Disney takes the axe to Epic Mickey studio

Disney Interactive Studios today confirmed that it has laid off an undisclosed number of its Junction Point studio staff. The news comes days after Propaganda Games met a similar fate, and casts a dark shadow on the future of the Epic Mickey franchise.

Hints that the staff at Junction Point were in trouble cropped up last night when industry colleagues leaked the news via online condolences. One tweet from a Warner Brothers Games' artist, Mike Jungbluth, read, “I hope my homies at Junction Point are alright. Hearing about layoffs there makes me very sad indeed.”

There's no word yet on just how many members of Junction Point's staffwill feel the sting of Disney's cuts, but statements on behalf of Disney higher-ups confirm that today's lay-offs are part and parcel of the mega-publisher's ongoing push into the mobile and digital download scene.

In a typically vague statement issued to Variety, Disney confirmed: "As part of setting a strategic direction for future success in the digital media space, the Disney Interactive Media Group today began a restructuring process."

Junction Point's Epic Mickey was met with critical love but fell apparently below Disney's financial expectations, despite selling over 1.3 million copies in the US. Studio head Warren Spector had been talking sequels ever since Epic Mickey's release, but we don't know how many staffershave been cut - should we temper our hopesof a bona fide console follow-up?

We send our best hopes and wishes to everyone presently and formerly at Junction Point, and Disney Interactive at large.

When asked to comment, resident Disney fanboy Chris Antista could only muster the following emoticon: :(

[Source: Variety, CNBC]

Jan 25, 2011

Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@gamesradar.com.


The last Wii game to give a shit offers something for everybody

Disney shuts down Propaganda Games
Disney's focus on mobile gaming puts an end to its Vancouver based studio


Artist A.J. Trahan posts more designs from his work with Junction Point

CATEGORIES

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

Latest in Adventure
A screenshot shows Pokemon Legends: Z-A protagonists standing in a city at night.
Pokemon is a stealth game now: Pokemon Legends Z-A wants you to sneak attack trainers during its nighttime battle royale
Pokemon Legends: Z-A screenshot
Pokemon Legends: Z-A will allegedly introduce 27 new Mega Evolutions, leakers claim, and we can only hope Flygon gets its chance this time
Minecraft Vibrant Visuals
16 years after Minecraft first released it's getting a modern visual upgrade with a retro lighting trick that Mojang hasn't seen "in any other game"
Minecraft movie image of Jack Black as steve
Don't expect Minecraft to go free-to-play anytime soon, as Mojang says "It doesn't really work with the way we built it"
Putting cigarettes in fish mouths in Thank Goodness You're Here
Thank Goodness You're Here's developer says it was trying to design a game normally before realizing "we're s**t at video game design"
Shiny cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket
How to get Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Latest in News
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
The Last of Us showrunner says he isn't worried about fan reaction to season 2: "The best way we could respect our fans and honor them is to not worry about them"
Black Myth: Wukong
English is no longer the biggest language on Steam as Chinese gamers embrace PC gaming even harder after Black Myth: Wukong
Skyrim
Ex-Bethesda dev says his new studio isn't making a "little Skyrim," but does channel a key part of the iconic RPG: "Stuff got built because somebody cared about building it"
Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen and David Harbour in Thunderbolts
The new Thunderbolts teaser namedrops the Avengers twice, less than a day after the cast was confirmed for Doomsday