Warner Bros. revives shuttered ‘Disney Infinity’ creator for ‘Cars 3’ game

By Danny Cowan Published January 25, 2017

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment rescued shuttered Disney Infinity creator Avalanche Software, and the reopened studio is now working on a video game adaptation of the upcoming Disney-Pixar animated film Cars 3.

Warner Bros. has also acquired the rights to Avalanche’s Octane engine technology, which powered multiple games in the Disney Infinity series. The engine purchase effectively allows Avalanche to resume its work unhindered by last year’s studio shutdown.

Recommended Videos

The once-popular Disney Infinity series targeted the “toys-to-life” market with a series of games that allows players to summon and control in-game characters by placing collectible figures on top of an NFC-reading device. Multiple figures and vehicles inspired by Disney films and media properties were released in the years that followed and Disney Infinity sequels featuring Marvel Universe and Star Wars characters premiered in 2014 and 2015 across multiple console platforms.

As the toys-to-life market hit a low point in 2016 due to declining sales, Disney announced the end of its Disney Infinity series and the closure of subsidiary studio Avalanche Software. As of this week, Avalanche Software has resumed its development duties after a Warner Bros. buyout, with studio co-founder John Blackburn returning as CEO.

“It is a tremendous pleasure to welcome Avalanche Software into our development stable,” Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment president David Haddad said in a statement, “and we look forward to working with our new team, Pixar Animation Studios, and [Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media] to create Cars 3 based on the upcoming film and hugely popular franchise.”

Haddad continued: “The Avalanche talent and technology are a great addition to our group of outstanding developers, and we are excited for this Cars 3 game as well as all of the future games the team will create under John’s leadership.”

Former Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Topics

Tech News

Gaming

Is Rust cross-platform?

Yes, but there's levels to this.

Rust player running by buildings.

Rust is the kind of survival game where choosing the right server matters almost as much as choosing the right weapon. This also reflects on the platform of your choice. If you're you're friends are spread across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, you’ll want to know exactly who can play together before anyone starts building a base.

The answer to the question is simple in one way and annoying in another. Rust supports crossplay between PlayStation and Xbox players, but PC players cannot play with console players. So yes, there is cross-platform support, but only inside the console version of the game.

Gaming

Is Overcooked 2 cross-platform?

Cross-play on Overcooked 2 exists, but the answer is a bit complicated.

A map of Overcooked with enhanced graphics for the PS5 and Xbox Series X

Overcooked 2 is a great game to play with friends, provided everyone is ready for the shouting that comes with it. One person is trying to chop vegetables, another is panicking over burning rice, and someone else has probably fallen off the edge of the map with the only clean plate.

Naturally, it works best when the whole group can jump in together. But that gets a little confusing if your friends are spread across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Overcooked 2 has been released on several platforms, but cross-platform support depends heavily on which version of the game you’re playing.

Gaming

As Steam Deck fires up handheld costs, Acer Nitro Blaze Link limits you to stream at just $180

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Gaming handhelds have become surprisingly expensive. Between premium models like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go, getting a portable gaming machine often means spending hundreds of dollars before you’ve even bought a game.

Acer’s latest idea takes a very different approach. Announced alongside a flood of new products, the Nitro Blaze Link is a handheld gaming device that doesn’t actually run games itself. Instead, it streams them from a compatible gaming laptop, turning your Predator or Nitro notebook into a personal gaming server. If that sounds familiar, that’s because the concept isn’t entirely new. Tools like Steam Link, Moonlight, and Parsec have been doing similar things for years. What Acer is betting on is convenience.