In a bit of a surprise-that-wasn’t-necessarily-a-surprise, Disney’s gaming division—Disney Interactive—saw a $54 million loss during the first quarter of 2013. It’s the only division of Disney that didn’t see a return on its investment, because Disney as a whole saw a 32% increase in net income (up to $1.5 billion) during the same period.
As for the current quarter, Disney is also projecting a revenue loss, but they don’t seem too panicked about the situation. The overall loss was there but the revenues for the division still rose 8% to hit $194 million. And right now, Disney Interactive’s sights are set on the third quarter of the year to make all their money back and more—that’s when Disney Infinity hits shelves.
It’s possible that the release of Disney Infinity will get Disney’s game-making train back on track… or it may end up being the final sign it needs to hand off the rest of its gaming properties to other companies.
