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Disney has hired former PlayStation executive John Drake as VP of business development and licensing for games. Drake had previously been with Sony for five years, working his way up to global head of portfolio strategy and content acquisitions and senior director. Prior to that, Drake spent seven years with Harmonix.
“Today’s my last day as the Head of Portfolio Strategy and Content at PlayStation,” Drake announced on Twitter earlier this month. “So proud of all we’ve accomplished over these [five] years – supporting games big and small and making cool things happen for the PlayStation Nation. Thank you to the team, the partners, and the fans!”
In a follow-up tweet yesterday, Drake confirmed he has taken on the role as VP of business development and licensing for games at Disney, “to help pair amazing developers and publishers with the best IP in the world”.
Here we go, Part 2!
Excited to announce that I've joined the team at Disney as VP of Business Development and Licensing for Games to help pair amazing developers and publishers with the best IP in the world. Still trying to be "that guy making cool games stuff happen!"
— johntdrake (@johntdrake) July 15, 2019
“Excited to announce that I’ve joined the team at Disney as VP of Business Development and Licensing for Games to help pair amazing developers and publishers with the best IP in the world,” Drake said (thanks, GI.biz). “Still trying to be ‘that guy making cool games stuff happen!’
“I’ve been a Disney fan my entire life – animation, live action, Pixar – and now Star Wars, Marvel, Fox and everything else? It’s an amazing time to bring those worlds to the games and interactive space! And it’s a wonderful team – ‘It takes people to make the dream a reality’.”
It’s an interesting move, and one that suggests Disney isn’t quite out of the game-making business just yet.
