Disney Interactive cancels Disney Infinity, shuts down Avalanche Software, and exits console publishing

Disney Interactive has announced it will discontinue the production of Disney Infinity and will exit the console publishing business, transitioning exclusively to a licensing model. This includes shutting down Avalanche Software, developer of the Disney Infinity series.

In a statement to VentureBeat, Disney said: “After a thorough evaluation, we have modified our approach to console gaming and will transition exclusively to a licensing model. This shift in strategy means we will cease production of Disney Infinity, where the lack of growth in the toys-to-life market, coupled with high development costs, has created a challenging business model. This means that we will be shutting down Avalanche Software, our internal studio that developed the game. This was a difficult decision that we did not take lightly given the quality of Disney Infinity and its many passionate fans.”

Two final releases are still planned for Disney Infinity, including three new characters from Alice Through the Looking Glass in May, and the Finding Dory Play Set launching in June.