Buena Vista Games to Self-Publish Videogames in U.K., Germany & France
Buena Vista Games (BVG) announced it will become a multi-platform publisher in summer 2005 and launch a portfolio of high profile videogames in the U.K., Germany and France as well as extend its current portfolio of kids- and family-focused titles to a wider audience, to include 'tween, teen and core gamers.
One of the first titles to launch is the action/adventure game based on the upcoming film by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, releasing holiday 2005, followed by DISNEY'S CHICKEN LITTLE, slated for all European territories, beginning with France, in November 2005. Both titles are for the PlayStation2, Xbox, GameCube, handheld and PC platforms.
This does not alter the existing publishing deals in place with THQ games THE INCREDIBLES and CARS on all platforms, or Capcom for TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: OOGIE'S REVENGE on PS2 and Xbox, as well as Square-Enix for KINGDOM HEARTS II on PS2.
"This is an exciting opportunity for BVG in Europe," said Thierry Braille, vp/md of Europe, Buena Vista Games. "Our goal is to become a leading player in the global videogame industry by providing compelling game experiences to the mass market on all major platforms by combining the wealth of IP that exists within The Walt Disney Company as well as the creation of new IP that we can leverage back into the rest of the organization."
Buena Vista Games, Inc. is the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Co.'s Consumer Products business unit. The division publishes, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of PC and multi-platform videogames worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with third-party interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market.
Titles for Buena Vista Games fall under two publishing labels Buena Vista Interactive, which publishes high-profile, multi-platform games based on creative content from the numerous businesses within The Walt Disney Co., and Disney Interactive, which markets and distributes the company's interactive entertainment based on Disney-branded properties.