Disney Buys Playdom For Up To $763.2 Million

Disney is making a major foray into social gaming with the purchase of Playdom for up to $763.2 million. The games company, which has titles such as Mobsters, Social City, Sorority Life, Market Street and Bola on Facebook and other social networking sites, claims 42 million active players a month.

The deal is worth $563.2 million in “total consideration” and a possible further $200 million in earn-outs. It marks a considerable jump in the valuations of social gaming companies since last year when games publisher Electronic Arts bought Playfish for $275 million in cash and up to $100 million in earn-outs.