Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time?

Stubbs did well enough to keep Wideload going but wasn't a runaway hit. If the press reaction is any guage, I think Chimp did not do quite as well. Myself, I found it very difficult to get into because it's just not my kind of game. I like the writing and the humor; I find it more entertaining to watch than to play.

So perhaps they just found themselves a talented group of core people with valuable skills and a good track record at a time when a company with cash went shopping during a downturn. Maybe Wideload didn't make enough from Chimp to bankroll their own next title, and funding from publishers dried up. Not really sure.

Perhaps Seropian wanted to limit his risk, and a regular job at Disney, no matter how interesting, has to be viewed as more secure than running your own business. Since the Wideload core group was small, perhaps the acquisition was just the best way of getting him on board.

I'm guessing Disney did not pay Lion money or even Bungie money in the current climate.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25049