Steamforged Games has partnered with Bandai Namco Entertainment to launch the iconic 1980 arcade game Pac-Man to the tabletop gaming space with Pac-Man: The Card Game.
The game is billed as an easy-to-learn family game that will see players gobble up fruit and Pac-Dot cards for points, while avoiding ghosts Blinky, Pinky. Inky, and Clyde at all costs. The title will be distributed in the UK and Ireland by John Adams Leisure and will hit stores in November this year.
With three game modes, players can get to know the game in Beginner Mode, level up for a greater challenge, or combine both decks in Bonus Mode to create an experience for up to eight players.
Mat Hart, co-founder and creative lead at Steamforged Games, said: “We’re stoked to be collaborating with our partner Bandai Namco on another household IP. The game will be a brand new experience that feels authentically like the PAC-MAN we all know and love, with art inspired by the retro arcade classic.”
Steamforged Games has partnered with Bandai Namco Entertainment to launch the iconic 1980 arcade game Pac-Man to the tabletop gaming space with Pac-Man: The Card Game.
The game is billed as an easy-to-learn family game that will see players gobble up fruit and Pac-Dot cards for points, while avoiding ghosts Blinky, Pinky. Inky, and Clyde at all costs. The title will be distributed in the UK and Ireland by John Adams Leisure and will hit stores in November this year.
With three game modes, players can get to know the game in Beginner Mode, level up for a greater challenge, or combine both decks in Bonus Mode to create an experience for up to eight players.
Mat Hart, co-founder and creative lead at Steamforged Games, said: “We’re stoked to be collaborating with our partner Bandai Namco on another household IP. The game will be a brand new experience that feels authentically like the PAC-MAN we all know and love, with art inspired by the retro arcade classic.”
WildBrain CPLG has inked a wave of pan-regional deals in Middle East and North Africa on behalf of the European football clubs the agency represents in the market: Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool FC, and Manchester City.
For Arsenal, FC Barcelona and Manchester City, WildBrain CPLG has secured a direct-to-retail licensing deal with the fashion retailer RIVA that will see a line of apparel and accessories hit stores across the region.
Meanwhile, Andy Enterprises is now on board for an apparel and accessories range across Arsenal and Liverpool FC; Trucare is launching bedding and homewares across FC Barcelona and Manchester City; and ESAL is creating footballs for FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC.
Further partners secured include Hollywood Magic for FC Barcelona and Manchester City apparel ranges, and Sun CE for back-to-school products across all five clubs.
Roberto Pallottini, licensing manager at WildBrain CPLG MENA, said: “Football continues to be the most popular sport across the Middle East and North Africa and is also a significant trend at retail.
“We are proud to welcome these partners to the local licensing programmes for these internationally renowned European football clubs and to create lifestyle-focused products for the brands in the region.”
Moonbug Entertainment’s popular pre-school brand, Blippi, a YouTube sensation turned children’s entertainment franchise, is coming to the UK’s children’s magazine space thanks to a new partnership with publishers DJ Murphy.
The deal was brokered by The Point. 1888 on behalf of Moonbug Entertainment, and looks to capitalise on the show’s popularity among children. With over 12 billion content views worldwide, the fun and goofy Blippi aims to educate and entertain the two to six year old market the world over.
Blippi aims to inspire and keep children busy with fun and educational activities. The Point.1888 signed a deal with DJ Murphy to take the show’s best elements and turn them into an interactive magazine.
Issued monthly, the 36-page fun-zine is designed to surprise, challenge and delight fans with activities, games and puzzles while Blippi helps them to understand the world.
This is not the first time that The Point.1888 and DJ Murphy have collaborated, having enjoyed a great working relationship for many years with client L.O.L.. Due to the publishing group’s rich history of working with YouTube brands including Shopkins and equestrian This Esme, as well as its strong retail relationships, The Point.1888 was keen to secure them as Blippi’s publishing partner from day one.
Zoe Cannon, managing director at DJ Murphy, said: “From the moment we saw how engaged Blippi’s fans are with his shows, we wanted to work with the brand. His passion and excitement for discovery and curiosity is contagious and we desperately wanted to make a magazine that would be as immersive, educational and fun.
“Working with our existing contacts at The Point.1888 and with new licencing partner Moonbug, has been great. Moonbug’s creative team are so excited and passionate about the brand that it’s really contagious. There is such a wealth of assets for Blippi that literally anything is possible in the magazine.”
Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “Alongside the monthly magazines for 2021, there is so much more in the pipeline for this brand with partners secured across apparel, bedding, toy, arts and crafts and more. We’re thrilled to be working with the industry’s best people to make it all happen.”
The magazine is now in stores and available to buy in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, WH Smith, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op and all good newsagents, or online from ponymag.com/shop.
“The world is going to look very different now that Asmodee – one of the biggest players in the board gaming sector – is very actively pushing into licensing,” Alexander Thieme, manager of licensed publishing and consumer products, Asmodee Entertainment, promises.
The board game giant kicked off October with a show of force when it entered Festival of Licensing’s European leg with a tranche of partnership announcements covering both its hobby gaming portfolio and publishing imprint Aconyte Books.
Tapping into a fanbase and core audience of gamers and pop culture fans that are “positively starving for Asmodee licensing,” all of a sudden, the international hobby gaming specialist was landing graphic novel deals with CMON, bringing its artwork to the fore in pop culture collaborations, and partnering with the major entertainment studio, Ubisoft, to develop novels based on some of the largest video gaming IP on the planet.
Alexander Thieme, licensing manager of publishing and consumer products, Asmodee Entertainment
Yet while it may seem there’s not been a day over the last two weeks that a new development hasn’t emerged from Asmodee Entertainment, Thieme confidently informs us this is just the beginning.
“It’s about time this happened,” he tells Licensing.biz. “The fans out there are hungry, they are starving for stuff. Whenever I talk to fans and tell that I do the licensing, I ask them what they are looking for – is it comics, is it this, or that? And they bite my hand off. They are really crazy for it right now.
“But it’s the truth to say that we are just getting started.”
And that must be music to the ears. As dedication to a cause goes, you’ll find few more resolute than the tabletop gaming audience and the connection they have with their favourite titles. Yet, for so long, this has been a vastly under-served, if not, unrecognised market. With tabletop, hobby, and board gaming reaching new global heights, Asmodee Entertainment is on a mission to change all of that.
“I was part of the inventory at Games Workshop for many years, and I know the fanbase and the depths of their immersion,” says Thieme. “But I was surprised at how strong the connection is here, between fans and their board game titles.
“Arkham Horror is one of those that I am just super fascinated with how positive or how engaged the fans are when we announce something. It is incredible, they just pour out their love. The trick now is to find the right partners that are willing to jump into the boat with us.”
This will be Thieme’s remit. In the ten short months since he joined the board gaming giant, he has already seen this side to the business begin to flourish. The formation of Aconyte Books last has been an ace up the sleeve for the games publisher, having given the company a swinging door through which to license in and license out. It’s allowed the company to align itself with major entertainment companies such as Marvel and Ubisoft, as well as a platform from which it can propel titles like Twilight Imperium or Arkham Horror outside of the board game space.
“For me,” says Thieme, “as much as Asmodee’s statement is that there is a game for every gamer, I believe that here, there is a brand for every licensee. It’s about finding the right commercial endeavours.
“Dobble behaves very differently and has different opportunities to Arkham Horror. Catan is a beautiful hybrid of a mass market casual game and a super-ingrained hobby game. All of this produces very distinct audiences and very distinct opportunities.”
It’s just a matter of unearthing them. And that is what excites Thieme the most. His is a vision for Asmodee Entertainment unburdened by limitations of the IP. His is a belief that the opportunities are boundless, and that the success can be big. Bigger even than video gaming.
“How far can the medium be taken into licensing? That’s a simple answer,” he says. “Look at other media, such as video games, and how they are branching out. We have three licensing managers here at Asmodee; me for publishing and consumer products, a licensing manager for interactive games – so we can do interactive licensing next to us having our own publisher, and we have someone in Los Angeles talking television and film.
“There is no segment or category that won’t work. Of course, it won’t be everything for all of it. Dobble as a movie will not work. Dobble in a TV show… that can work. Dobble in apparel? Absolutely. Dobble in publishing? Oh yes. Comics or a Dobble Kids’ magazine? Hell yes.
The chances that Asmodee has as a licensor are gigantic. But it is early days right now; we are getting the first people in the boat and getting the market used to the idea that there is more to a board game than just rolling a dice. Customers and consumers are emotionally linked to them.”
What is intrinsic to Asmodee’s output is its storytelling. The board gaming scene thrives off its immersive storytelling; it’s ability to bring an audience one level deeper into a narrative by having them play a role within it. Of course, you can argue that video games do it just as well. Thieme will argue back that what analogue gaming delivers, however, is a social, shared-experience of living a narrative together.
“There’s a social story happening with every board game,” he explains. “I and many others find stories in board games that we remember for the rest of our lives. These social stories are extremely strong, and strong for licensing because what you want is a brand that someone will wear in their heart.
“Board games are in the home, on the table and a part of your life, more so, I would say, than digital games. You see the people around you. You have a drink with them, it’s a shared experience and it creates social fabric, and this is the canvass that we paint the licensing programme on.”
It’s with this that Asmodee Entertainment can start to have fun with the licensing endeavours it embarks upon. Over the coming months or years, promises Thieme, fans will begin to see what he calls ‘licensing with secret handshakes,’ or ‘guerrilla licensing’; the kind that will nod to the internal jokes or idiosyncrasies found in individual gaming titles.
“I call them the secret handshake of the geek, the kind where you’ll have just a symbol on a hat or something subtle,” says Thieme. “Of course you’ll have more obvious ones, but games like Arkham Horror or Pandemic are good for those idiosyncrasies.
“I think this will all be very welcomed. I think there has been a media fatigue in licensing and people are looking to break the monotony and be more dynamic. It’s why I can assure you, Asmodee Entertainment has plenty more to come.”
The apparel licensee, Poetic Brands, has added the international governing body of football, FIFA, to its portfolio of brands with the launch of a new range of FIFA themed clothing. The range will capitalise on the body’s historical marques and logos, the kind of which have been recognised worldwide for more than 100 years.
The Poetic Brands collection will feature t-shirts, sweatshirts, and nightwear and will launch into the UK with retailers stocking ranges from spring/summer 2021.
Founded in 1904, FIFA is the umbrella organisation of its members, currently 211 national football associations. Its objectives include developing football around the world, staging international competitions, and ensuring that the game of football is available to all who wish to participate.
The member associations of FIFA take part in the FIFA World Cup every four years, with the next edition taking place in 2022, providing a key selling point after the launch of the clothing line.
“Together with Poetic Brands, we’ll be bringing new energy to FIFA’s beloved historical emblems,” said FIFA head of licensing and retail, Sarah Bohner. “We look forward to helping fans relive and celebrate their favourite tournaments through unique, creative designs.”
Elliott Matthews, executive director of Poetic Brands, added: “We are really excited to be adding FIFA to our portfolio of properties. The brand is instantly recognisable not only to football fans, but to the vast majority of consumers. We are sure the collection will reach fans of the game throughout the UK and prove popular with supporters of all clubs.”
From fan created content, Amazon exclusives, and a whole host of toys, games and more, this year, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are taking fans of the Back to the Future franchise on an 88mph journey across the categories to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the iconic time-travelling series.
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads… but it may be time to upgrade your television as fans around the world can now look forward to more fan-created content, as well as the 4K Ultra HD release of the Back to the Future Trilogy, so you can watch the moment George McFly lands Biff that world-celebrated bop on the conk in the clearest of definitions.
On top of this, retail exclusives and new consumer products have all been rolling out across the retail space throughout the month, ahead of the fan created Back to the Future Day holiday today, Wednesday, October 21st 2020.
“Very few franchises in Hollywood history have shown the kind of staying power of Back to the Future,” said Bob Gale, co-writer and co-producer of the trilogy.
“To be celebrating 35 years of this iconic film series – through incredible product collections and fan-created content from around the world – is truly a testament to the heart of the film itself. Yes, it’s a sci-fi adventure, but it’s also about family and the fans’ emotional connection to the characters – which is something everyone can relate to, no matter what generation or time-traveling decade you’re from.”
As part of the 35th anniversary celebrations, Universal Brand Development partnered with content creation platform Tongal to invite animators and fans from around the world to recreate their favorite scenes from the original Back to the Future film.
Eight creators – from Uruguay to Ireland to Brazil – were greenlit to bring their ideas to life. The videos have been rolling out on the Back to the Future Facebook fan page over the last few days, with a final compilation video debuting today to coincide with the anniversary.
The fan creators attached to the eight videos (+ one edited compilation) represent a global and diverse fandom of this beloved time-traveling franchise:
“Marty’s Dream Amp” by Javier Benia O’Neill – Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
“The First Time Traveller” by Elliot Ruddy – Dublin, Ireland
“Alien in the Barn” by Crankub Animation Studio (Martí Montañola and Sara Esteban) – Barcelona, Spain
“Marty McFly and the Butterfly Effect” by Bethany Borg – Malta
“A Visitor in the Night” by Neto Rodrigues and Gabis Fromme – São Paulo, Brazil
“Race for Surviving” by Calaveres Animació (Javier Asensio, María Larín, Nicole Herrera and Felipe Armand) – Valencia, Spain
“Fateful Punch” by Eric Power – Austin, Tex.
“Cardboard Cute-Out” by Team Explainly (Max Naff, Alex Hagan, Derik Smith, Sam Naff, Elizabeth Abreu, Andy Toizer and Ben Jackson) – San Francisco, Calif.
Compilation video edited by Firman Machda – Bandung, Indonesia
Meanwhile, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the 35th Anniversary of the groundbreaking first film with Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogyavailable now on 4K Ultra HD for the first time. This collection includes all three movies in collectible discbook packaging.
Additionally, it is loaded with bonus material including an extra disc that comes with over an hour of new content, such as rare audition footage from Hollywood stars Ben Stiller, Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Cryer, Billy Zane, Peter DeLuise and C. Thomas Howell; a tour of the film’s props and memorabilia hosted by co-writer/producer Bob Gale; a sneak peek at the new musical show; a special episode of the popular YouTube Series “Could You Survive The Movies?;” and more.
In celebration of Back to the Future Day today, Amazon will be hosting a dedicated Back to the Future storefront, where fans of all ages can find something that will take them back in time. If fans checkout using smile.amazon.com/backtothefuture and select the “Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research” as your charity choice, a portion of sales will be donated to that charity.
It’s your kids Marty, something has to be done about your kids… and indeed, Universal has that demographic covered. First up, Playmobil has gone back to the future with a model of the iconic DeLorean that features folding wheels for hover mode, doors which open upwards, an illuminated flux capacitor inside and illuminated exterior.
Also included is plutonium, which can be inserted at the back of the vehicle. The play-set is complete with Marty Mcfly and Doc Brown in their outfits from 1985 plus a plutonium case, skateboard, remote control and Einstein, the dog.
Fans can also countdown to the holidays at 88MPH with this the Playmobil Advent Calendar:Back to the Future that includes Marty McFly, Emmett “Doc” Brown, Jennifer Parker, and Biff Tannen, along with a highly detailed model of the Hill Valley courthouse with its iconic clock tower, plus lots of accessories from the classic cult film, all with great attention to detail.
Meanwhile, Hasbro has launched the Transformers Back to the Future Gigawatt figure and IDW Comic Series, bringing together two iconic brands both in figure and comic book form for the first time.
Hasbro is in good company in the toy aisle which also features Funko’s commemorative range of character collectibles, JADA with Back to the Future vehicles and remote- control toys, puzzles from Ravensburger, Rainbow for plush and Rubber Road for adult gifting and toys.
GB Eye and Pyramid are on board for stationery and gifting and GB Eye has also taken the license for posters whilst RMS has pocket money purchases and stocking fillers covered this Christmas.
In soft lines, the HYPE Back to the Future collection nods at the franchise era, the 1980s, with expressive designs in a monochrome and neon colour palette. The HYPE. stamp features enlarged graphics, all-over prints, contrasting flames, and illusion checkerboard with a cyberpunk aesthetic, whilst embracing the ’80s grunge trend.
The global anime brand, Crunchyroll, has detailed a slate of cross-category licensing partnerships ahead of the autumn anime season, highlighting not only the diversity of the anime medium, but the global reach of the animation form.
“This latest slate of licensing partnerships represents the diversity of anime as a medium, from the spooky stylings of Jujutsu Kaisen and the Junji Ito Collection, to the eternally cute Bananya,” said John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll.
“Crunchyroll represents anime titles that can drive success to your category.”
The latest licensing line-up sees Bananya – the kitten who lives in a banana – move into the board games sector with Japanime Games, books with Running Press, mugs with Wild Bill’s Soda, and novelties and pins with Just Funky.
Meanwhile, Black Clover, the long running Shonen action series, was recently signed to Hypland for fashion, Japanime Games for board games and Taka for figures, while Dr. Stone, the scientific action series based on the popular Shonen Jump manga of the same name, is coming back for season two in January 2021 and was signed by Wild Bill’s Soda for mugs.
Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, the culinary competition series, was recently granted to Espada Arts for figures, Mobile Suit Gundam, the iconic anime series that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, was granted to FiGPiN for pins and Just Funky for novelties and gifts, and Haikyu the beloved volleyball series, was recently granted to Hypland and Good Smile company for fashion and apparel.
Elsewhere, Jujutsu Kaisen the hit Shonen Jump title streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll, was granted to Bioworld for apparel and Great Eastern Entertainment for accessories and home goods. the Junji Ito Collection was recently granted to Ground Up International for footwear, Hypland for fashion and to Wild Bill’s Soda for mugs, and Kuroko’s Basketball was recently signed to Hypland for fashion.
Completing the raft of signings and Mob Psycho 100 was granted to Team Liquid, the world renowned professional gaming organization, and Good Smile Company for apparel, and Espada Arts for figures, while finally the Good Smile Company was granted licenses to create apparel for both Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
Crunchyroll’s consumer products team provides global anime fans with the best in lifestyle, home goods, fashion and more, managing all-rights for more than 350 anime series for more than 100 global licensees. It also operates the direct to consumer Crunchyroll Store, which is the exclusive home of Crunchyroll Loves, the brand’s in house streetwear label.
Crunchyroll, the global streaming brand from WarnerMedia, serves more than 70 million registered users and 3 million subscribers in more than 200 countries and territories. Crunchyroll’s robust online community also includes more than 40 million followers across social media.
The LEGO Group has struck up a multi-year partnership with Adidas to co-create a range of new products aimed at inspiring creativity to foster a more playful, positive and inclusive world for adults and children from all backgrounds and sporting abilities.
The partnership will span products such as footwear, apparel, and hardware, having kicked off last month with the unveiling of the limited edition Adidas Originals ZX 8000 LEGO sneaker.
“It’s our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow and help children be creative and learn the skills they need to thrive,” said Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer at the LEGO Group.
“Great play experiences are a fun way to learn and build creative confidence, and so is sport – and that’s is why we’re so excited about this partnership. Together, play and sport let children experience collaboration and the principles of fair-play, as well as build mental resilience. These are crucial life-skills that can help children unlock their full potential.”
Aimee Arana, SVP general manager, global training at Adidas, added “Our goal is to use the power of sport to change lives, grounded in creativity as the vehicle to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. An innovative partner like the LEGO Group allows us to together imagine up new concepts and products that will spark creativity in an inclusive way, particularly helping the development of younger generations.”
Initial partnership discussions started in 2017, and in 2018 the LEGO Group welcomed the adidas team to LEGO House in Denmark to let creativity run wild and determine how best to foster a true fusion of the two brands.
That meeting kicked-off what promises to be a dynamic and fast-paced collaboration, with the first products scheduled to drop before the end of 2020. Products for various sports and an active lifestyle will launch in December and throughout 2021, aimed at both kids and adults and crossing different LEGO themes.
Egmont Magazines is launching a new LEGO Explorer magazine, a monthly publication designed ‘to build curious minds’ and inspire readers to design their own LEGO models and ‘unleash their creativity.’
The magazine has been developed by Egmont Publishing with the support of official LEGO designers and aims to combine the creativity central to the LEGO brand with Egmont’s experience in magazine content. The new title will be focused on learning, discovery and creativity.
The LEGO Explorer magazine will have a STEAM focus, encouraging young readers to go on a journey through the worlds of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths, as well as teaching them new LEGO skills with inside info from LEGO designers themselves.
Each issue will also offer readers innovative tips and tricks to make the most of their LEGO collection, as well as a collectable LEGO toy. The first issue of LEGO Explorer is dedicated to Marvellous Machines and explores the world of robots and artificial intelligence.
The magazine will be hitting newsstands from October 21st, however, Egmont will also be entering the subscriptions market with subs already available online.
Laura Adnitt, publishing director, said: “We’re sure that LEGO Explorer will be loved by both kids and parents, and the STEAM themes are sure to engage young readers in educational topics alongside their much-loved LEGO bricks.
“We’re delighted to be launching this magazine with a direct to consumer subscription offer. We know that young readers will love collecting all the themed issues, and will revel in building the exclusive LEGO covermounts every month.”
