Tag Archives: pokemon

Nintendo and AR game developer Niantic partner again on a Pikmin mobile game

Posted on by

Nintendo and Niantic, the creators of hugely popular mobile game Pokémon Go, are partnering to produce a mobile game featuring another Nintendo IP, Pikmin.

This is the just the first of a series of apps the two companies intend to create, and will take advantage of Niantic’s real-world AR technology. The game will feature gameplay activities designed to encourage walking and make the activity more enjoyable – similar to Niantic’s previous title, Pokémon Go.

The app is scheduled to release worldwide later this year, with Niantic as the publisher. Additionally, the game will be the first title created by Niantic Tokyo Studio, which was established in April 2018.

“As we continue to expand our games portfolio, it was a natural next step to team up with  Nintendo,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic. “We’re looking forward to shaping the future of AR  together, bringing Nintendo’s beloved game characters to life for mobile game players around the world.”

“Niantic’s AR technology has made it possible for us to experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living all around us,” said Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director, Fellow, Nintendo. “Based on the theme of making walking fun, our mission is to provide people a new experience that’s different  from traditional games. We hope that the Pikmin and this app will become a partner in your life.”

Moonpig grows its kids’ gifting portfolio with LEGO partnership and ‘ambitious plans for more to come’

Posted on by

The online gifting specialist, Moonpig has detailed its huge ambitions’ for its giftable kids range, growing its portfolio of toy partners and most recently welcoming LEGO into the fold.

The firm’s partnership with the LEGO Group marks a significant step forward for the company as well as ‘its biggest brand launch on its site to date.’ Until now, Moonpig has partnered with the likes of Playmobil, Hasbro, and Pokemon, but not launched a portfolio as large as its LEGO deal.

The partnership has been billed as ‘the first of more to come,’ as Moonpig outlines its vision to “become the ultimate gifting companion for customers.”

David Rimmer, commercial director of Moonpig, told Licensing.biz: “We have been a huge emphasis on bolstering our gifting offer. As part of this, we have brought on board a number of new toy brands recently, including Playmobil, Hasbro, and Pokemon and will continue to add beloved brands as we build our kids’ gifting and birthday ranges.”

The new LEGO range features 13 different themes with more than 50 products, spanning Duplo LEGO, LEGO Marvel, and LEGO Architecture.

Its licensed line up features the popular LEGO Harry Potter and LEGO Star Wars, while the top selling LEGO City and LEGO Friends also feature.

Moonpig launched the new brand with bespoke site looks – a dedicated landing page as well as content all around the site to showcase the extensive range, and has the ambition to grow the offer even further throughout the year.

Rimmer added: “We are very excited for Lego to join our offer as the latest addition. Our ambitions are huge for our kids range, so make sure to watch this space.”

The Moonpig business has been bolstering its expanding gifting offer with a long list of brands. In the past three months, Moonpig has introduced over 50 new brands across food, alcohol, beauty, home and toys, including Playmobil, Hasbro, and Pokemon.

Licensing International France Awards winners and first French Rising Star revealed

Posted on by

LEGO Super Mario, The Pokemon Company, and Crunchyroll have been named among the winners of this year’s Licensing International France Awards in a live virtual event that brought together nearly 250 industry executives from France and around the world.

Hosted by Christophe Drevet from CDR Strategy and Licensing International France’s own Florence Ayem and Laurent Taieb, the event also named its first French Rising Star as WildBrain CPLG’s Jeanne Baledent.

Meanwhile, 12 Awards winners were named during the event, selected from among the 104 submissions received, an increase of 30 per cent on the number of nomiations last year. 

The 2021 Licensing International France Awards winners are:

BEST LICENSED PRODUCT – LEGO for the Super Mario Construction range

BEST RETAIL or DIGITAL ACTIVATION – PicWicToys for We need to find Santa Claus

BEST PROMOTION or EVENT – Warner Bros. Consumer Products for the LU x DC Comics x Funko activation

BEST LICENSED COLLABORATION– Crunchyroll for the Captain Tsubasa x French Football Federation

BEST DIGITAL BRAND – Super Mario / Nintendo

BEST ENTERTAINMENT BRAND – Harry Potter / Warner Bros. Entertainment

BEST SPORT BRAND – National Basketball Association

BEST LICENSEE – Funko

BEST CELEBRITY, CORPORATE or LIFESTYLE BRAND – Koh-Lanta / TF1 Licences

BEST LICENSOR or LICENSING AGENCY: The Pokémon Company International

FRENCH RISING STAR: Jeanne Balédent / Wildbrain CPLG

In addition to the Award Winners above, Licensing International France has extended a special mention to the following entries that, while not winning an award, still captured our attention.  

LICENSING INTERNATIONAL FRANCE CRUSHES:

  • Barbapapa x Merci collaboration / TF1 Licences
  • The Bureau – The Deep Game / Dama Dreams
  • Label Chaussette x RATP la ligne – socks line
  • Find Me in Paris – launch of the score with Wagram Music

 

BlackMilk Clothing celebrates 25 years of Pokémon with second wave clothing collection

Posted on by

The clothing specialist, BlackMilk is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pokémon this year with a second collection of clothing featuring some of the franchise’s best-loved characters.

The new range launches following the success of its first ‘hugely popular’ Pokémon collection, released back in June 2020, that went on to prompt a restocking of the entire collection due to customer demand. It was only inevitable that BlackMilk would be looking to emulate the success with a new selection in the brand’s anniversary year.

Pokémon fans will be able to shop from a range of nearly 50 pieces featuring BlackMilk’s signature bold prints as well as specially designed Pokémon-themed fabrics. As Pokémon celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the new Pokémon collection from BlackMilk will feature the iconic Pikachu, the first partner Pokémon from the various regions in the Pokémon universe, and other fan favourites such as Eevee, Snorlax, Psyduck, and Jigglypuff. 

The collection will be available to shop online via BlackMilk Clothing’s website from 7am (AEST), March 2nd 2021.

Just this week, The Pokémon Company cited significant increases in sales of its Trading Card Game and Jazwares toy line over the course of 2020, driven by a surging popularity of the 25 year old entertainment franchise. Licensing partners of The Pokémon Company, including the likes of board gaming giant Asmodee, have earmarked the year ahead as the year for Pokémon, as the brand continues to roll out anniversary-focused products and partnerships.

The Pokémon Company celebrates ‘significant increase in sales’ of TCG and Jazwares toy line

Posted on by

The Pokémon Company is celebrating a ‘significant increase in sales’ of its Pokémon Trading Card Game and extensive toy range from Jazwares across the European markets, despite all of the challenges that retail has faced at the hands of the Coronavirus.

According to figures recorded by the NPD Group Toys retail tracking service, sales figures increased in the UK, France, Germany, and Benelux during 2020 for the Pokémon TCG and toys from Jazwares. Year-on-year sales for Pokémon continue to outperform the market trend—a regular achievement for the brand in recent years.

Pokémon was the number one NPD toy property in France up to week 49 in 2020, finishing the year in third place overall with a total growth of seven per cent.

Remaining the number one Strategic Trading Card property in Europe, according to NPD, Pokémon sales continued to rise in key territories with YOY growth of 15 per cent in the United Kingdom, six per cent in France, and 28 per cent in Benelux.

According to TPCi’s own EPOS tracking service, which began in Germany four years ago, 2020 registered the best like-for-like retailer sales since tracking began, and Q4 was up a staggering 319 per cent against the same period in 2018.

Meanwhile, Jazwares launched an extended range of new products for 2020 which proved popular among kids and fans, and resulted in a 36 per cent uplift in sales across Europe. Its Advent calendar sold out well before the start of December, and the Pokémon Carry Case Playset sold out in the UK.

Also new for 2020 was the launch of  Pokémon TCG Battle Academy, the first board game adaptation of the TCG, combining strategic Pokémon TCG gameplay within a classic family game experience.

Battle Academy won the Best Game category in the 2021 US Toy of the Year Awards.

Mathieu Galante, licensing director EMEA for The Pokémon Company International, said: “In what has been an extremely challenging year for retail, we are delighted that Pokémon has performed so strongly and helped to provide a welcome diversion and entertainment.

“Appetite continues to grow for our innovative range of best-in-class products, reflecting Pokémon’s widespread appeal and innovation which keeps it fresh, relevant and in-demand. 2021 is our 25th anniversary, and we have a whole host of exciting celebratory plans in place for this landmark year.”

Simon Benton, VP Pokémon TCG Sales Europe, added: “Pokémon TCG sales were beyond expectations in 2020, with four significant markets enjoying their best-ever years. Our hugely popular Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield Series expansions maintained a high profile throughout the year. The launch of the Battle Academy board game brought an added new dimension to Pokémon’s TCG appeal.

“2021 is off to a fast start despite European retail lockdowns, with January EPOS sales figures higher than any we’ve seen before. The recently launched and highly anticipated Shining Fates expansion, featuring 100 all-important Shiny cards, is set to be another big hit; we’ve already had to instigate reprints to keep up with the huge demand at preorder.

“It’s a great start to what’s set to be an exciting year of special promotions and activity to celebrate Pokémon’s 25th anniversary.”

Pokémon was first launched in Japan in 1996 as a role-playing game for Nintendo’s Game Boy system and reached the United States and Europe in 1998-99. It has since grown into one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world, encompassing video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, mobile games and apps, animation and movies, Play! Pokémon competitive events, and licensed products.

It is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time with more than 368 million video games sold worldwide. In addition, more than 22 billion TCG cards have been shipped to 77 countries in 13 languages, while the mobile game sensation Pokémon GO has received more than one billion downloads globally since launch in 2016.

More than 1,000 episodes of the animated TV series span 23 seasons, licensed for broadcast in 176 countries and regions in more than 30 languages.

Pokémon and Post Malone to host virtual music concert as part of the brand’s 25th anniversary celebrations

Posted on by

Pokémon has unveiled plans for a virtual music concert celebrating its 25th anniversary with the help of the headline act and Pokémon fan, Post Malone.

Taking place on February 27th – or Pokémon Day to the real fans – the event will take the form of an online party for all fans of music and Pokémon around the world. The virtual music concert will serve as the launch activation for the franchise’s year-long P25 Music programme – an initiative that has seen Pokémon team up with Universal Music Group to bring a host of music surprises to 2021.

As part of the P25 Music programme, Pokémon revealed last month that Katy Perry had been secured as its premier artist.

“I’ve been a Pokémon fan for a long time, so the opportunity to headline the Pokémon Day concert celebrating 25 years is awesome,” said Post Malone.

The concert will be free to view on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, Pokémon’s official Twitch channel, and on Pokémon’s 25th anniversary website beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. PST on February 27 (0:00 a.m. GMT on February 28) .

Pokémon will unveil more P25 Music details at the end of the concert, so fans will want to tune in for more upcoming collaboration surprises.

The pop-culture brand broke the news with help from headliner and Pokémon fan Post Malone in the video below.

https://youtu.be/Cdn_Fvug-hI

 

In anticipation of the concert, The Pokémon Company International will host several celebratory activations across the brand in the week leading up to the virtual music event. In addition to the previously announced Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto event on Saturday, February 20, The Pokémon Company International will distribute a special password on February 25 for players of the Pokémon video game franchise to add a special Pikachu to their Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games.

In keeping with the music theme for the year, this Pikachu knows the move Sing, which it can’t ordinarily learn. On February 27, fans can tune in to Pokémon TV, either on the web or by downloading the app, for a curated selection of music-themed episodes of the popular Pokémon animated series as they prepare for the big Pokémon Day concert with Post Malone in the evening. Fans can expect more announcements that week from across the franchise.

Levi’s celebrates 25th anniversary of Pokémon with ’90s inspired clothing collection

Posted on by

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest anime entertainment franchises of all time, the international fashion brand Levi’s has partnered with the Pokémon Company to launch a 90s-inspired Levi’s x Pokémon collection 

Inspired by the first season of the original Pokémon animated series, the collection includes a range of Levi’s denim, tops, bottoms, fleece, tees, and accessories all of which feature graphics and prints of both the popular characters and the woodland settings of the Kanto region.

Notable pieces include the ’90s style Vintage Fit Trucker Jacket and 551 Z Authentic Straight jean in stonewash indigo, both featuring oversized embroidered Pikachu and lightning bolt patches for the Electric-type Pokémon.

“It’s so fun to hear people talk about their love of Pokémon. Everyone has their favorite. So the fact that we had this  ability to play and create with so many iconic Pokémon and characters, was really a special experience,” said Karyn Hillman, chief product officer at Levi Strauss & Co.

“It’s such  a thoughtful collection that respects and celebrates the  world of Pokémon, and it was so cool mixing our icons  and history with theirs – it’s nostalgic and optimistic, with  a little bit of escapism.”

Amy Sachtleben, direcotr of licensing at The Pokémon Company International, added: “In its 25th anniversary year, the Pokémon brand  is celebrating its enduring legacy in pop culture  with fans around the world. Our friends at Levi’s have developed a collection featuring icons of the  franchise that blends the spirit of the era when Pokémon first launched with the style sensibilities of today in a way only Levi’s could.

“This has been a  tremendously fun collaboration with Levi’s® to look  back at Pokémon’s origins and offer fans who grew  up with the brand and today’s trendsetters a way to  infuse cute and clever Pokémon nostalgia into their  style.”

Also included is a range of graphic tees that features  throwback character art, such as Ash, Misty and Pokémon from that classic first season. And, for  fans of Misty, there’s even the Levi’s Misty Short and Misty Tank, an homage to the iconic outfit she  wears in the series. 

Accessories and sundries also get the Pokémon treatment, like a red and white trucker hat similar to the hat worn by Ash Ketchum in the series. Or the Pikachu knit beanie with yellow three dimensional Pikachu ears.

There’s also an all over floral Pokémon print gym bag, a Poké Ball crossbody bag and clip-on pouches with Pokémon characters embroidered on the front. And, on the sundries, the collection features Pokémon branding  on Levi’s back patches, Red Tabs that mimic red and white Poké Balls, and buttons stamped with  Pikachu and Poké Balls. 

The Levi’s x Pokémon collection will be available worldwide on Levi.com, the Levi’s App, in Levi’s stores, and in select wholesalers on 15th February 2021. 

Star Wars, Pokémon, and LOL Surprise help US toys sales surge $3.5bn for 2020

Posted on by

Entertainment brands Star Wars, Marvel, Pokémon, and LOL Surprise have been named among the top properties of 2020 to have helped US toy sales surge by $3.5bn according to the latest results from the NPD Group.

Combined, the top five properties – all the aforementioned plus Mattel’s fashion doll brand, Barbie – accounted for 13 per cent of all US toy sales on the year.

In an unprecedented year for the global toy industry, the NPD Group has attributed the 16 per cent sales growth of the toy sector for 2020 to diverted disposable income as parents – spending more time at home with their children – place greater value on play and toys, spending money saved from restrictions imposed in the fight against the pandemic.

For the year, toy sales in the US generated $25.1 billion, an increase of 16 per cent on the year prior.

Nationwide lockdowns and restrictions across the US saw disposable income diverted from usual mainstream entertainment avenues to toys, as well as the onset of federal stimulus checks.

While toy sales through mid-March 2020 were flat on 2019, widespread lockdown measures led to an abrupt increase in sales. This was amplified by the distribution of stimulus checks beginning in April, resulting in the strongest month of growth for the year in May (an increase of 38 per cent).

The NPD Group states that toy industry growth peaked again in October with an increase of 33 per cent when the holiday season kicked off with Amazon Prime Day along with other retailer deals the same week.

“2020 was an unprecedented year for the US toy industry. The growth we’ve seen in the toy industry speaks to the fact that parents are willing to put their children’s happiness above all else,” said Juli Lennett, vice president and industry advisor, US Toys, The NPD Group.

“The industry’s resiliency is very much underpinned by the reality that, in times of hardship, families look to toys to help keep their children engaged, active, and delighted. Put simply, toys are a big part of the happiness equation.”

A major theme of the US retail scene over the course of the past year has been the surge in online shopping. Some retail closures and consumer hesitancy towards shopping in stores led to a surge in online toy sales. In the first three quarters of 2020, the online channel gained 10 share points from the 23 per cent share in 2019, leading to 75 per cent growth in overall online toy sales year over year.

Not only did pure play online retailers do well, but brick and mortar retailers that had buy online, in-store pickup, or curbside options, also outperformed.

The top dollar growth sub-segments in 2020 were sports toys, which includes skates, skateboards and scooters (up 31 per cent), fashion dolls and accessories ( up 56 per cent), building sets (up 26 per cent), games (up 29 per cent), and summer seasonal toys (up 24 per cent).

The top properties of 2020 included L.O.L. Surprise!, Barbie, Star Wars, Pokémon, and Marvel Universe. The top five properties combined accounted for 13 per cent of all toy sales on the year.

While units declined in seven of the 11 super-categories, average selling price increased in every super-category. The increase in average price was a key driver of the growth in dollar sales and was driven by a shift in product mix to higher-priced categories.

The Pokémon Company extends Casio partnership for new BABY-G women’s watch

Posted on by

The Pokémon Company and the international watchmaker, Casio have expanded on a collaborative partnership to welcome the fan-favourite Pokémon, Pikachu to the firm’s popular line-up of BABY-G women’s watches.

The latest collaboration follows on from the success of a partnership established last year that celebrated BABY-G’s 25th anniversary. The latest partnership will introduce an analog-digital watch with an outdoor theme, representing the active image of the BABY-G brand.

The band of the watch model – BA110PKC-4A – showcases a camouflage pattern and female Pikachu with a heart-shaped tail.

The Pikachu design is also infused with subtle details like the silhouette of the pink tail on the strap keeper and the Pikachu image etched on the case back. The hour and minute hands also evoke the face of Pikachu, a playful touch that will delight the wearer whenever they check the time.

As part of the release, BABY-G has unveiled a special landing page taking consumers through the features, which can be accessed here.

In addition to special packaging inspired by the Poké Ball, the BA110PKC-4A also comes equipped with Casio’s G-SHOCK technology including.

The BA110PKC-4A will retail for $150/£139/€149 and be available for purchase this February at select retailers, the G-SHOCK Soho Store NYC, and gshock.com.

Pokémon in for “a massive year” says Asmodee UK as Trading Card Game anniversary expansion prepares for launch

Posted on by

Asmodee UK has cited 2021 to be a ‘massive year for the Pokémon Trading Card Game’ which is gearing up top release the Shining Fates expansion, its first major product release in the year as the brand celebrates its milestone 25th anniversary this year.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Pokémon Trading Card Game saw a ‘phenomenally successful 2020,’ and is now set to receive ‘an even bigger boost’ thanks to the milestone year for one of the most popular and successful entertainment franchises in the world.

Launching this Febraury, the Shining Fates set spotlights the game’s ultra-rare and powerful Shiny Pokémon variants with a special expansion that sits outside of the current Sword & Shield expansion block. The latest instalment of the Sword & Shield expansion will arrive in March.

This is the first time that the game has released such a set this early in a year, having previously only done so in Q4.

The set will be led by the iconic Pikachu, who stars in the Pokémon TCG: Shining Fates – Pikachu V collection. This boxed set features Pikachu V in the form of both a full-art foil promo card and a foil oversize card, as well as coming with four booster packs.

Another fan-favourite Pokémon, Eevee, will take a turn in the spotlight as well as it fronts the set’s Elite Trainer Box in gigantic VMAX form. This bumper product, attractive to both collectors and players, includes a majestic foil promo card of Eevee VMAX as well as 10 Shining Fates booster packs and a variety of themed accessories.

The Pokémon TCG, including the full Shining Fates expansion and other exciting lines in the works for the remainder of this celebratory year for the game, is available to the UK trade exclusively through Asmodee UK. Retailers wanting a closer look at what’s next for this mega-popular brand should make sure that they book a meeting at the third edition of AsmoFair, the company’s pioneering virtual trade show.

Running from January 17 to 23, AsmoFair will bring attendees closer than ever to the feeling of an in-person event thanks to additions including a 360-degree virtual tour of a fully built show stand.

With meetings also available at evenings and weekends in order to accommodate as many needs as possible, retailers can visit asmofair.co.uk in order to book a slot and see everything that’s coming up from the games specialists.