I’m not entirely sure what the point is, but the press release was pretty sure to note that this is the first time some characters and world have been united. I am not sure if Kingdom Hearts counts in this tally. If it does, I’ll switch that “first” to “third,” because you could totally summon some characters no matter where you were. So, ha?

You can also team up with three of your friends for co-op action.

At least you can dress the “things you dress up” (seriously, I just looked for a name and I can’t find one other than calling these things “new classic characters”) as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald now. That was the point of this post. And it’s kind of cute. Check out the critters below.

A significant portion (some are saying that it could be nearly half) of Disney Interactive staff have been laid off, according to several reports.

However, this isn’t surprising, given that Disney has started to shift away from console gaming as a whole – first by acquiring social game developer Playdom earlier this year, then putting their CEO, John Pleasants, into power as head of Disney Interactive. When that happened, they called it “shifting [their] investment,” and that sort of strategy appears to be what Disney is sticking to, telling Variety that the layoffs yesterday occurred “[a]s part of setting a strategic direction for future success in the digital media space.”

This “restructuring process” appears to be pretty far-reaching, with Warren Spector’s Junction Point Studios (who only recently put out Epic Mickey) also taking a hit. The development studio behind the canceled Pirates of the Caribbean game was also closed last week, shortly after shipping the tie-in Tron: Legacy title. Black Rock Studios may also have been affected.

So, Disney appears to be leaving the world of traditional gaming behind completely in favor of things you can post on your Facebook wall. Well, in-house, anyway. Does anyone see this as a good thing? (I’m personally pretty disappointed.)

[CNBC]

It all got started this morning in Times Square, where fans at the newly-opened Disney Store got the first shot at buying the game, as well as meeting designer Warren Spector, who offered up this quote about the work they’re put into the title:

“We have poured our hearts, souls, and collective imaginations into a game that honors not only one of the most iconic characters on the planet, but Mickey Mouse’s creator–Walt Disney. Disney Epic Mickey is really about two epic journeys: an adventurous, heroic mouse and the creative genius behind him.”

If you want to see if that work has paid off, we’ll have an opportunity for you to win a copy of the game coming up soon. Stay tuned to GamingAngels to find out how you can get your (four-fingered, white gloved) hands on the game.

The Wii-exclusive title hits next week. Watch the video below.

One of these characters is Oswald, the lucky rabbit. Disney fans who are in the know as far as pre-Mickey characters go probably know who this little guy is, but everyone else? Probably not.

This video talks about Oswald’s origins and what he’s doing in the game. It’s a little dose of Disney history that I’m looking forward to experiencing on November 30.

The game should delight fans of the Disney Channel, since it features songs from the likes of Nick Jonas, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. If you’re not the best singer – well, that’s not a problem, either. Disney Sing It: Party Hits features vocal exercises and tips from the star of “Sonny with a Chance” and “Camp Rock,” Demi Lovato.

“The Disney Sing It franchise continues to bring popular songs from leading artists into the home in an interactive, fun and engaging way,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “Demi Lovato as the in-game vocal coach is an exciting feature we know fans will love and appreciate.”

In the game, you can sing alone or with friends to make it a real party. If you’ve got a competitive streak, there are modes for that, as well. The “Sing Off” mode lets you split up into groups and battle one another. The winner is the team with the highest score, naturally. A “Performance” mode removes the on-screen pitch bar and song lyrics to provide a more relaxed environment for singing newbies, and a challenge for more advanced vocalists. This Sing It game has also added a “Karaoke” mode, which means you’re singing alone – no famous back-ups.

A full tracklisting is below:

Allstar Weekend

“A Different Side of Me”

Ashley Tisdale

“It’s Alright, It’s Ok”

Black Eyed Peas

“Boom Boom Pow”

Camp Rock: The Final Jam

“Brand New Day”

“Can’t Back Down

“Fire”

“Introducing Me”

“It’s On”

“Wouldn’t Change a Thing”

Colbie Caillat

“I Never Told You”

David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland

“When Love Takes Over”

Demi Lovato

“Here We Go Again”

“Me, Myself and Time” as Sonny Monroe

“Remember December”

Iyaz

“Solo”

Jason Mraz

“I’m Yours”

Jonas Brothers

“Fly With Me”

“Paranoid”

Jordin Sparks

“Battlefield”

Justin Bieber

“One Less Lonely Girl”

“One Time”

Kelly Clarkson

“Already Gone”

Nick Jonas & The Administration

“Who I am”

One Republic

“All The Right Moves”

Owl City

“Fireflies”

Paramore

“Brick by Boring Brick”

“Ignorance”

Selena Gomez

“Magic”

Selena Gomez and The Scene

“Falling Down”

“Naturally”

Like other music games, you’ll be able to download additional tracks as long as you’re playing the PS3 version. There’s one free track available now – “Ordinary Girl” from Hannah Montana.

November 30 is the day for US shoppers, but if you’re in the UK and Europe, you get lucky, with release dates on November 16 and 25, respectively.

The platformer featuring the power of the paintbrush brings older Disney characters back to the present.

In case you need a refresher, this is a party game where the suspects change every time, and the Wii Remote acts as every detective tool you’ll ever need. It’s releasing on August 31.

Now, to meet the sleuths:

Disney’s reality show-based racing game Split/Second is broadening its horizons. This holiday, the game will make its Sony handheld debut on the PSP and PSPgo.

The game will feature the same things players of the original have been loving since May – power plays, explosions and destructible sets that make the strategic gameplay all the more exciting.

The PSP version of the game will include controls designed specifically for the system, as well as a new track and challenges not found in the original.  Not only that, but on the PSP, you can go local – with four-player local multiplayer, that is. (Sorry if I got your hopes up about destroying your local municipal buildings. Note: Don’t actually do this.)

But of course the one question you actually want me to answer hasn’t been covered yet – how does it look? I’ll just stop talking and let a screenshot speak for itself.

So the answer is – a little jagged. But then again, that might be par for the course for PSP owners (I can’t currently count myself among you).

So, are you taking the race on the road this holiday?

Not to mention that we finally get to see some faces to go along with the names we’ve been hearing about since the game’s announcement a couple of months ago.

Check out the trailer below:

What’s your verdict? So far, I think the game looks fun and adorable – sort of like a younger version of a game I might want to play at parties. Heck, I might try to play this at parties, anyway. It looks pretty polished for what it is. In fact, the only complaint I’ve got so far is that weird “theme” song they play at the end of the video. Does that creep anyone else out? Oh well, kids love theme songs, right?