Three weeks on from Disney buyout of iPhone developer Tapulous, the latest word on the web suggests the media giant is now making a move for social gaming powerhouse Playdom.

TechCrunch claims Disney, which is already a major investor in the firm may have already completed the deal, worth anything from $345 to $600 million. 

The site states seven separate sources have stated the move is anywhere between the final stages to having been consummated. 

Playing for Playdom

Within the social market, Playdom is seen as the third largest publisher, behind Zynga and the EA-owned Playfish.

Playdom stated last month that it intends to roll out its games – which feature on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace – in territories across Europe with full language support.

It's been able to make such promises, of course, thanks to several rounds of funding which have seen the firm amass a total of $76 million. The latest round saw it pick up $33 million, with Disney's Steamboat Ventures the major force behind the injection.

If completed, the move will see Disney's becoming a force in social gaming, with the likelihood of the giant's cast of instantly recognisable characters popping up in Playdom's output on multiple platforms presumably high.

[source: TechCrunch]