As vice president of mobile content development for the Walt Disney Internet Group’s domestic mobile content division, Stan Liu oversees creation and development of games, ringtones, graphics and applications for the mobile platform under the mDisney and Starwave Mobile publishing labels. Games On Deck talks to him about Disney in the mobile space in this latest Q&A.
Games On Deck: Tell us about Disney's choice to get into the mobile games space. Why such a "hands on" approach?
Stan Liu: Disney's mobile content distribution strategy is part of our company's overall mass market multi-platform approach. We were an early entrant in the space and have had great success on a global basis.
GOD: You have mDisney, but also Starwave working in the mobile space. How do the two entities relate?
SL: The labels provide scale by leveraging the same highly competitive infrastructure and resources. A broader portfolio strengthens carrier relationships and allows us to cater to all of the key domestic mobile audiences.
mDisney features Disney-branded content based on our popular and beloved characters, stories and worlds.
Starwave Mobile publishes content based on licensed third-party brands spanning a variety of genres (including casual gaming, and lifestyle) for the mobile platform.
GOD: You've worked with developers such as Gamevil and Capybara. Do you maintain an internal development studio? Otherwise, how do you work with external developers?
SL: While we do work with outside developers, we also have a team that develops content internally. When working with external developers, the goal is to create a fun, authentic experience and this requires close collaboration with the entire creative team.
GOD: Movie and TV licenses can often be seen as "cash-in" titles. How do you work to ensure that you translate the movie/tv experience to mobile?
SL: mDisney is about delivering a quality family-friendly entertainment experience to mobile phones with the same high standards that attract fans to any Disney property - whether it's a movie, TV series, mobile game, music artist or animated character.
With the Pirates of the Caribbean titles for example, we created a gaming experience that captures the characters, battles, pirate ships, swashbuckling, dialogue and locales featured in the movie franchise. Whether the initial engagement starts with the movie, television show, music album or theme park ride, the mobile experience must be true to the qualities that originally attracted and excited the individual.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
GOD: mDisney has had a lot of success with Pirates of the Caribbean and other titles based on movies. What is the roadmap?
SL: We will continue to support key Disney movies, television shows, music artists and animated characters with relevant mobile content.
We remain focused on publishing and distributing high-quality content that captures the fun of the feature film while customizing the experience for the mobile phone.
