November 7, 2006
BUENA VISTA GAMES ANNOUNCES FALL
LINE STUDIO
New Development Studio Focused on
Becoming a Center of Creative Excellence for Nintendo Platform Video Games
Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the
interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS),
today announced the formation of a new video game development studio dedicated
to creating innovative games for Nintendo platforms. Based in Salt Lake City,
Fall Line Studio’s focus is to develop games based on Disney’s characters,
television shows and entertainment franchises as well as creating new
intellectual property for the Nintendo DS(TM) and Wii(TM) game systems.
Built around a core of industry
veterans, the studio will focus on small-team, creative projects that leverage
the Disney brand in new and innovative ways. Fall Line Studio will operate as a
sister studio to Buena Vista Games’ award-winning Avalanche Software studio,
also in Salt Lake City, giving the company an advantage in reaching the strong
pool of creative talent in the region.
Industry veteran Scott Novis will
serve as vice president and general manager for Fall Line Studio. Prior to this
position, Novis served as general manager of Rainbow Studios where he grew the
staff from 30 to more than 200 employees. His experience in the video game
business and knowledge of the industry will allow Fall Line Studio to capitalize
on the power of the Disney brand and deliver innovative games for the mass
market.
“This studio will be one of our
centers of creative excellence and it gives us the ability to fully capitalize
on our properties and expand our market share on Nintendo platforms,” said
Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager of Buena Vista Games.
“Scott Novis brings the perfect mix of team building and relevant business
experience to the position of studio head for Fall Line Studio."
“The opportunity to grow a new
studio for Buena Vista Games after success with Rainbow is right in line with my
goal to create great games for the mainstream,” said Scott Novis, vice president
and general manager of Fall Line Studio. “BVG has an excellent management team,
a can-do corporate culture and a treasure trove of great intellectual properties
that make it exciting for us to start something new.”
BVG has a strong reputation for
creating games for Nintendo platforms and is the No. 3 publisher of Game Boy(R)
Advance titles in North America. The strength of the company’s famous
characters, Disney Channel properties and entertainment intellectual properties
provide Buena Vista Games with an unparalleled deep catalog of content.
