Disney and DeNa to collaborate on mobile social games

Disney and Japan’s DeNA have agreed to collaborate on mobile social games to be launched on a worldwide basis. The deal is part of a larger entertainment collaboration.

Under the deal, both companies will collaborate to produce games for DeNA’s Mobage mobile social gaming platform.

The companies launched their first jointly developed social game, Disney Party, two days ago on the Mobage network in Japan, where DeNA has 35 million users who spend so much money on mobile entertainment that they generated $1.4 billion in revenues in the past year. A second title, Disney Fantasy quest, will debut on April 2. A third title based on Disney’s Marvel Comics characters will debut this summer in Japan. Disney Party is a free-to-play social party simulation game for mobile phones. Players can opt to buy virtual goods with real money. Players can decorate their rooms with objects that will draw visits from Disney characters. The players can then pose (or, rather, have their avatars pose) for pictures with the Disney characters.

Local versions of thse games are scheduled to be launched as smartphone apps after July on the Mobage networks outside of Japan. Those titles are the first jointly developed games that DeNA has released outside of Japan and more are in the works. The focus will be on mobile games, but the collaboration will extend beyond that as well to Disney movies, Disney TV programs, and Disney smartphone apps.

“Disney’s characters and stories have cross-border and cross-generational appeal,” said Isao Moriyasu, president of DeNA, in a statement. “DeNA has enormous reach around the world with its proven cross-device platform for mobile social games. Together, we can delight millions of players with games featuring Disney’s and Marvel’s beloved characters.”

Disney Fantasy Quest is a social card-collection game, while the Marvel game will be a free-to-play social card battle game.