Licensing IP is an easy way to generate revenue, but Disney can benefit strongly from adopting a vertically integrated pipeline for at least some of these games.
Naturally all eyes are now on Electronic Arts as the biggest Western games publisher after Activision Blizzard, but with an estimated market cap ofit’s probably beyond your scope as an acquisition target, as combined end-of-period cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash have hovered around $16 billion for the past three quarters.
When considering an acquisition Disney must think small, but not too small for such a move to be rendered pointless. A publishing acquisition around the scale of Microsoft’s $7.5 billionIts business strongest in its home turf of Japan, Bandai Namco earns most of its revenue from its Bandai Namco Entertainment publishing business, but also earns substantial revenue from selling toys.