Disney's Games Download And Prince Of Persia To Replace Depp's Pirates

Partnering with Macrovision, Walt Disney’s Internet Group has begun trialling downloadable PC titles in PAL territories including the UK and Australia. The games include The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Pirates Of The Caribbean (POTC).

No mention has been made of the potential new Disney franchise, Ubisoft's resurrected Prince of Persia - which is apparently on the cards as a POTC fallback.

Games can be tried out before purchase via download through Macrovision's games network distribution partners. Once purchased, games can be shared as trials on an unlimited basis.

According to MCV, the games are being distributed by the portals, retailers and peer-to-peer groups that are part of Macrovision's game network.

VP of technology and operations at Walt Disney Internet Group Europe Myles MacBean said: “The casual gaming market in Europe is projected to reach approximately $400 million (E308.8m) by 2009, with usage extending beyond

This comes at a time when Disney is re-branding its games face in order to clearly differentiate between its own IP and those based on, possibly less sugary and more adult-oriented content.

In our exclusive interview today with Disney’s UK country director, Matt Carroll, he explains that bidding farewell to the to previous Buena Vista brand had to be done because, “I don’t think that Buena Vista ever added anything to us.”

He also explains that the more grown-up Touchstone label, “simply allows us to have an umbrella for a wide range of games”, although, “The strategy for the company hasn’t changed at all with the name-change – we were always going to have a proportion of business which would use the existing Walt Disney properties in one shape or form.

Read the full Disney interview right here.