Disney Online Creates New Unit

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, February
20: Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, has created Disney
Online Studios, a new team that will focus on building, operating and
publishing an expansive lineup of games, virtual worlds and online social communities.

Steve Parkis, a Disney
Online veteran, has been promoted to senior VP and will lead the newly formed
group, reporting to Paul Yanover, the executive VP and managing director of
Disney Online. Parkis will lead the Disney Online Studios team in publishing
content that spans virtual worlds, casual online games, interactive and
creative activities and social communities. The team will publish both
internally and externally developed initiatives that utilize existing Disney
characters and stories, as well as original intellectual property created
specifically for online.

The formation of Disney
Online Studios combines the talents of several of Disney Online’s Internet
teams. Among the groups joining the team are the creators of the award-winning
Disney.com XD (www.disney.com/xd), a highly
interactive broadband destination that combines games, video and community
elements.

The newly formed division
will also include Disney Online’s Virtual Reality Studio, a group that started
in Disney’s Imagineering division before moving online to create virtual worlds
that include Disney’s Toontown Online (www.toontown.com)
and the recently launched Pirates of the Caribbean Online (www.piratesonline.com). In addition to the existing
resources, there will also be a significant expansion of the development,
community, operations and publishing teams to more fully address growing
opportunities in the online games and community space.

Taking on an expanded role
within Disney Online Studios will be Mike Goslin, the VP of virtual worlds and
one of the lead developers of Toontown and Pirates of the Caribbean Online, who
has been appointed to guide the development of online virtual worlds and
communities.

In addition to expanding
and growing Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, Pirates of the Caribbean
Online and Toontown, Disney Online Studios has previously announced development
on virtual worlds built around the Disney Fairies franchise, which will be
launched later this year, and the animated film Cars. More than 4.5 million personalized fairies have
been created at DisneyFairies.com, which will ultimately become the gateway to
the virtual world. The team is also actively looking to build and publish more
virtual worlds and an expanded array of online games, interactive activities
and social environments for kids and their families.

Disney’s portfolio of
virtual worlds also includes Club Penguin, which was acquired in August 2007.

“Online games and
community continue to be a key focus of our entertainment content,” stated
Yanover. “As the number one ranked site for kids and families, Disney.com
reaches more than 27 million unique visitors a month, and far and away the top
reason guests come to our site is for games and other interactive online
entertainment.”

—By Irene Lew