After more than 80 years of the cute, cuddly, gee-golly Mickey Mouse we’ve all come to know and love, Disney executives have decided its time for the character to show his “dark side.”
The first version of this new (and improved?) Mickey will appear next year in a new video game called Epic Mickey, in which the beloved character can be grumpy, selfish, and sly as he tries to get through a perilous world.
Unsurprisingly, some fans and Disney purists are concerned that the new mouse will be too much of a departure from the original Mickey. Some in the industry, however, believe it is a necessary endeavor in order to help Disney save its brand from obsolescence. According to Jim Wilson, the chief executive of Atari’s North American business, “This is a huge opportunity to create more relevancy for Mickey and pull him into the fastest-growing entertainment medium.”
The New York Times: After Mickey’s Makeover, Less Mr. Nice Guy
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Scary to think that Disney equates “grumpy, selfish, and sly” with “relevancy.” Whether or not this move works for them doesn’t diminish what an unfortunate social commentary this is as well.
It is scary to think, Jon, that a beloved children’s character needs to be made less wholesome in order to have appeal. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what kind of response the video game gets–maybe it will backfire and people will demand the old Mickey.