Buena Vista Games expands with Avalanche acquisition

Disney's interactive entertainment arm, Buena Vista Games, has announced two new deals designed to push the company towards its goal of becoming a top-tier console games publisher.

First up is the acquisition of Avalanche Software, a Salt Lake City-based developer whose games include Tak and the Power of Juju, Tak 2 and Dragonball Z Sagas: Evolution.

The company is currently working on online multiplayer shooter 25 to Life and Buena Vista's Chicken Little, which will go on release with the Disney film this November.

"Avalanche Software has a proven track record of creating high quality console games based on its own compelling content and some of the industry's top brands, and is a perfect fit for our Disney-based franchises," said Buena Vista senior VP Graham Hopper.

John Blackburn, president of Avalanche, added: "It is a true honor for Avalanche Software to become a part of the greatest entertainment company of our time.

"Our employees are delighted to join the BVG family, and look forward to creating great family-friendly games that everyone can play."

Under the terms of the agreement, Avalanche will operate as a division of BVG and will continue to operate its development studio in Salt Lake City. An unspecified number of the studio's 100 employees, including some senior management figures, have signed long-term agreements with BVG.

For its second announcement, BVG unveiled plans to establish a new development studio in Vancouver. It will be led by ex-Electronic Arts Canada staff, some of whom worked on the NBA Street and Def Jam franchises.

Howard Donaldson, who was chief financial officer at EA Canada for seven years, also joins the studio, along with more than 20 veteran programmers already signed up.

The new studio will focus on developing action-adventure console games for both current and next-generation platforms, based around original intellectual property.

"The ability to create an independent development team focused on making great action games was very attractive to the team," said Josh Holmes, vice president and studio general manager.

"The new studio has the best of both worlds - a great entrepreneurial spirit to foster the development of original intellectual property, while having the financial security of being funded by the world's largest entertainment company."