Starting in May 2008, Disney games for the portable Nintendo DS will come bundled with kid-friendly software that allows players on a Wi-Fi connection to create avatars, socialize and swap goods in a virtual environment. While the Nintendo DS has always had embedded firmware to facilitate simple chat, the Disney product, called DGamer, will work directly with the Disney games-- kids can share their high scores and vote in polls, too. The DGamer world will also synch directly with a compatible web portal simultaneously.

DGamer was announced at Disney's recent E3 presentation (check out the video), and is slated for a worldwide release in May of 2008 with the first compatible title to be The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Disney has raised its profile in the console and handheld gaming market considerably in recent years-- they've recently acquired acclaimed designer Warren Spector's Junction Point studio, and have said they will invest $130 million more in game development during 2007. This growth has been concurrent with the development of Disney's online world, Toontown-- now, it seems, Disney's ready to take the next step to marry gaming, virtual worlds and social networking in the portable gaming arena.

“It’s really a perfect environment for people to exchange information and to share their community, and it’s great for the Disney audience,” said a rep.