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New Metaverse? Disney and Epic Games plan online theme park

8.2.2024

Translation: machine translated

Disney and Epic Games are joining forces: Together, they want to open the world's first online amusement park in "Fortnite". Disney is spending 1.5 billion dollars on it.

It's heading in the direction of Metaverse - even if nobody is saying it out loud yet. Disney and Epic Games, the company behind the mass phenomenon "Fortnite", are teaming up to build the world's first online amusement park. In order to realise the project, Disney wants to buy into the development studio with around 1.5 billion dollars - provided the antitrust authorities do not object. The House of Mouse announced this in a press release.

The press release does not reveal how much of the shares Disney is securing. However, it is clear that the collaboration is just the beginning of a multi-year strategy to bring younger target groups closer to its own recently weakening brands such as Marvel and "Star Wars". The online amusement park is to be built within "Fortnite" as a "game within a game".

The PR: Incredible worlds, new stories, own characters

What the online amusement park will look like and how it will work remains vague for the time being. The press release speaks of a "gaming and entertainment universe" that aims to further expand the reach of Disney stories. The park will also "offer a variety of ways" to play, create and purchase content, stories, adventures, characters and tales. These include Disney's key brands: Disney Animations, Pixar, Marvel, "Star Wars" and "Avatar."

The first concept drawings look a little more concrete. Similar to the real Disney Parks, Disney's brands will be spread across their own islands. It is therefore quite possible that we will soon be protecting the hidden rebel base against the evil Empire on the ice planet Hoth, then whizzing to Pandora on a Tron Lightcycle and discovering the Hallelujah Mountains on the back of a tamed Ikran - without leaving our own living room. In short: Metaverse.

The idea is not entirely new. Back in 2013, the House of Mouse tried to combine real-life toys with an interactive online world with "Disney Infinity" and the "Toys to Life" concept, which was still new at the time. Players were able to create their own adventures and worlds. Although the concept was praised, it never met with the desired success; "Disney Infinity 3.0" was discontinued in 2016. Together with Epic Games, a new attempt is now being launched to build virtual and interactive worlds - only much bigger, more ambitious and more expensive than ever before.

Disney and Fortnite: makes strategic sense

This is not the first collaboration between Disney and Epic Games. There are already playable Disney skins in "Fortnite". "Star Wars" events have also already taken place in the shooter. For example, in 2019, when Emperor Palpatine announced his return ahead of the cinema release of "Star Wars - Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker".

The reason for the even closer collaboration is obvious: more than 62 per cent of over 500 million "Fortnite" players are between 18 and 24 years old, according to industry analyses. Unofficially, many are probably much younger. It is precisely this age group that Disney has recently been at risk of losing because Marvel and Star Wars films and series are increasingly complaining about disappointing cinema results and viewing figures. Fortnite, which is particularly popular with young people, therefore seems to be the perfect vehicle to bring the target group of young adults closer to the brand again. <p

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Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»

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