Is Mickey the new Mario? Is Donald Duck the new Donkey Kong? We may never get to that point, but Disney
It makes perfect sense. Nintendo typically appeals to a younger audience than the PlayStation and Xbox crowd. The new Nintendo Wii is getting high critical marks for its motion-sensitive controller, which fits right into Disney's plans for healthier lifestyles associated with the Disney brand.
Even though Disney has sometimes turned to third-party publishers to put out some of its more successful games -- like Square-Enix with Kingdom Hearts and THQ
Sony
However, the timing of the announcement is certainly welcome in the Nintendo camp. Getting Disney's public support just days before the launch of the Wii may encourage young families to snap up a Wii over the holidays -- if they can nab one -- because they know that Disney titles are coming.
So, yes, even the timing of a video game studio's announcement is a game in and of itself.
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Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has been a fan of video games dating back to Pong. He owns shares in Disney. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. The Fool has a disclosure policy.