PlayStation executive, John Drake, will be hired on as Disney’s VP of Business Development and Licensing for Games,🍰 with the goal of helping “pair amazing developers and publishers with the best IP in the world.”
Based on his resume and experience, Disney certainly seems to have made a solid choice to help lead them into the world of self-publishing their beloved franchises into video games. Drake formerly headed up PlayStation's Por🉐tfolio Strategy endeavors, which came after his time spent at Harmonix acting as the Director of Publishing and PR.
“I've been a Disney fan my entire life,” Drake wrote in a tweet. “Animation, live action, Pixar - and now Star Wars, Marvel, Fox and everything else? It's an 🎃amazing t𝓰ime to bring those worlds to the games and interactive space! And it's a wonderful team - ‘It takes people to make the dream a reality.’”
Drake and his family will be relocating to Los Angeles with 🌟the chang𝔉e.
Video g🌄ame icon, Warren Spector, who formerly worked with Disn☂ey on the 2010 Wii-exclusive, Epic Mickey, had previously the company making more games based on i꧃ts IPs, following the🗹 decision to exit the industry following Disney Infinity.
“With the properties they control, I think just being a licensing orgꦡanization (sic) is a real shame.”
It l💟ooks like tha🉐t dream is finally becoming a reality.
No other details were given as to what exactly Drake’s role will entail, but f꧋ans of Disney’s classic characters - in addition to Star Wars, Marvel, and Fox - should be salivating at the prospect of their favorite characters receiving the video game treatment. Could this mean a new The Simpsons: Hit And Run? We can dare to dream.
Ultimately, it is an exciting time to be a Disney fan, especially considering that Darke seems to be excitedly diving… er, strutting into his new🙈 role in style.