News
April 10, 2006WALT DISNEY INTERNET GROUP SIGNS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH BOONTY Local Language Disney Games Now Available on Major Portals across Europe
POSTED: April, 10th 2006
LOCATION: London
LONDON - 10 April 2006 - The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) today announced a distribution agreement with Boonty, a global expert in the digital distribution of video games, to make some of WDIG’s most popular downloadable games available to consumers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. The agreement further raises WDIG’s profile in the downloadable games category and expands its ability to deliver digital content across multiple platforms.
Disney fans across Western Europe can now access exciting games in local language featuring favourite Disney characters, including The Lion King Grubalicious, the Little Mermaid Bubble Blast, Pirates of the Caribbean Pinball and Aladdin Magic Carpet Racing, by going to Boonty’s network of major portals and online retailers such as T-OnLine, Alice, AOL, TF1 and Eurosport.
“The Walt Disney Internet Group intends to make Disney games content readily available to a broadening audience of consumers around Europe by expanding our distribution channels with leading aggregators,” commented Attila Gazdag, managing director at the Walt Disney Internet Group, Europe. “Boonty has the expertise, reach and robust infrastructure required for effective digital distribution, and we are pleased to add them to our network of partners.”
According to media research consultancy Screen Digest, the European casual gaming market is expected to reach close to $400 million by 2009. Much of this growth is coming from the non-traditional gaming audience - up to 65% of casual game players are female and 48% are aged 35-54 - who are particularly attracted by the Disney-branded games experience.
“We are seeing the gaming industry embrace digital distribution globally with increasingly sophisticated services,” commented Mathieu Nouzareth, Boonty founder and CEO. “The intuitive interface and design simplicity of the Disney games are very appealing to our users and we are delighted to be able to add this content to our portfolio.”
About Walt Disney Internet Group
Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) provides strategic leadership and operational management for The Walt Disney Company’s Internet properties including Disney.co.uk. A market leader in developing and distributing entertainment and informational content to new platforms, WDIG is committed to creating and delivering products for broadband distribution including Disney Connection and Disney’s Toontown Online, the world’s first massive multi-player online game for kids and families (www.disney.co.uk/toontown). Through relationships with some of the world’s largest wireless carriers, WDIG distributes content and services to wireless users under the Disney, ESPN and ABC brands. Additionally, WDIG has led the way in the USA in developing interactive content for televised programming through its Enhanced TV service. Steve Wadsworth is president of WDIG, which is headquartered in North Hollywood and has operations in Seattle, New York, Orlando, Tokyo, London, Munich and Budapest.
Press Contacts:
Walt Disney Internet Group
Sandra van Vreedendaal
Tel: +44 208 222 1584
Email: sandra.van.vreedendaal@dig.com
About Boonty
Boonty is one of the largest casual games platforms in the world, operating in more than 25 countries. Since its launch in 2001, the company’s customized end-to-end solutions have been implemented by major publishers, Internet portals, ISPs, mobile phone operators, advertisers, Internet communities, and PC manufacturers globally. Boonty currently has offices in New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing.
Press Contacts:
Ephraim Cohen
(212) 631-5823 (Tel)
cohen@fortexgroup.com