Category Archives: Video Games

MDR Brand Management launches esports and interactive entertainment division, NIVO

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London’s MDR Brand Management has launched a new global esports and interactive entertainment arm under the banner NIVO Management.

The standalone business will focus on player representation, as well as offer consultation to brands looking to move into the esports space. It will be headed up by Tom Murray, an Associate within the Sports Group and Esports Group at the UK law firm, Mishcon de Reya.

Murray will work closely with MDR Brand Management CEO, Daniel Avener, while NIVO clients will have access to MDR Brand Management’s global network of brands and commercial relationships.

“We are excited to build on our success in advising leading esports professionals on their legal affairs with the launch of NIVO,” said Murray. 

“Players have made it clear to us that they want their careers and commercial opportunities to be managed with the same professionalism and integrity as we approach our brand management and legal practices. We are here to deliver that.”

The new esports and interactive entertainment business will be comprised of three strategic platforms: contract negotiations, bespoke strategies to maximise brand opportunities including sponsorship and endorsement deals, and providing ‘holistic management support.’

MDR Brand Management’s Avener, said: “By managing negotiations, unlocking brand potential and opening up our global network of specialist advisors and brands, we enable players and talent to focus on what they do best.

“The launch of NIVO as a standalone division marks an important investment for MDR Brand Management in the rapidly expanding esports and interactive entertainment sector, and builds on our sustained growth over the past three years.”

MDR Brand Management currently operates in 25 locations globally and boasts recent brand partnerships for the likes of Eve Sleep, Revlon, and Paul Frank via Futurity Brands.

Electronic Arts acquires Golf Clash mobile game makers Playdemic from WarnerMedia for $1.4bn

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Video game publisher, Electronic Arts has acquired Warner Bros. Games’ Playdemic Ltd, the mobile games studio behind the popular app game Golf Clash, for $1.4 billion in cash. The move is the latest in EA’s ongoing strategy for mobile game growth and drive to ‘deliver new experiences’ to its network of half a billion players worldwide.

Founded in 2010, Playdemic is a mobile gaming company known for its award-winning Golf Clash, a title in which players compete with each other around the world in real time. It has been recognised as one of the leading mobile games in the US and UK with more than 80 million downloads globally to date.

The game has even been honored with numerous industry awards, including winner of the BAFTA Games Mobile Game of the Year (2018), Mobile Games Awards Game of the Year (2018), PocketGamer.biz Game of the Year (2017) and The Independent Game Developers’ Association (TIGA) Awards Game of the Year (2017).

“We have enjoyed working with the talented team at Playdemic as they have grown Golf Clash beyond all expectations into a hit mobile game with tremendous longevity,” said David Haddad, president, Warner Bros. Games. “While we have great respect for the Playdemic team, our decision to divest is a part of our overall strategy to build games based on Warner Bros. storied franchises.”

Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, said: “Playdemic is a team of true innovators, and we’re thrilled to have them join the Electronic Arts family. In addition to the ongoing success of Golf Clash, the talent, technology and expertise of Playdemic will be a powerful combination with our teams and IP at Electronic Arts.

“This is the next step building on our strategy to expand our sports portfolio and accelerate our growth in mobile to reach more players around the world with more great games and content.”

The acquisition will add to EA’s mobile portfolio of more than 15 top live services across fast-growing genres, including lifestyle, casual, sports, and mid-core games.

Playdemic’s experienced executive team has worked together since 2014, with strong expertise in mobile games and a proven track record of success in clash games. Playdemic’s expertise in building mobile games beloved by players around the world, combined with EA’s industry-leading IP, presents opportunities to expand the clash mechanic to other franchises and for future growth in mobile experiences.

“We founded Playdemic with a focus on creating highly engaging and innovative game experiences. Our success with Golf Clash has proven our approach and demonstrated the ability of our incredibly talented teams to develop and operate best in class mobile games,” said Paul Gouge, CEO of Playdemic.

“Joining EA, one of the most successful games companies in the world, is an important next step in our journey and we are excited to continue to develop both Golf Clash and new titles as part of the EA family.”

The purchase price for the transaction is subject to customary adjustments, and will be paid in cash at closing and retained by AT&T. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

The remaining Warner Bros. Games portfolio is included in the recently announced WarnerMedia-Discovery transaction and will become part of the combined media and entertainment company after the expected close of that transaction.

Final Fantasy IX lands animated series adaptation with Cyber Group Studios

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The Paris-based Cyber Group Studios has struck a co-development and co-production deal with the Japanese video game company, Square Enix to adapt its fantasy title Final Fantasy IX for the small screen.

The move will mark the first time that the Final Fantasy franchise’s ninth title will be the subject of an animated series. In addition to producing the series, Cyber Group will also handle worldwide distribution, licensing, and merchandise.

In a report from Kidscreen, Pierre Sissman, CEO of Cyber Group, said that the company is planning to begin pitching to broadcasters in the coming months. The goal, according to the CEO, is to begin production by the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022.

Originally launched in 2000, Final Fantasy IX has sold more than five million copies worldwide and follows the story of a thief who kidnaps a princess but finds himself teaming up with her to save the kingdom from evil forces. It is the ninth installment in a franchise that has sold more than 154 million copies worldwide collectively.

With a history spanning 30 years in the video games space, the franchise has been the focus of a TV adaptation previously, however its Cyber Group Studios deal will mark the first time that the game’s ninth iteration specifically will be adapted as an animated kids’ series.

Rovio Entertainment to launch the first Moomin games for mobiles this year

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Rights & Brands has partnered with Rovio Entertainment in a worldwide exclusive mobile games deal for the Moomin IP.

Based in Stockholm, the global licensing agency, Rights & Brands is the worldwide master agent of the Moomins, while Rovio Entertainment is the most successful Finnish mobile gaming company globally and the creator of the Angry Birds franchise.

Under the partnership, Rovio will develop new Moomin based games for any platform while holding the exclusvie rights to Moomin based games for all mobile platforms. Rovio’s first Moomin game will be based on the original story and world created by Tove Jansson, and inspired by the animated series, Moominvalley.

The title is already in development and expected to soft launch later this year.

“Moomin Characters looks to expand their digital footprint and offering, it’s fantastic to join forces with Rovio Entertainment, who bring a wealth of expertise and success in this space. We’re confident this partnership will open up new opportunities not only to the Moomin trademark, but also to the additional Nordic story. This partnership marks an important milestone in our strategy to take local Nordic creations to the international marketplace,” said Roleff Kråkström, managing director of Moomin Characters.

Alex Pelletier-Normand, CEO of Rovio, added: “We are honored and excited to enter this partnership that will give us the opportunity to present this iconic brand to new audiences across the globe as well as delighting our existing fans. This partnership will diversify our IP portfolio, which is a key step in our consistent growth strategy.”

Patrick Ullman, CEO of Rights & Brands, said: “This is the strategic alliance and digital collaboration we have been striving to achieve since starting up Rights & Brands. This is an important part of our digital transformation and a key driver to take the Moomin story and global awareness further, reaching new target audiences.”

Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters have invested in the Emmy Award-nominated studio Gutsy Animations, creator of the internationally celebrated Moominvalley 3D animation series. Multi award-winning Moominvalley is the company’s flagship production, with a record-high of 16 million starts on Yle’s streaming platform in Finland and distribution sold to over 50 countries.

“Rovio’s first Moomin game is inspired by the Moominvalley visuals. The partnership between these companies, all major players in their respective fields, will support steady growth and brand awareness for the Moomins in all digital arenas,” said Patrick Ullman.

“This deal is the perfect match for the Moomins and shows the rare but massive impact a brand based on art and literature can have. The Moomins is a body of art and this certainly takes art to a new level.”

London’s The O2 comes to Fortnite for week-long celebration in Epic Games, O2, and Island Records mash-up

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London’s The O2 has made its video game debut, becoming a new location ready for players to explore within the hit gaming franchise, Fortnite. The week-long appearance of the world’s most popular entertainment venue arrives as part of a collaboration between O2, Epic Games, and Island Records.

A celebration of interactive music, the partnership will culminate with a performance by the Leicester R&B group, Easy Life who will become the first UK act to ever play a set in Fortnite Creative.

The project marks the O2’s first appearance in a video game, and was constructed by a team of Fortnite KKslider, DolphinDom and Team Cre8. Beyond the exterior design of the iconic London landmark, its interior features several gameplay additions, including a vast new space packed with hidden rooms, backstage areas and the O2 Blueroom, where players can unlock a Squeezy Life Spray and a Lobby Track created by Fortnite and Easy Life.

During Easy Life’s performance, attendees will be transported to six unique areas, each inspired by a different track from the group’s debut album ‘Life’s a Beach.’

Additionally, O2 customers will have the opportunity to win exclusive rewards in the Priority app, including tickets to future easy life shows at O2 venues.

“We were thrilled when we were approached with the idea to bring The O2, one of the most iconic entertainment venues on the planet, to Fortnite Creative,” said Nate Nanzer, head of global partnerships at Epic Games.

“We’re always looking for exciting and authentic experiences to bring to our players, and we can’t wait for them to get hands-on with this interactive musical journey. We’re excited to have the UK’s breakout band easy life perform in the game, and we think our players are really going to love exploring all that The O2 has to offer in Fortnite Creative over the next week.”

Easy Life front man, Murray Matravers, said: “Being the first UK act to ever perform in Fortnite Creative, and for that performance to take place inside a venue as iconic as The O2, is truly humbling.

“We’re all huge gamers in the band so getting the chance to appear in a game this popular is a childhood dream come true. We’re so excited for people to experience our music in the game – it promises to be a lot of fun and is just a taste of things to come ahead of our UK tour of O2 Academy venues later this year.”

The main stage performance will take place this Thursday, 24th June at 20:30 BST, and the gig will be available to Fortnite players until 23.59 BST, this Sunday, 27th June.

Pokémon GO creators partner with Hasbro and TOMY to launch Transformers AR game

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Niantic, the team behind the wildly popular AR game Pokémon GO, has teamed up with Hasbro and TOMY to develop a new augmented reality title based on the Transformers franchise.

Titled ‘Transformers: Heavy Metal’, the new game will see players battle with characters from the Transformers series in real world settings using the game’s AR features. Development on the title is being led by the Seattle-based studio Very Very Spaceship, using Niantic’s Lightship platform.

Transformers: Heavy Metal is scheduled to be released worldwide later this year.

“Transformers is the perfect franchise for AR. Battling and interacting with giant robots in the real world is an amazing experience,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic. “We want to live up to the high expectations of Transformers fans around the world and bring them a game unlike anything they’ve played before.”

In a statement issued on the Niantic website this week, executive producer, Phil Hong said: “In thinking about franchises that would be incredible to bring to life in AR, Transformers was a no-brainer.

“This will be a Transformers game unlike any other, an AR game where you’ll get to team up with the likes of Bumblebee and the Autobots in the real world, powered by the Niantic Lightship platform.

“We’ve been working super hard on this with Seattle-based Very Very Spaceship as the development studio. We’ll enter soft launch in select countries soon, and global launch is planned for later this year.”

Retail Monster secures first partners for Borderlands spin-off video game Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

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Video game publishers Gearbox Entertainment and 2K have detailed the debut consumer products programme to support the upcoming release of the new fantasy-based shooter game, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Based on the character Tiny Tina from the popular Borderlands video game franchise, the new titles is set to launch on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in early 2022.

The licensing programme around the hotly anticipated game is being led by Retail Monster who has already secured a host of strategically-chosen debut partners across toys, collectables, apparel, accessories, home goods, publushing, and subscription boxes. The group is also exploring complementary categories, with new partners to be announced soon.

“We are thrilled to announce our strongest roster of partners for a new IP in Gearbox history,” said Sean Haran, chief business officer at Gearbox Entertainment. “Expanding Gearbox’s IP outside of videogames has been an exciting and rewarding frontier. With this fresh take on fantasy, we are pursuing ancillary partnerships that reflect our confidence in the broad appeal of this new title.”

Debut partners for the new video game Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, include Mighty Jaxx for the global distribution of stylised collectables, Bioworld Merchandise for apparel and home accessories, Dark Horse Comics, Funko for a series of Pop! vinyls, and LootCrate for a dedicated Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Crate.

“Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is an exciting new world to play within, mixing high fantasy adventure with co-op, looting, and a sense of humor that will be familiar to fans of Borderlands. Most importantly, it has a big sense of fun. We hope to bring that fun and adventure to life through the products our partners create,” said Erica Hollinshead Stead, director of licensing, Gearbox Entertainment.

Developed by Gearbox Entertainment, the anticipated ESRB rating for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is T for Teen.

The Olympics vaults into NFT space and details new video game title with nWay

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has detailed its launch into the NFT market thanks to a new partnership with nWay, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands.

The deal will witness the launch of a new Olympic-themed digital entertainment, consisting of NFT Olympic pins and crossplay multiplayer video games, all developed by nWay.

The NFT Olympic Pins are digital versions of collectable and tradeable Olympic Pins, which will first be distributed and sold on nWayPlay.com starting on 17 June, 2021. These digital Olympic Pins will have various properties generally associated with physical pins, including authenticity, scarcity, and provenance.

The Pins will launch with an inaugural set that forms part of the Olympic Heritage Collection, which celebrates the art and design of the past Olympic Games and reflects the graphic legacy of the world’s largest sporting event, such as posters, emblems, pictograms, and mascots from 125 years of modern Olympic Games.

Collectors can obtain unique and officially licensed NFT Olympic Pins in three ways; either by purchasing assorted packs on nWayPlay.com; by purchasing specific pins directly from other collectors on the nWayPlay Marketplace; or by earning them free of charge by playing a real-time Olympic-themed competitive video game connected to nWayPlay.

The new game will be launched in the lead up to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

“Olympic pins started as a way to identify athletes, judges and officials, but over the past 125 years it has become an Olympic Games tradition, where everyone from athletes to event staff, journalists and spectators all take part to collect and trade pins in the Olympic Village and beyond,” said Timo Lumme, managing director of IOC Television and Marketing Services.

“Today’s announcement is a natural evolution of this tradition, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and the IOC’s digital strategy to embrace new digital technologies to promote the Olympic values and grow direct relations with our fans. They can now connect with the excitement of the Games in a whole new way and own a piece of Olympic history.”

Taehoon Kim, CEO of nWay, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with the IOC to bring the NFT Olympic Pins Collection to the nWayPlay Marketplace for the first time. We used our experience as game developers to incorporate high-quality 3D models with animation and visual effects to create truly premium NFTs.”

Collectors will be able to purchase assorted packs of NFT Olympic Pins on nWayPlay.com starting on 17 June, 2021 with the peer-to-peer transaction functionality on the marketplace to come online shortly later.

The new related Olympic-themed videogame will be launched later this year, in the lead up to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Fanattik renews gift and collectables deal with Rare to span Sea of Thieves, Banjo-Kazooie and more

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The award-winning pop culture specialist, Fanattik has renewed its gift and collectibles licence with the video game studio, Rare, in a partnership brokered by Tinderbox, the digital media division of Beanstalk.

The pan-European licence covers Rare’s smash hit Sea of Thieves, the pirate-themed video game with 20 million players, as well as classic titles created by the studio including Banjo-Kazooie, Battletoads, Viva Piñata, and more.

Anthony Marks, MD at Fanattik, said: “We worked closely with the Rare team prior to the launch of Sea of Thieves back in 2018. With regular updates and features being announced all the time, this is a game that continues to excite gaming fans. As well as product for the general trade, we have been working on a lot of exclusive product for the official online store as well as selected gift retailers here in the UK.”

Gaming merchandise, which was already a growth area for the gift trade, has exploded given the millions of people who are gaming more due to having to spend more time at home during the pandemic. Fanattik and Rare now look to capitalise on this growth with gaming gifts and collectibles for Rare fans.

With Fanattik unable to exhibit this year at Toy, Spring Fair and Nuremberg, buyers have been invited to book video appointments with the team to learn more about the new products coming to market.

Luiz Ferreira, head of sales at Fanattik, said: “We are looking forward to bringing the trade up to speed with all our new release information, not just for Sea of Thieves, but all the other classic games that Rare has been behind.”

For further details and to book a video appointment, please contact hello@fanattik.co.uk

SEGA unveils animated series Sonic Colours: Rise of the Wisps trailer and 30th anniversary merchandise

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SEGA has lifted the lid on a plethora of upcoming entertainment experiences surrounding its iconic Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, as the 30th anniversary celebrations of the flagship character continue, spanning animated series, live orchestra events, a host of new gaming announcements, and plenty of licensing activity.

The grand unveiling of this upcoming hive of activity took place on the first Sonic Central livestream event, a celebration of 30 years of Sonic the Hedgehog hosted on SEGA’s official YouTube and Twitch channels this week.

The stream kicked off with the creators of the upcoming Netflix animated series Sonic Prime, and was swiftly followed with the announcement of a live orchestra event on June 23rd, featuring music from Sonic games over the last 30 years, with a special preview coming during Geoff Keighly’s Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live on June 10th.

Following the opening segment, SEGA jumped into the medium where it all began, unveiling a slew of gaming-related announcements, including Sonic Colours: Ultimate and Sonic Colours: Rise of the Wisps. Sonic Colors: Ultimate is an adrenaline-pumping remaster of the beloved 2010 platformer, Sonic Colors.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is set to release both digitally and physically on PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, with a digital-only release on PC via the Epic Game Store on September 7, 2021.

In addition, SEGA unveiled a teaser to the two-part animation series, Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps, the first short-form animation featuring full dialogue and a voice cast including the return of legendary Sonic voice actor, Roger Craig Smith.

 

Following, SEGA revealed that it is working on a new compiled series that will include Sonic the HEdgehog one, two, Sonic Three and Knuckles, as well as Sonic CD under the Sonic Origins moniker. The collection will offer fans a nostalgic hit of classic gameplay, as well as fresh content with more details coming soon.

Other developments in the gaming space include the launch of a new Sonic Team Game, a Sonic avatar in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game, and a host of mobile game special events, spanning Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, Sonic Dash, Sonic Racing, and more.

On top of this, to celebrate the 30th anniversary, Sonic will be making a special cameo in SEGA’s Two Point Hospital.

SEGA also revealed a lineup of commemorative merchandise to celebrate the 30th anniversary, as the studio collaborates with a robust list of partners throughout the year to create new Sonic products, including items like a Giant Eggman Robot play-set from Jakks Pacific, a full-colour hardcover Sonic encyclopedia from Dark Horse, and more.

As part of Sonic’s 30th celebration, IDW will release a special super-sized 80-page comic book featuring three tales of colorful heroes and dastardly villains. Commemorative 30th Anniversary gold and silver coins will also be available this year from APMEX.