When you think of Disney, what do you think about?

Most likely, the characters. Cinderella, Bambi, Snow White, and so on. Its easy to think of half a dozen or so, all lurking in various parts of our memories. There are so many, and they evoke certain emotions in all of us, whether we like it or not. Starting in the 1920’s, Disney was the big rock dropped into our cultural pond, creating waves that lasted through our parents’ generation, and into our own adulthoods. No one quite did it like Disney. And no one ever will. So why goodbye?

Well, because of our parents.

OK, its not our parents’ fault that Disney is dead. Its simply a matter of how we learned about the world from our parents. They shared their values, shared what they knew. And so, we understood it readily. And to this day some of our best cultural memories revolve around the experiences that Disney provided.

Cue the realities of media. Like many large corporations, Disney looks to the future based on the parameters of the past. That is their mandate - profit predictability. They know the formula, because they pretty much invented it. So that gives them an edge in their domain. Everything you see come out of the Disney corporation is a mechanical variant of what succeeded in the past. I’m not saying its bad - they are truly masters of their craft…

The only problem is that a new craft is coming to the fore.

The ground underneath the behemoth has now shifted. Smaller and lighter media companies are right now moving the playing field - either through a natural evolvement or through sheer invention. Scurrying underfoot of the beast, moving faster and faster until… the giant is forced to play catchup. But by then, its too late. The little guys were there first, and they handle their domains better than Disney does.

And its already happened.

Nintendo, I’m not the first to say it, but I would still like to welcome you to your new domain.

We, as the parents of today, get video games. They are worlds. They are interactive. They weave living, breathing, memories for the children of today. The kids can watch them, play them, carry them around, read them, or listen to them. Think about the difference in experiencing a static character on a movie screen with a character that interacts with you, that you can not only watch and get to know, but play with? A heady experience, for sure! And when our kids grow up, what memories will they be sharing with their children?

See you at the next Nintendo theme park!