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Disney Buys Marvel In $4 Billion Deal
by Leigh Alexander [PC, Console/PC]
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August 31, 2009
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The Walt Disney Company has acquired comic book and movie producer Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, bringing some 5,000 iconic characters under the Mouse's purview.
Marvel continues to produce comic books and license its characters for multimedia uses. In recent years, it has expanded to funding and producing its own feature films like Iron Man, as opposed to licensing its own characters to third parties for those.
The acquisition is likely to have wide-ranging implications for the license-reliant video game industry, with major Marvel-licensing publishers including Sega and Activision, and Gazillion's upcoming Marvel Universe MMO.
Disney CEO Robert Iger commented: "This transaction combines Marvel's strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories."
Marvel says it stands to benefit from Disney's ability to spread IP across multiple arenas. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world," says CEO Ike Perlmutter.
The deal is still subject to regulatory approval before it's finalized, although both companies are in agreement. Perlmutter will stay on board with Marvel to assist in the integration.
Gamasutra is reaching out to parties in the video game industry most likely to be affected by the deal for further information on its impact, and will update with any comment we receive.
[UPDATE: On a call to investors attended by consumer weblog Kotaku, Disney said it's unlikely to take the entirety of Marvel video game development in-house.
"On the video game front, (Marvel) have some smart licensing agreements with some of the best video game manufacturers in the business," Disney investor relations SVP Lowell Singer said. "While we have been steadily moving in the direction of video game integration, we don't rule out the blend of licensing and self-produced and distributed video games."
"As these licensing deals expire we have the luxury of considering what's best for the company and the products."
According to Kotaku, Disney SVP Tom Staggs also said he sees "real opportunity" in Marvel's broad character library, and that the company would look at "how we can leverage those across both Marvel and Disney."
In a phone call with Gamasutra, Disney VP of strategic communications Jonathan Friedland added, "Activision, THQ, and so on -- these are companies that Disney has worked with in the past, and I don't see a huge amount of problems here [in regards to licensing deals]...]
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I am speechless.
This transaction also consolidates an already shrinking group of mass market IP licensors, creating more monopoly and less competition. Historically, this has not been good for consumers. Who knows, maybe we'll see Mogli and Pinnochio return with super powers?
Incredible...hope they kick out Quesada and Bendis and their endless string of bad artistic (no commercials...yet) decisions and continue crossover madness!!!
weŽll have to wait and see how it turns out and affects marvel!
weŽll have to wait and see how it turns out and affects marvel! "
I think it will affect Marvel strongly, they will be forced to put out much more material, that can be licensed, more Comics, that can be turned into TV-Shows, that then can be turned in Toys, so that the industry can develop Videogames based on this Toylines. I think it will be the creative death for Marvel.
Now they need to get rid of the Hannah Montana and High School Musical franchises and bring creativity back to the Disney name. Nickelodeon can have them.
Either way, I can see no (other) real good coming from this. But I could be wrong.
I didn't know Disney was still this powerful, I thought they were already on their way down.
Given Disney's marketing talent, I wouldn't be surprised if they can make back the $4 billion selling plush Spiderman dolls alone. ;)
Will it work out? Maybe. Disney has a mixed record... the Pixar deal is great, buying ESPN worked really well, ABC not so good, they haven't done anything with the Jim Henson properties, and what's this funny thing called the Go network? We'll see. In the meantime, we'll wait for the cool new rides that Dizzyland will be putting in... THAT'S the only important thing, after all!
Well at least there bound to be more comic-themed shows on ABC in the morning...
*sigh*
Disney did this deal to attract more boys, sell more merchandise and access a catalog of 5.000 characters, of witch about 10 are household names. Marvel will keep it's independence, gain financial stability and access to the huge resources that Disney has.
Last i read only Disneyland Europe was doing money, so i doubt any new theme-parks are on the horizon.
DIS still has plenty of money to make further acquisitions. Rumored next target is for them to buy a game publisher. I wonder witch one they will approach ... I am doubtful that either ERTS or ATVI are predisposed to such a deal but troubled THQI, or Ubisoft (great character driven IPs)? Perhaps TTWO since they didn't merge with ERTS may be persuaded to become the gaming branch of Disney... Only time will tell.
it does seem like a perfect bail out for both companies to benefit, and here we consumers sit, ready for the onslaught IP butter churning. "bring out yer dead"