Disney set to launch mobile 'tween' social network
Matt Hartley
Globe and Mail
May 15, 2008
TORONTO -- Walt
Disney Co. wants to take "tween" social networking
mobile.
When Disney launches its new Prince Caspian video game
for the Nintendo DS today, it will also unveil DGamer, a
kid-friendly mobile social network that will allow users
to create avatars, chat and share high scores with
friends over a WiFi connection.
For Disney, the new social platform adds another pillar
to the company's expanding network of digital
communities, which also includes Disney Xtreme Digital -
a pre-teen version of MySpace - and the Club Penguin
site purchased from a trio of Kelowna, B.C.-based
developers for $350-million (U.S.) last August.
But DGamer also represents Disney's attempt to bring the
experience of console-based digital networks such as
Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Live and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation
Network to Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s handheld DS devices.
With more than 70 million DS devices already sold,
Disney is hoping to create a social community through
the devices that will drive interest in its programs and
movies aimed at teens and tweens, such as Hannah Montana
and High School Musical.
"This is something that has never been done before so
we're really excited about it," said Michelle Liem, a
spokeswoman for Disney Interactive Studios.
Although the DS has always supported simple chat
functions and allowed players to compete against each
other in certain games, the DGamer network will offer
more features and will work exclusively through Disney
video games and disney.com.
Sony's handheld PSP device features a similar network,
but critics say it has few users and has suffered
because of its complexity.
Once perceived as a company that was slow to adapt to
technology trends while relying heavily on its past
glory, Disney has been "fairly aggressive" in expanding
onto the Internet, chief executive officer Robert Iger
told analysts in March. Mr. Iger expects online content
to generate $1-billion in revenue for Disney this fiscal
year.
Disney has taken a number of steps in the past year to
try and cement itself at the centre of the preteen
social networking world as it competes with the likes of
Toronto toy-maker Ganz's WebKinz site.
"Disney has taken an increased interest in ensuring that
they are meeting the needs of a very demanding audience
... one that wants to grow up quickly," Yankee Group
social networking analyst Jennifer Simpson said.
"Social networks are a way for Disney to ... transition
to a bit of an older audience so that Disney name is
still top of mind," she said.
DGamer makes sense for Disney since the kids who are
using Club Penguin - which has a user base of about 12
million - are the same ones who are growing into fans of
Disney's tween properties, said Wedbush Morgan
Securities video game analyst Michael Pachter.
"It's the same girls, so there's definitely an
opportunity there," he said. "I'm not sure if
mechanically it will work or if the kids will care, but
I guess we'll find out."
Disney isn't the only company actively attempting to
marry social networking to mobile electronics; in just
six months, Research In Motion Ltd. has seen more than
one million downloads of an application that allows
users to access their Facebook profile from a BlackBerry.
"All the major social networks out there are interested
in data applications for mobile devices, simply because
they are with you at all times," Ms. Simpson said. "The
real difficulty is the experience the consumer has is
hard to translate."