Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, has created Disney Online Studios, new team focused on building, operating and publishing games, virtual worlds and online social communities. Disney Online veteran Steve Parkis has been promoted to senior VP and will lead the newly formed group. Reporting to Paul Yanover, exec VP and managing director of Disney Online, Parkis will head efforts in publishing content that spans virtual worlds, casual online games, interactive and creative activities, and social communities. The team will publish both internally and externally developed initiatives that utilize existing Disney characters and stories, as well as original intellectual properties.
Talent for the new unit will come from several of Disney Online’s Internet teams, including the creators of the award-winning Disney.com XD (www.disney.com/xd), an interactive broadband destination that combines games, video and community elements. Disney Online Studios will also include Disney Online’s Virtual Reality Studio, a group that started in Disney’s Imagineering division before moving online to virtual worlds including Disney’s Toontown Online (www.toontown.com) and the recently launched Pirates of the Caribbean Online (www.piratesonline.com).
Mike Goslin, VP of virtual worlds and one of the lead developers of Toontown and Pirates of the Caribbean Online, will take on an expanded role within Disney Online Studios, guiding the development of online virtual worlds and communities. In addition to tapping its existing talent and resources, Disney will also significantly expand its development, community, operations and publishing teams to take advantage of growing opportunities in the online games and community space.
While expanding Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, Pirates of the Caribbean Online and Toontown, Disney Online Studios will develop virtual worlds built around the Disney Fairies franchise, which will be launched later this year, and the Pixar animated feature Cars, among others. Disney’s portfolio of Virtual Worlds also includes Club Penguin, which was acquired in August 2007.
