Ahead of Disney’s D23 Expo this weekend, the company has expanded on how its games division has become an important part of its overall business when it comes to fostering new fans and growing relationships with old ones. Sean Shoptaw, EVP of Games and Digital Entertainment, revealed today that Disney Games Group is responsible for $3.5 billion in annual consumer spending. That’s a lot of money across a lot of different IPs, so the company is doubling down on it moving forward with some big success already in tow. Image via NetEase Games Shoptaw said Disney’s games portfolio includes a whopping nine titles that have grossed over a billion dollars, including Kingdom Hearts and Marvel Strike Force. But the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4 is a big part of the future, as is another newer title under the Disney banner, Marvel Rivals. “The way Disney is shaping the future of interactive entertainment through games is really acknowledging that games have become a foundational part of the broader entertainment landscape,” Shoptaw said. “We’ve built a really foundational footprint in games today,” and “it’s about telling truly original stories that really are unique to this medium, specifically.” A Kingdom Hearts panel this weekend is expected to be a part of growing that foundation, potentially showing more of the anticipated sequel. But elsewhere, Disney’s eyes, as always, are on growing consumers from a young age, and that’s where Marvel Rivals has flourished: the game has attracted 40 million players worldwide, and 60 percent of them are under the age of 24. Not to be forgotten is Disney’s partnership with Epic Games, and a new experience within Fortnite is still yet to be fully revealed. “Our partnership with Epic is a really important one,” Shoptaw said. “What Epic has built with Fortnite has really created one of the most important social entertainment platforms in the world, and certainly for us, we see a ton of opportunity to bring our great characters, stories, and worlds into that universe and build something truly unique to Disney.” More news about Disney games (and everything else it owns, like Marvel, Star Wars, etc.) is expected out of D23 this weekend, so stay tuned for more.The post Disney touts ‘core pillar’ games like Kingdom Hearts and Marvel Rivals as crucial for its ‘next chapter’ appeared first on Destructoid.