After just three years, Disney Infinity is on its way out.
[dropcap size=small]D[/dropcap]isney recently announced that Disney Infinity – the fan-favourite action-adventure sandbox game, which included the use of physical toy collectibles – is to be officially cancelled and discontinued, just 3 years after its initial release.
The news came during an announcement about their second quarterly earnings for 2016, in which they revealed the game had not achieved the goals they were hoping for financially. The report demonstrated that Infinity’s income has decreased sufficiently enough to bring the game’s continued development and publication into question.
Disney now says the company plans to focus on licensing out their games to other developers in the future, and will lessen their stakes in the game market.
John Blackburn, the General Manager of Disney Infinity, has since released a statement via the Disney Interactive blog, where he addressed his thanks to fans, and revealed the final releases players can expect this year before the game ends development for good:
Disney Infinity was built for you—our fans—and I wanted to take a moment to thank you not just for your support over the years, but for creating a community that made Disney Infinity more than just a game.
So what’s next for Disney Infinity? We have two final retail releases coming, including three new characters from Alice Through the Looking Glass later this month, and the Finding Dory Play Set launching in June.
I want to again thank you for making Disney Infinity a part of your lives—and for adding to the Disney legacy by being a part of this community.
Not only is this sad news for fans of the game, but it comes with the inevitably unfortunate side effect of job losses. Avalanche Software, the folks behind Infinity, have reportedly had 250-300 workers laid off with the closure of the studio.
The concept of Disney Infinity was a neat one. The collectible figures – which are akin to the Wii U’s Amiibo’s – added a fun and interactive element to a very creative sand-box adventure game, which was initially released on all platforms back in 2013 – including PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PC, and even Apple TV.
The game included a whole host of Disney favourites, from Monster’s Inc to The Incredibles, and most recently saw the addition of characters from Force Awakens, Marvel, and some of the most recent Pixar releases.
The game was not a bad one, and had everything going for it in theory. Unfortunately in practise, Infinity was drowned out amidst a very competitive market, and it’s sad to see the game go after a short three year life-span. Announcements such as this are never a happy state of affairs for fans, but more so for the people behind the game.
We wish the folks who were once Avalanche Software all the luck with their future endeavours. We salute you.
