14 DAY TRIAL // Video game companies tend to be known for how well they guard their intellectual properties, especially when teams try to use them for other purposes than what they were originally designed for, but Disney is announcing that it is going against this trend in order to allow game makers and other tech companies to contribute to the improvement of the communities around them.
The company is announcing that it is launching a new initiative called the Disney Healthy Living Digital Project, which will involve working with Creative England, a non-profit, in order to create products that will allow families to improve their own well-being.
Those interested can use characters created by Disney and even the IP associated with Marvel or Stars Wars to create their apps or video games.
The final product can be a simple game or it can use new tech like virtual reality or wearables, and there's even money offered for those teams that manage to come up with a solid concept.
The agreement does make it clear that all resulting content will be owned by the Walt Disney Company, which might be a problem for some creators.
It's unclear whether the initiative, which is unprecedented, will remain confined to England or there are plans for Disney to expand it worldwide at some point.
Star Wars is the next big gaming project for the company
At the moment, the focus of the video game-centered side of the multimedia conglomerate is on the Star Wars universe, which is getting a new movie later in the year.
Video game developer DICE and publisher Electronic Arts are currently working on a new Battlefront title linked to it, which might cover the entire history of the franchise and will include some solid gameplay innovations.
Previously, BioWare also confirmed that it was working on a Star Wars title, but it has not offered any details on what kind of experience it plans to deliver or if it will be launched this year or the next.
It's also unclear whether there are plans to create and launch video games that will use the characters from the Marvel superhero universes that will be getting the movie treatment in the coming years.