Category Archives: Video Games

Fortnite partners with Warner Bros. Pictures to screen movies in its gaming world

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The global video gaming franchise Fortnite has found yet another means to captivate its audiences and pull in all of the headlines at the same time, thanks to a newly forged deal with leading content owners that will allow it to screen films to players through an in-world cinema feature.

Yes, it’s an entertainment system within an entertainment system, making it wonderfully poetic that among the first films to be screened when the Epic-published games begins testing its ‘Movie Nite’ feature this Friday, will be Christopher Nolan’s Inception. It will be joined by Nolan’s Batman Begins and The Prestige.

Players will be able to watch one of the three Nolan films – all owned by WarnerMedia’s Warner Bros. Pictures – all while inside the Fortnite world.

What players will be able to watch will depend on the territory they are in. Players in Germany will be shown The Prestige, while those in France can sit back and enjoy a screening of Batman Begins.

The limitations to the test roll-out of the feature have been addressed by Epic who said that “navigating distribution rights for different countries and languages for full movies is challenging.”

“As part of this first test, we wanted as many people to experience Movie Nite as possible. The film you’ll be able to watch will depend on your country, and unfortunately we couldn’t reach everyone with these screenings,” the company stated.

“We believe the idea of getting together with your friends and family at Party Royale to watch a movie is powerful and exciting, and we’re looking at ways to increase global participation in the future.”

Like cinema screenings in the real life, the Movie Nite screenings will not be able to be broadcast – or live streamed – on platforms like Twitch.

LEGO gives closer look at LEGO Super Mario launch as pre-order opens on first sets

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A few very eventful weeks after the grand unveiling of the latest collaboration, LEGO’s Super Mario licensed range is now available to pre-order, kicking off with the Adventures with Mario Starter Course.

The new LEGO Super Mario product line features an interactive LEGO Mario figure that collects coins in real-life game levels created with LEGO bricks. Neither a video game nor a traditional LEGO brick-based set, it promises to “change the way people interact with Super Mario in the physical world and engage in LEGO experiences.”

Unveiled by LEGO Design Lead Jonathan Bennink, fans will be able to explore the LEGO Super Mario universe with the Adventures with Mario Starter Course. This entry point set to the world of LEGO Super Mario is needed to unlock expansion sets and features seven action bricks for different interactions with the LEGO Mario figure that are only included in this set.

The LEGO Mario figure itself has LCD screens in his eyes, mouth and belly to display a wide variety of instant reactions to movement, colour and action bricks. Also included is a speaker that plays iconic sounds and music from the video game series.

“Super Mario has continued to appear, always in a form adapted to the current hardware of the time.” said Takashi Tezuka, executive officer and game producer of Nintendo. “I am thankful that in this project with the LEGO Group, Mario is jumping out of the digital world of game consoles and smart devices, and we are able to bring him into the world with a new, physical type of Mario play.

“It’s very exciting to think of LEGO Mario becoming a real friend to children and to picture them playing in their very own Mario world that they imagined themselves.”

Kids aged six and upwards can build levels and play their own way, with challenges having lots of creative fun in an interactive experience. LEGO Mario is used to collect virtual coins as he runs and jumps from the Start Pipe to the Goal Pole via LEGO bricks, cloud platform, and clashes with the Goomba figure and Bowser Jr. figure.

The Starter Course can be combined with LEGO Super Mario Expansion Sets, which each unlock unique challenges and characters to play with and against friends.

The first Expansion Sets, also revealed today, include the Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set and the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set. The products all include modular builds, meaning that fans are in charge of creating exactly the LEGO level course they want to see Mario come to life in.

The launch also comes with a free LEGO Super Mario app by the LEGO Group, a supporting feature to further enhance the physical play experience. It keeps track of scores to encourage continuous rebuilding, as well as it provides digital building instructions with zoom and rotate viewing tools to make building easier, suggests other creative ways to build and play, and is a safe forum to share ideas with friends.

“We were thrilled to see the global reaction to news of LEGO Super Mario,” said Jonathan Bennink, digital design lead on LEGO Super Mario, the LEGO Group. “Fans have been keen to learn more, so I am pleased that today we were able to reveal more details about this exciting new collaboration that has led to a re-imagination of the LEGO building experience and an entirely new way to play inspired by the beloved video game icon, Super Mario. We can’t wait to see fans get creative and challenge each other with this highly engaging and social play experience.”

The full LEGO Super Mario assortment will launch Aug. 1st 2020, but fans can now pre-order the LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course from today.

The recommended retail price for the Starter Course is £49.99, while the recommended retail price for the two expansion sets will be £24.99 for the Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set and £89.99 for the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set.

Gaming and YouTube properties fuel growth in demand for licensing in the toy space, says Kids Insights’ Global Toys and Games Report

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The rise of YouTube and gaming properties, spanning the likes of Minecraft, Fortnite, Sonic, and Ryan’s World have fuelled a growth in demand for licensed properties across the children’s toys and games space over the course of the last 12 months, according to findings of Kids Insights’ first Global Toys and Games Report 2020.

The same report has underlined a number of key highlights from the children’s space, including a universal rise in awareness around sustainability, as well as the role that analogue gaming has to play in children’s and family wellbeing. The findings are all part of the first in a series of industry-spanning reports from Kids Insights.

The Global Toys and Games Report 2020 is the first in a series of studies focusing on the macroeconomics shaping toys, industry trends, and developments in advertising and marketing today.

Among the key findings of the report – the first in a series of reports from Kids Insights (a research organisation that surveys some 105,000 children a year across across Europe and India) – is up to the minute insight on topics spanning wellbeing, sustainability, demand for licensing, and consumer spend.

The initial report has found that today’s children are finding greater financial empowerment and in the US, kids are receiving $3.76bn a year to spend as they wish, with a growing number utilising Debit cards. With that greater means of spend, children are being faced with greater choice when it comes to how they spend their money.

Kids Insights has found that children now spend £581 million on in-experience purchasing, such as Apps and In Game Purchasing, compared to spending £969 million on toys and games.

In the UK, over one third of kids aged six to nine play with classic board games such as Monopoly, Guess Who, and Jenga monthly, while the team’s data shows a positive link between playing board games and positive wellbeing. According to Kids Insights, tweens who play board games as a hobby reported feeling frequently happy 51 per cent more than average. Similarly, they feel anxious at a lower rate.

Meanwhile, the report has also highlighted the growing importance of sustainability, underlining that as families become more eco-centric, brands need to have more focus on their sustainability strategy as this becomes a more important purchasing decision factor.

Other findings include the impact of Generation Speak, as well as the growth in demand for licensed properties, driven by a significant increase in gaming and YouTube properties, with the likes of Minecraft, Fortnite, Sonic, Ryan’s World, and Jojo Siwa performing the strongest over the last 12 months.

Utku Tansel LLB, MBA head of global industry reports, Kids Insights, said: “I have been working in this industry for 12 years and in my career, I have not witnessed such speed of change.

“The industry is increasingly embracing sustainability and inclusivity while AR and AI push limits on innovation-driven largely by ever-rising smart phone/tablet penetration among children.

“Our study takes readers to an exciting journey shaped by key developments and opportunities showcased in new world order.”

To enquire for a full copy of Kids Insights’ Global Toy & Games Report 2020, click on this link.

Or 

To purchase a full copy of Kids Insights’ Global Toy & Games Report 2020, click on this link.

Has Nintendo cracked the next big gaming IP amid the Coronavirus pandemic?

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become the fastest-selling single title on Nintendo’s Switch to date, selling more copies in its first week of sale than the combined launch sales of all previous Animal Crossing games in the franchise.

Reports are already coming in that the title is ‘3.5 times bigger than the last game in the series, 2013’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf on Nintendo 3DS.’ The title was previously the biggest launch for Nintendo’s franchise.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a non-linear life simulation game played in real-time. Each player assumes the role of a customisable character who moves to a deserted island. The open world game then allows players to explore the island as it develops into a community of animals.

Not only is the game one solution to maintaining communication and world-exploration social distancing, but also carries the potential to be one of Nintendo’s next big franchises. Video games analysts already expect New Horizons to be shipping over 12 million games in the next few months, and that is not accounting for digital downloads.

Benji Sales, an independent video game analyst, wrote on Twitter:

“Animal Crossing New Leaf was the previous best-selling Animal Crossing game, hitting over 12 million sold lifetime. Whatever your optimistic sales expectations for Animal Crossing New Horizons launch sales were, I can already tell you it’s too low. Holy hell, HUGE opening incoming.”

Digital download numbers – which Nintendo does not share externally – are tipped to be vast, particularly considering the concerns around the COVID-19 virus that has seen the UK Government recommend self isolation measures across the country.

Licensing International’s Young Professionals Network 2020 breakfast cancelled over coronavirus outbreak

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Licensing International has announced the cancellation of this week’s Young Professionals Network 2020 breakfast event in London due to the escalating coronavirus outbreak and the latest Government advice.

The event was due to be held at the Club at the Ivy on Covent Garden this Friday, March 20th, but has since been cancelled in accordance to the latest Government advice concerning travel, public gathering and social distancing issued in an attempt to flatten the curve of the outbreak of Covid-19.

The breakfast event was organised to help young professionals in the licensing industry network and learn more about the popular and ever-growing video game licensing sector. The event has since been postponed indefinitely, with no word of a new date.

Kelvyn Gardner, managing director a Licensing International, said: “We had been very much looking forward to kicking off our Young Professionals Network 2020 programme at the Club at the Ivy this coming Friday. Very sadly, the latest advice from the Government concerning travel and public gatherings during the continuing pandemic have left us with no choice but to postpone the event indefinitely.

“All those who have booked to attend will receive refunds of their ticket prices, and I would like to place on record my thanks to all who planned to attend, our splendid line up of speakers, and the LI UK YPN committee for their work and dedication in the planning of this event.”

Egmont sees record revenue of €1.7bn but warns of challenging year ahead amid coronavirus pandemic

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The international media group, Egmont – home of Egmont Publishing and subsidiaries including Norway’s TV 2 and Nordisk Film, has reported a revenue growth of €79 million in its full year 2019 financials, driven by TV, streaming, video gaming, and e-commerce.

The media group hit a revenue record of €1.7bn for the full year, built on its solid foundation of publishing, journalism, and storytelling. Meanwhile the firm is driving increased growth through emerging platforms including video gaming and e-commerce, and marketing services.

Egmont has, however, posted expectations of 2020 to be a ‘challenging year’ due to the Coronavirus pandemic and its crisis across the Nordic countries.

President and CEO, Steffen Kragh stated that looking into 2020 “we are, like the rest of society, very affected by the present COVID-19 crisis and concerned by the well-being of our employees, and that society and we as a company get well through this crisis.”

Three quarters of Egmont’s business is now in film, TV, streaming, computer games, digital media and e-commerce. Increasing the use of technology to optimise the media products and consumer experiences is an important element in the media group’s development.

Egmont’s total business activity, including its share of non-consolidated companies, generated revenue of €2bn.

Egmont Publishing’s magazine titles outperforming the general print market, fuelled by strong growth at the marketing services agencies, numerous bestsellers, and digital growth at Egmont’s book publishers.

At the same time, TV2 Norway increased its stake in TV distributor RiksTV to 50 per cent while its result reflect a strong year with higher viewing shares and marked growth in subscribers to the streaming service TV 2 Sumo. Meanwhile, Nordisk Film saw success with the release of a string of films and video games.

Egmont is a commercial foundation which in 2020 celebrates its centenary. The foundation has a dual purpose: to develop modern media and to support vulnerable children, young people and families. In 2019, Egmont made charitable donations of €13m to vulnerable children and young people in Denmark and Norway and to film talents through the Nordisk Film Foundation. T

he Egmont Report 2019 focused on helping children make a good start at school, and Egmont entered into a new five-year partnership with charity Børns Vilkår during the year to work on school absenteeism. Egmont also supported 12 new projects focusing on dyslexia. Since 1920, Egmont has made total donations of €410m.

Nintendo helps LEGO reinvent its traditional building system with LEGO Super Mario

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The LEGO Group and Nintendo have shed light on the teased partnership that got the rumour mills spinning at the start of this week with the reveal of a new building system that brings Super Mario into the physical LEGO world.

Neither a video game nor a traditional LEGO brick-based set, LEGO Super Mario is a new product line that features an interactive LEGO Mario figure who collects coins in real life game levels created with LEGO bricks, in a launch that ‘will allow kids to experience the world of Super Mario like never before.’

A press release from LEGO went on to explain that both LEGO and Nintendo “share a passion for innovation and play, and the collaboration has led to a re-imagination of the LEGO building experience.”

Super Mario will be brought to life in the physical LEGO world and new levels of challenge and styles of play will be part of the iconic LEGO experience enjoyed by generations.

The news was also shared in a video posted by the LEGO Group and Nintendo earlier today.

The video, which hints at what fans can expect when LEGO Super Mario launches later this year, shows a player using an interactive Mario figure to collect coins in a real-life game level that has been created with LEGO bricks.

“We are very excited to bring Mario into the physical world through interactive and social LEGO play,” said Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer, EVP of the LEGO Group. “With this experience we will help millions of kids with love for Mario to engage and play in a completely new way, where they are in control of creating and playing games with their favourite character. By seamlessly incorporating the latest digital technology, LEGO Super Mario is a highly social, interactive and collaborative experience for kids.”

Takashi Tezuka, executive officer and game producer of Nintendo Co, added: “I have always liked LEGO products and how they help children use their imagination to play. The new product we created together with the LEGO Group seeks to combine two different styles of play – one where you freely build the world of Mario and the other where you play with Mario in the very world that you have created.”

LEGO Super Mario will launch later this year, and more information will be made available in the future.

Cartoon Network partners with Outright Games to develop new Ben 10 video game

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Cartoon Network has struck up a partnership with the family entertainment publisher Outright Games to develop and launch a new video game set within the world of Ben 10.

Developed by the Philadelphia-based studio PHL Collective, the new video game title will launch on consoles and PC later this year.

Since its launch in 2005, Ben 10 has evolved into one of the world’s most recognisable children’s animated franchises and is currently recognised as Cartoon Network’s longest running franchise. The show follows 10-year old Ben Tennyson after he obtains an alien device called the Omnitrix, that allows him to change into ten different alien life forms.

Meanwhile, Outright Games has earned a reputation for bringing the most popular kids’ stories to life, and with this new game set in the wildly popular Ben 10 franchise; it is looking to cement its position as a leading global publisher of family friendly interactive entertainment.

“We are thrilled to be working with Cartoon Network again to create a brand new Ben 10 game,” said Terry Malham, CEO of Outright Games. “Returning to the world of Ben 10 is something we’ve been keen to do for a while. The response from fans has been incredibly positive and we are so glad to work with Cartoon Network and continue to develop this ongoing partnership.”

Outright Games is a global video games publisher founded in 2016. In four short years, the firm has established itself as a recognised name in video game development, working with popular IP including Adventure Time, Hotel Transylvania 3: Monster Onboard, and Dragons: Dawn of New Risers with NBCUniversal.

Dr Seuss Enterprises launches its first AR digital learning app to teach kids the alphabet

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Dr. Seuss Enterprises has launched its first augmented reality app for the popular Dr Seuss title, Dr Seuss’ ABC – An Amazing AR Alphabet App.

A digital learning-focused app, the launch is the first part in a series of digital educational experiences to surface, all of which will be based on popular titles from the widely celebrated author. The app allows kids to interact and learn the alphabet along with Seussian characters, while utilising AR technology.

Children can play with animated characters such as Aunt Annie’s Alligator, David Donald Doo, Fiffer-Feffer-Feff, Little Lola Lopp, Vera Violet Vinn, and more, as well as create their own AR story world.

“Dr. Seuss’s ABC – An Amazing AR Alphabet! App is an exciting way to ignite young imaginations through interactive play with the creative stories and beloved characters both kids and parents love,” said Dr. Seuss Enterprises president, Susan Brandt. “We are thrilled to launch the app just in time to commemorate the annual Dr. Seuss’s Birthday holiday.”

The app is currently available on the Apple App store and Google Play for phones and tablets. Its launch coincides with this year’s Dr Seuss Birthday celebrations which kicked off on March 2 and will continue through the week.

The digital learning app uses augmented reality technology with features that allow kids to direct their own experience.  The Story Mode feature guides kids sequentially through the alphabet from A through Z with the animated characters appearing in AR.  In addition, there is an A to Z feature that lets kids select a chapter of the book and listen to a narrated story with their favourite characters.

“Digital media and AR technology can be a powerful tool for supporting young children’s learning, so we are looking forward to offering families this new opportunity for interactive play,” Sugar Creative’s managing director Jason Veal added.

“Dr. Seuss’s ABC – An Amazing AR Alphabet! App invites kids to create unique and hands-on learning experiences every time they play.”

The app also offers an innovate Sandbox feature that allows kids to select animated characters and create their very own AR world. The app is powered by Unity’s MARS extension, which gives brands the power to build mixed reality and augmented reality applications that interact with real-world environments.

The Asmodee Group is opening its games portfolio up to interactive and video game developers

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The Asmodee Group, a powerhouse in tabletop gaming and board game entertainment, is looking to bring its portfolio of brands and IPs into the interactive video games and digital games market.

In the firm’s latest move, it is opening the floodgates to developers in the video gaming sector, eyeing partnerships for physical game brands within its portfolio, including the likes of Dobble (Spot It), Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Braintopia, Small World, KeyForge, or heavyweight titles like Legend of the Five Rings and Twilight Imperium.

The boardgame goliath is urging developers looking for publishing partnerships, including development and marketing supports, to connect with Asmodee Digital via the unit’s COO Nicolas Godement. Developers and publishers looking to create interactive titles under license meanwhile, are being guided towards the Asmodee Entertainment team.

With more than 250 Asmodee games and IPs in the company catalogue, there are many exciting new opportunities for developers and publishers in the interactive games market.

“Asmodee has established a world-leading platform for developing and publishing authentic and compelling digital versions of the best board and card games,” said Nicolas Godement, Asmodee Digital’s COO.

“Now, while we can’t wait to disclose some of the exciting titles we have been working on, and to sign new ones, we also look forward to working with the experienced licensing team at Asmodee Entertainment to further expand the range of interactive games based on our sterling array of Asmodee properties.”

Andy Jones, head of Asmodee Entertainment, added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for developers, publishers and of course, Asmodee Entertainment to enter into many new licensing partnerships and further explore the wealth of Asmodee titles through interactive games across all platforms and genres.

“We encourage developers and publishers to get in touch at licensing@asmodee.com, and meet up with us at GDC in March.”