Disney Closes Avenger's Alliance 1 and 2

So, this is interesting.

Some backstory here: way back in may of this year, Disney shut down its long-running and extremely popular franchise, Disney Infinity, ending support for the game and ceasing the release of any extra content or DLC. A surprising bummer, to be sure, as the game was actually quite good, being a creative mix of Minecraft and Skylanders, and had quite a large, devoted fanbase. They said they closed the game so they could change directions and focus exclusively on a licensing model, which is a far easier, if slightly less exciting, direction for the company to go.

Well, it's been about four months since then, and the next big closure has been announced by the folks at Disney: this time, for their popular and successful Facebook and mobile titles, Avengers Alliance 1 and 2. The two games will be shutting down come September 30th, and as of right now, it's impossible to purchase any of the in-game currency.

Where things get really interesting, however, is the reason why:

"At this time, we are shifting our development focus towards other online and mobile play experiences, and a growing selection of Disney Mobile apps. We deeply appreciate your enthusiasm and loyal support for Marvel: Avengers Alliance and sincerely hope you will continue to enjoy the large variety of online and mobile play experiences Disney offers, and will bring you soon!"

So, they shut down Disney Infinity and closed Avalanche Studio, their console development studio, and their more 'hardcore' Facebook and mobile title. By the looks of things, Disney is firmly pointing itself towards a future like King's: quality, if disposable, casual games utilizing its disgustingly large amount of IP.

A safe, if disappointing direction for Disney to go. Here's to hoping the studios that they license try something a bit bolder.