Disney video game fans will be able to connect to each other throughout the world with DGamer, an innovative new feature to launch initially for North America in May 2008 exclusively in all Disney Interactive Studios Nintendo DS™ video games. DGamer will provide a fun, connected game community for Disney video game players to interact, customize and share from Nintendo DS to Nintendo DS, and on computers via the new Disney.com web site. DGamer was unveiled today during Disney Interactive Studios’ media briefing at the E3 Media & Business Summit 2007.
Using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in the Nintendo DS, DGamer will allow players to interact and chat with each other locally in the same room or throughout the world via the Internet. DGamer players will be able to create a customized personal avatar, make new friends, chat with friends, view friends’ high scores and vote in polls. All of these features will be integrated into the DGamer Channel on Disney.com, the No. 1 ranked kids web destination with more than 20 million unique users in May 2007, according to Media Metrix’s Entertainment-Kids Ranking.
Disney-branded Nintendo DS video games were No. 1 in sales among all third-party published games for 2006, including Disney Interactive Studios’ self published games and licensed properties such as Disney-Pixar titles published by THQ Inc., according to The NPD Group.
“DGamer leverages the creativity and innovation of Disney Interactive Studios in a ground-breaking new way on the Nintendo DS,” said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Interactive Studios. “Building upon the robust, family friendly features of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Disney game fans, kids and parents will have an online community like no other to communicate in a fun environment.”
DGamer will be included at no additional charge in Disney Interactive Studios’ Nintendo DS games coming next year based on popular franchises, including The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Spectrobes II and Hannah Montana 3. With each of these games, players can customize their game-themed backgrounds, items, skins and avatar costumes. DGamer “Honors” can be earned by completing challenges in-game or online to unlock exclusive content in their game or DGamer online profile. Players can also trade items, such as avatar costumes, with other players worldwide or give them away as gifts. DGamer synchronizes to allow players to view and customize their community both on their Nintendo DS through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and their computer via the DGamer Channel on Disney.com.
Speed chatting with other Disney gamers is a way to interact using preset phrases and answers. With parental permission, players can exchange “True Friends” Codes with known, trusted friends to enable chat.
DGamer will launch for North America only in May 2008 with the release of the Nintendo DS edition of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Both DGamer and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for the Nintendo DS are being developed by Fall Line Studio, the Nintendo-focused development studio of Disney Interactive Studios. All subsequent Disney Interactive Studios’ Nintendo DS games will also include DGamer features. DGamer is scheduled to launch in international territories in the future.
About Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Interactive Studios is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, Calif., and has four internal game development studios around the world including Avalanche Software, Fall Line Studio, Propaganda Games and Black Rock Studio. For more information, please log on to www.disney.com/videogames.
Product names, release dates and features may be subject to change.
Contacts:
Eric Wein, 818-553-4137 office
eric.wein@disney.com
or
Access
Communications (for Disney Interactive Studios)
Clint Bagley,
415-613-5810 mobile at E3
cbagley@accesspr.com
