Category Archives: Video Games

Nintendo taps Disguise Inc for Kirby costumes as global videogame licensing market ‘explodes’

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Disguise Inc, the costume division of the toy manufacturer, JAKKS Pacific, has secured a new partnership with Warpstar – the IP management affiliate of Nintendo – to design, market, and distribute costumes and costume accessories for the Kirby franchise.

The new deal will cover the worldwide distribution rights for the Kirby range, with the exclusion of Japan.

Costumes and accessories will be created in the style of the original Kirby from the video games and television animated series. The Kirby IP is co-owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, Inc. with HAL Laboratory, Inc working with Nintendo to create Kirby software.

The game series includes 35 games and has sold approximately 74 million units worldwide. Kirby is also one of the top 50 bestselling video game franchises of all time. The critically acclaimed animated series Kirby: Right Back at Ya! included four seasons and 100 episodes.

“The demand for gaming-themed products has exploded in recent years, and Disguise is the worldwide leader in licensed video game costumes,” said Tara Hefter, EVP and GM of Disguise, Inc.

“The addition of Kirby is a natural fit for our portfolio, as Kirby is part of the Nintendo family and Disguise has been the costume partner of Nintendo since 2013. We are excited to expand our offering of Super Mario, Zelda and Animal Crossing characters with Kirby, and to bring this adorable pink character to life.

“The popularity and worldwide recognition of Kirby in pop culture merged with Disguise’s high-quality costumes will be sure to be a hit with fans globally.”

The Warpstar merchandising team said in a statement: “We work with licensees in a highly collaborative capacity, not only managing quality but also exchanging ideas and creative solutions throughout the design and development process. Disguise has shown time and time again the innovative solutions they bring to the table and that quality is at the heart of what they do.

“We are excited to be working with them on these new Halloween styles for Kirby and bringing them to market in 2021.”

Owned by JAKKS Pacific, Disguise is the top design and manufacturer of licensed video game costumes in the world. Disguise’s new line of Kirby costumes and accessories will be available online, at major retailers and Halloween specialty stores Fall of 2021.

Erve Europe teams with Psyonix to launch Rocket League apparel collection

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Erve Europe has partnered with the video game developer, Psyonix to create an extensive collection of Rocket League apparel in a deal brokered by the licensing agency, IMG.

The new Rocket League-branded line will include t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, nightwear, socks, accessories, and more. It will all feature designs inspired by the game’s most loved cars and arcade style football concept.

Tom Fabes, Erve Europe’s gaming license manager, commented: “We are very happy to be working with Rocket League. The game has been on our radar for a long time now. Reaction from retail has been very positive for the brand and we are looking forward to delivering products to consumers very soon.

“Rocket League is an awesome game with a broad fanbase, that deserves a broad distribution. And that’s exactly what we aim for.”

Launching in summer 2021, the collection will be available for purchase across Europe.

Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem that has become one of the most recognisable video game brands across the globe. 

British headwear firm Tokyo Time signs collaboration deal with Misfits Gaming

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Misfits Gaming Group has signed a multi-year deal with the British premium headwear brand, Tokyo Time, to become the official headwear provider of Misfits Gaming. Under the partnership, Tokyo Time will produce licensed Misfits Gaming headwear, as well as collaborate on co-branded items.

A creator of Japanese-inspired headwear, Tokyo Time launched digitally in 2018 and has continued to expand its reach through traditional sports partnerships, including with the British Basketball League, 24h Le Mans, and Prema. The latest partnership will be the company’s first collaboration on the esports industry.

“We’re excited to partner with an exciting new brand to create new products for our fans and players,” said Vas Roberts, VP, partnerships at Misfits Gaming Group. “Tokyo Time have partnered with exciting traditional sports leagues and we’re proud to be their first partner in esports.”

Paul Davison, CEO of Tokyo Time, added: “Tokyo Time is absolutely thrilled to partner up with exciting Esports team Misfits Gaming. We are looking forward to producing some exciting collaborations that will excite fans over the next few years.”

Activision taps Merchantwise Licensing to grow consumer products reach across Australia and New Zealand

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Merchantwise Licensing has been appointed licensing agent for the video game publisher Activitision as it looks to build its consumer products programme across Australia and New Zealand.

As part of the partnership, Merchantwise will seek out new local partners and opportunities for some of Activision’s biggest franchises, including the entertainemtn blockbuster brand Call of Duty.

Opportunities will also be sought for the Crash Bandicoot franchise, including Crash Team Racing and the newly released Crash Bandicoot 4 – It’s About Time released in October last year, and Activision’s classic games series Spyro the Dragon and the company’s publishing titles – including three of Atari’s top ten best-selling games of all time – Pitfall, Grand Prix, and River Raid.

“Merchantwise Licensing prides itself on its gaming and digital licensing expertise and we are incredibly thrilled to be welcoming Activision to our portfolio of pedigree brands,” said Merchantwise Licensing’s general manager, Kerryn McCormack.

“With exceptional brands like Call of Duty, Crash and Spyro as well as all the Classics range, Activision is one of the top game publishers in the world and globally recognised for its fun, thrilling and engaging entertainment experiences. We can’t wait to explore local licensing opportunities for Activision and to provide fans with a fully immersive merchandise experience with their favourite gaming brands.”

The licensing programme will be tapping into Activision’s heritage of ‘changing the way people play’ for more than 40 years. Over the course of it four decades, Activision has built one of the largest portfolios or recognised brands and today is one of the most valuable interactive entertainment companies in the world.

Founded in 1979 as the first independent video game software developer and distributor, the company launched a series of multi-million unit selling titles in the early 1980s for the Atari 2600 including Pitfall, Kaboom! and River Raid. Since then, Activision has created some of the most iconic and memorable game experiences of all time.

Today, the company is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products for various consoles, handheld platforms and the PC. Over the past five years, Activision has continued to thrive as a leading digital entertainment provider, and its games appeal to a variety of gamers.

Activision strives to make the most fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences for its players, who live in a world with many entertainment options. The company operates in more than 15 countries including in the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan.

Shaun the Sheep joins Atari’s RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch in new Aardman partnership

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The cast of Shaun the Sheep are entering the world of theme park management thanks to a new partnership between the UK’s award-winning animation studio, Aardman, and the hit games developer, Atari.

Under the new partnership, characters from the popular stop-animated series, Shaun the Sheep will now enter the universe of RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch for mobile devices through a season update that will deliver branded rides, character statues, and various Shaun the Sheep-themed attractions to the game.

“Much like RollerCoaster Tycoon, Aardman is a well-loved brand with years of global prestige; it’s a brand that fans can count on to bring fun and endlessly charming characters to whatever they work on,” said Tony Chien, VP marketing of Atari.

“This partnership allows us to bring a fresh yet well-known face to RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch. We are thrilled to share all of the creatively themed content that the world of Shaun the Sheep offers to our fans.”

Adam Vincent-Garland, category manager, interactive and toys, at Aardman, added: “RollerCoaster Tycoon is one of one the world’s most recognized and established amusement park building game franchises.

“Shaun the Sheep attractions have been entertaining families across the globe for years, so it only made sense to bring Shaun to the beloved mobile game. Players will be flocking to customize their parks with new and hilarious rides and attractions featuring everyone’s favorite fuzzy friend.”

 

15 new themed rides and attractions inspired by the world of Shaun the Sheep will now become a part of the game, allowing park visitors to get a high-level view of frantic farm madness by riding the Tower of Sheep and Lu-La’s Helter Skelter, stop in for a slice of ‘za at the Shaun the Sheep Pizzeria (or brave the pizza-themed Baa-gherita ride), and strap into the Shaun the Sheep Farmhouse Coaste.

Players can also collect statues of fan-favorite characters including the Farmer, Bitzer, Timmy, and of course, Shaun himself.Shaun the Sheep rides and attractions are available via the in-game store or unlocked by completing in-game challenges. 

Based on RollerCoaster Tycoon, one of the best-selling franchises in PC gaming history, RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch is a free-to-play, innovative 3D simulation game where players can create, build, manage, and share their own imaginative park creations.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch features a touch-control coaster creator that encourages players to easily design coasters – giving them the freedom to express their creativity. Released in early 2017 on mobile devices, RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch has been downloaded over 30 million times and soared to the top of the charts after being featured numerous times on the App Store and Google Play.

Zavvi partners footwear brand Akedo to launch Borderlands 3 and Assassin’s Creed trainers

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The UK online retailer, Zavvi has teamed up with the footwear brand Akedo to launch a new limited edition gaming collection celebrating two of the biggest gaming franchises in the world, Borderlands 3 and Assassin’s Creed.

The new collection will consist of two high-top trainer designs featuring numerous motifs from the games covering one side of the sneaker, with the other side featuring their iconic logos.

The Borderlands 3 trainers will include eye-catching white logos on a black base, while the unique Assassin’s Creed Valhalla signature high-tops will feature a striking blue and white design, inspired by the action–adventure game.

Each pair of trainers are handmade and customised for every order, featuring classic lace-up fastening, a rubber toe cap and high–top silhouette.

The launch follows previous limited-edition Zavvi x Akedo footwear collections, including Wonder Woman, The Goonies and Jaws. The range will be available from 12pm on 29th January 2021, exclusive to Zavvi.com.

US consumers spent $56.9 billion on gaming in 2020 according to NPD latest

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US consumers spent a record $56.9 billion on gaming in 2020, a jump of 27 per cent from 2019, according to data from the NPD Group.

December was a particularly big month for games, consumer spending across video game hardware, content and accessories reached a December record of $7.7 billion, 25 per cent higher than in December 2019.

Hardware dollar sales, meanwhile, reached $1.35 billion in December 2020, a jump of 38 per cent compared to 2019, and the highest total for a December month since the $1.37 billion generated in December 2013.

Hardware dollar sales totalled $5.3 billion for the year, 35 per cent higher than 2019, and the highest since the $5.6 billion generated in 2011.

As reported by Licensing.biz sister title, MCV UK, the Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console of 2020, with annual dollar sales being the second highest for an individual platform in a single calendar year in U.S. history – beaten only by another Nintendo console, the Wii, in 2008.

Despite supply issues, the Playstation 5 was the second best-selling console in dollar sales, while PlayStation 4 ranked second in units sold. PlayStation 5 set a new dollar sales record for PlayStation hardware through each PlayStation platform’s first December at retail.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War was both the best selling game of December 2020 and the year as a whole, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was the second best-seller of the year.

Call of Duty ranked as the best-selling gaming franchise in the U.S. market for a record 12th consecutive y

Animal Crossing:New Horizons, while not quite as popular as it is in Japan, still proved successful in the US, ranking third. In 2020, the title achieved the highest physical dollar sales for a Nintendo-published game in a calendar year since Wii Fit Plus in 2010.

Nintendo saw a strong December 2020, with half of the top 20 best-selling games of the month being published by Nintendo.

Cyberpunk 2077 debuted as the second best-selling game of December, and the 19th best-selling game of 2020, despite the lack of digital tracking.

The Last of Us: Part II finished 2020 as the year’s best-selling PlayStation exclusive, and the sixth best selling game overall. The game now ranks as the third best-selling Sony-published game in U.S. history in dollar sales, trailing only Marvel’s Spider-Man, and 2018’s God of War.

Gamestream appoints new director of content and licensing

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The cloud video game streaming service for B2B industries, Gamestream, has appointed a new director of content and licensing in the shape of Gaëlle de Jong. The appointment has been made as part of the firm’s international expansion plans as it looks to secure best-in-class partnerships in the videogames industry.

De Jong will now be responsible for leading Gamestream’s licensing and content strategy and firmly establishing its market position as a tier one provider of quality AAA and indie family video game entertainment. Currently Gamestream has licensed IPs from world leading brands including Disney, Capcom, Konami, Codemasters and Focus Home Interactive.

De Jong is also leading relationships with video game publishers and developers, helping to acquire new licenses and negotiating rights.

She joins Gamestream with 14 years of experience in the video games industry. Prior to Gamestream, she worked at Boonty in 2006, a global provider of PC video game distribution services that was acquired by Nexway in 2009, a leading electronic commerce and payments company. At Nexway, she held various senior positions including Director of Development for publishers and game developers, and Director of Android and PC Content Acquisitions.

Ivan Lebeau, CEO of Gamestream, commented: “We’re pleased to welcome Gaëlle to our growing dream team at Gamestream. She plays an instrumental role to enable us to conquer new markets with premium quality licensed content, and to support the on-going need to satisfy and improve user experience and choice for our global customers.”

Gaëlle de Jong, Director of Content and Licensing at Gamestream, commented: “I’m thrilled to be joining the talented ranks of team Gamestream. My goal is to ensure our video game content library is populated and aligned with the demands of each market which we are engaging with.

“We are executing this by integrating both international blockbuster and indie content, supported by the very best content each local market has to offer, squarely focussing on families.”

In 2002, de Jong gained a master’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages at the University of Metz, specialising in translation and interpretation, and in 2003 she completed her studies with a DESS in dubbing and subtitling of films at the University of Nice.

The Gamestream cloud gaming service has been deployed across Europe, the Middle East and Asia through white-labelled telco versions and Gamestream brands.

Game streaming platform Antstream adds retro Star Wars slate in new Disney partnership

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The retro games platform, Antstream Arcade has struck up a partnership with Disney to add its portfolio of classic Star Wars titles to the extensive library of fully licensed games.

The games slate will be made available on a single platform for the first time and will include the entire Super Star Wars series for the SNES and Star Wars for the NES. Adventure games like Grim Fandango and titles from the Monkey Island series will also be joining the platform.

Starting from today, however, games and subscribers to the Antstream service will be able to play classic Super Star Wars titles: Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

All the games available via Antstream Arcade’s cloud-based streaming service are available using any 4G connection or better, and are playable on almost any device for the cost of a single flat monthly subscription. Expanding Antstream Arcade’s library of classics and curios, this will take the total number of licensed games to 3786, with five to seven new games being added to the platform every week.

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing the retro Star Wars series to customers, taking us one step closer to delivering thousands of iconic games to the global gaming community through the power of streaming technology.

“The fact will be able to play Star Wars for the SNES on their laptop, Grim Fandango on their TV or Day of the Tentacle is a massive win for both existing and new audiences.”

The Disney partnership follows recent deals struck with retro gaming giants Taito, Atari, and Bandai Namco – making Antstream Arcade’s library the largest collection of retro games in the world.

Thanks to Antstream Arcade’s streaming technology all these games can be played on TVs, laptops, desktops, tablets and of course mobile phones, bringing more iconic games to a wider audience than any platform ever before.

ZAG Games and Toya launch first Miraculous game to Roblox platform

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ZAG Games, the games division of the independent animation studio ZAG, has partnered with the Israel-based start-up Toya to create its first game for the Roblox platform for the popular franchise, Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

Scheduled for release this April, the new Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir adventure quest game will be the first to bring a TV series to the Roblox metaverse – an online experience in which fans interact in 3D simulated virtual environments.

Fans can expect to meet new characters, enter new environments, and engage with new villains, together with a wealth of surprises. ZAG and Toya are planning to engage with fans through an inclusive global game development process that integrates their feedback on ideas and concepts design work before the game is officially released to the public.

Elinor Schops, the ZAG’s newly installed VP of ZAG Games and Interactive Experiences, said: “Miraculous Ladybug is a relatable heroine who sets up a positive, strong and rocking persona – with the ability to transform, figuratively and literally, the world she is living in.

“We believe that the Metaverse that Roblox has built is the ideal place to launch a game that celebrates girl empowerment and exploration, and we want to hand over to these girls (and boys of course) the power to advise how to play the game.

“In every sense, we plan for the game to be led by the community in order to make this into a community game – this is where fans will meet, and role play, in the Miraculous universe.

“Our partner Toya, with its female-led agenda, helps to transform the gaming experience for girls around the world, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better match of agendas and ideas.”

Anat Shperling, CEO and co-founder of Toya, added: “Toya is proud to work with ZAG to develop Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir’s first Roblox gaming experience.

“We are passionate about Roblox being a flexible and inclusive space that allows freedom of expression for adolescents’ inner worlds. We can’t wait to usher the beloved protagonists of the series, Ladybug and Cat Noir, into the Roblox realm, with an inspiring journey that invites global fans into a shared experience in the rich personal space of these admired characters.

“Core to Toya’s mission is developing inclusive gaming experiences that enable girls and boys to express themselves freely in a safe environment. We plan to design a journey that encourages players towards greater freedom of self-expression, and teaches them empowering skills for the outside world, such as time management, and decision-making.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this experience to life in partnership with the ZAG gaming team, and with the support of the tremendous global community of Miraculous™ fans and followers.”

ZAG’s first “official” global mobile game for Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir was released in April 2018 and ranked as the number one game in 39 countries with 130 million downloads to date.

The launch of the Roblox game coincides with the debut of ZAG’s second big-budget animated movie, Miraculous World – Shanghai – Lady Dragon. The first of the two TV movies,  Miraculous World: New York: United Heroez, scored top ratings on its premiere in 2020.

Fans are also awaiting the launch of the theatrical feature, Ladybug & Cat Noir: Awakening(US$100M+ budget), which is planned for release worldwide in fall 2021 or at the beginning of 2022, alongside seasons four and five of the series, which are also currently in production.

Expanding the brand’s digital presence, Miraculous is now on TikTok, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. During 2020, Miraculous grew its digital reach by 178 per cent. It currently attracts over 15 million subscribers across its nine official YouTube channels, available in eight languages.