Disney's history in the video game space may have taken a few blows in recent years, but if there's one thing that company can't be criticized for, it's cross-media marketing. Just days after the world famous cast of Marvel's Avengers were confirmed to be on their way to Disney Infinity, the studio is teasing the next character to come to the online platform: Maleficent, subject of the upcoming film starring Angelina Jolie.

It had been all but a certainty that Disney would be using its catalogue of classic characters, Marvel superheroes, and the newly-acquired Star Wars license to keep the sales flowing for the Infinity platform. Fans may still be counting the days until Captain America, Iron Man and even Spider-Man swing their way in (courtesy of the Disney Infinity 2.0 Edition) - and Star Wars characters may be even farther off in the future - but it seems Disney's just getting started.

The tease of the upcoming tie-in for Maleficent - a re-telling of the classic Sleeping Beauty story focusing on the sorceress' side of things - comes courtesy of the game's official Twitter account, and leaves little to the imagination:

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Eagle-eyed fans will know that this isn't the first sign of Maleficent's arrival, as the trailer announcing the arrival of Marvel Super Heroes into the world of Infinity actually included a brief cameo from the horned 'villain.' Even so, the Twitter confirmation is intriguing, if it gives an idea of how quickly Disney may plan to adapt movie characters to games.

The studio is obviously intent on striking while the iron is hot, having recently announced that a star of the animated film Frozen (2013) will soon be appearing on ABC's Once Upon a Time. The move is intended to capitalize on the fact that Disney's brand spans across both television and film, but to this point, the video game space has been left out in the cold.

Could this shortened development cycle be a sign that the in-production Star Wars games from Dead Space maker Visceral or DICE's Battlefront may tie in with the upcoming sequels in more concrete ways than previously assumed? It may be too much to hope, but Disney at least seems to be aligning their markets and properties more than they have in the past. And that is cause for optimism, if nothing else.

Would you hope to see Disney's film, TV and video games cross-pollinate, or should each market be planned to its own strengths? Share your thoughts or concerns in the comments below.

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Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes will arrive this fall. No word yet on when to expect Maleficent.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

Source: Disney Infinity