Category Archives: Video Games

Spin Master lands global master toy deal for Riot Games’ League of Legends

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Spin Master has signed a multi-year agreement to become the global master toy partner for Riot Games’ League of Legends, the most-played PC game globally at the moment. The international toymaker will develop products including action figures, play-sets, and role play items.

The range is scheduled to land on shelves in autumn next year.

Entering its second decade, League of Legends is a team-based, multiplayer online strategy game in which two teams of five powerful champions face off to conquer the other’s base. Players choose from over 150 champions to make epic plays and take down towers as they battle their way to victory.

“Spin Master is excited to collaborate with Riot Games to bring innovation and meticulous attention to detail to the rich characters and unique worlds in League of Legends,” said John Blaney, Spin Master’s senior vice president of licensing. “Our League of Legends lineup will appeal to fans of all ages, delivering high-quality products on the cutting edge.

“We look forward to delivering enhanced collectability and unique play experiences for the massive global League of Legends fan base both on and offline.”

Christian Bayley, director, brand management for consumer products at Riot Games, added: “Spin Master is the perfect partner for the League of Legends franchise and together we have the opportunity to enhance our champions and their stories giving players the opportunity to go even deeper into the League of Legends universe.”

The agreement was brokered by CAA-GBG, the global licensing representative for Riot Games.

“We are excited to have brought together two power houses in gaming and toys. Spin Master’s passion for the League of Legends IP stood out as a key differentiator, and we are excited to go on this journey with Spin Master and Riot Games,” added Robert Schwartz, vice president of sales and new business development, CAA-GBG.

Funko to launch Pokemon Pop! vinyls to European market for the first time

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The global purveyors of pop culture, Funko has detailed what it bills a ‘monumental partnership’ for the first time in the history of the company’s European division, partnering with the Pokemon Company International to launch a Pokemon collection of Pop! Vinyl figures to the region from this October.

Pokémon, the Japanese phenomenon is one of the world’s largest entertainment franchises and has been for over 20 years. The Pokémon family of products includes video games, trading card games, an animated TV series, movies and consumer products loved the world over.

The hugely anticipated collaboration will kick off with Pikachu and Bulbasaur Pop! Vinyl figures from October, with further additions to follow in 2021. The first collection of figures will consist of a Pikachu 4” Pop! Vinyl, a Pikachu 10” Pop! Vinyl, a Bulbasaur 4” Pop! Vinyl and a Bulbasaur 10” Pop! Vinyl.

Andy Oddie, managing director of Funko (EMEA), said: “One of the most exciting new opportunities for Funko this side of the Atlantic, we are beyond delighted to bring the Pokémon Pop! Vinyl line to life for our European fans. This is just the beginning, watch this space.”

Mathieu Galante, licensing director at The Pokémon Company International (EMEA), added: “Both Pokémon and Funko are iconic pop culture brands and as such are thrilled that this collaboration will, for the first time, provide fans across Europe the opportunity to add a new dimension to their Pokémon experience.”

The Pikachu and Bulbasaur Pop! Vinyl figureswill be available to purchase from October from leading European retailers; Smyths Toys Superstores (UK & Ireland), Toys Center (Italy), Fnac (France), Müller (Germany), Salling Group – Bilka BR and Føtex (Nordics) and El Corte Inglés (Spain).

Finsbury Food Group brings new Xbox Controller cake to supermarket shelves

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Finsbury Food Group has teamed up with global tech giant Microsoft in its newest partnership, bringing the new Xbox Controller cake to supermarket shelves this September.

A leading UK cake manufacturer, Finsbury Food Group introduces the greatly anticipated Xbox Controller cake, blending celebration cakes with the world of gaming. The cake is available in Tesco now and Asda from September 26, retailing at £12.

The Xbox Controller cake is a fluffy, traditional Victoria sponge cake base with a buttercream and tasty strawberry jam filling, wrapped in classic icing, shaped to look just like a giant Xbox controller.

Reflective of recent investments by Finsbury, the Xbox Controller cake is officially nut-free; baked and decorated in a 100 per cent nut-free environment, the winning centrepiece for any occasion – whether it’s a children’s birthday celebration or just an evening of gaming, this cake is not only a showstopper but can also cater to nut-free dietary requirements.

Jordan McCann, brand manager at Finsbury Food Group, said: “This is a project we’ve been really excited about at Finsbury. Highly anticipated by consumers the Xbox Controller cake is fresh, new and completely different to anything we’ve done before. Gaming is a new sector for us at Finsbury and we’re constantly looking to innovate with new products and ranges and explore new industries too. Collaborating with Microsoft is the perfect opportunity for us create a product so unique to gaming.

“The Xbox Controller cake arrives as the baking industry continues to trend on social media and in the press. Cakes have been hitting the headlines recently, with people mistaking them for well-known objects such as, trainers, toilet roll and even a full chicken. It’s great to deliver this viral trend for our customers to enjoy at home, with an almost replica cake.”

NFL stars to appear as playable characters in hit mobile game Subway Surfers

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Stars of the National Football League are to appear as playable characters in the hit mobile game Subway Surfers in a first of its kind partnership for SYBO Games, the NFL Players Association, and OneTeam Partners.

The endless runner mobile game crossed three billion downloads worldwide in August and was the number one most downloaded mobile game in the US on the App store for both games and apps this past July. The new deal was brokered by OneTeam, the NFLPA’s group licensing representative in the video game category.

For three weeks, beginning September 10th, Subway Surfers gamers can unlock and play as some of the world’s most famous runners. Six NFL players along with their names, numbers, images, and likenesses will be unlockable and playable as Subway Surfers in an American football-themed game event.

Tom Brady (Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Lamar Jackson (Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens), Patrick Mahomes (Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs), Odell Beckham Jr. (Wide receiver, Cleveland Browns), Dak Prescott (Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys) and Saquon Barkley (Running back, New York Giants), will each feature in the game for the limited time.

In addition, in-game hoverboards based on the six NFL player characters will be unlockable prizes.

“The partnership with the NFLPA and OneTeam marks yet another amazing milestone for us,” said Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, SYBO Games’ chief commercial officer. “Coming just after we crossed three billion downloads, this collaboration is yet another first for Subway Surfers. The integration of the NFL stars, combined with our premium gaming experience and overall digital content will galvanize gaming and sports fans alike.”

Steve Scebelo, interim president, NFL PLayers Inc, the marketing and licensing arm of the NFLPA, added: “The endless runner’s storyline, the game’s monthly visit to different cities and its all-around hip and diverse attributes, make Subway Surfers such a natural playing field for the NFLPA.

“We’re excited to offer both mobile gamers and football fans alike a truly one-of-a-kind experience by personifying NFL players in the world’s most downloaded endless runner game.”

In August, Subway Surfers crossed three billion downloads globally and is currently leading the download charts in the United States as the most downloaded free game and free app on iOs, as per industry analyst Sensor Tower. It was named the most downloaded game of the decade in late 2019 by App Annie.

Originally conceived as an animation property in 2009, creators Sylvester Rishøj Jensen and Bodie Jahn-Mulliner won first prize for best animation movie about a cool character that hangs out at an old subway station, avoiding a grumpy inspector and his dog. Their short film gave birth to Subway Surfers, the mobile game in 2012.

Video games market to exceed $200 billion by 2023, says latest Juniper Research

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The video games industry is on track to exceed $200 billion in value by 2023, according to the latest report from the global hi-tech communications analyst Juniper Research, growing from an expected $155 billion in 2020. The research company suggests that the growth will be lead over the next three years, by mobile and cloud gaming.

In its new report, Video Games: Industry Trends, Monetisation Strategies and Market Size 2020 – 2025, Juniper notes that the popularity of free-to-play games like Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile is intensifying the move to in-game monetisation, and that cloud gaming and other video game subscriptions will grow at an average rate of nine per cent per year.

The industry is to see the projected growth despite the expected five per cent decline in purchase revenues over the next three year.

“At current gaming subscription prices, it will take an average of ten month of a subscription p[ayment to cover the retail cost of a single AAA game,” said co-author on the research paper, James Moar. “The value of these platforms lies in keeping players within an ecosystem, ensuring that revenue across multiple games is captured by a single platform.”

The research goes on to note that, thanks to the increase in gamers signing up to subscription services such as EA Access, Google Stadia, and Xbox Gamepass, as well as buying fewer standalone games, only mobile games will see a net increase in game installs between 2020 and 2023. It also suggests that 99 per cent of mobile game downloads in the next three years will be free-to-play.

Juniper anticipates that less than 50 per cent of PC game installs over the period will be paid for. However, these games will be the most lucrative segment for in-game purchases, approaching $32 billion in 2023. Mobile games will have more purchases, but higher value game expansion purchases will keep PC in-game revenue growth strong. Smartphone in-app revenue will grow at an average of eight per cent over the forecast period, as smartphone gaming in emerging markets grows.

Nintendo partners with Velan Studios to bring mixed reality gaming experience to Mario Kart

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Nintendo has partnered with the tech specialist Velan Studios to launch a new Mario Kart mixed reality experience that will turn a player’s home into a Mario Kart racecourse to be traversed in both the physical and virtual worlds.

Called Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the new mixed reality game is launching to the Nintendo Switch next month and combines a camera-enabled physical ,’remote controlled’ Mario Kart and course gate markers that together will turn any living space into a Mario Kart circuit. Players can design and construct courses in the real world, before racing the circuit in a mixed reality experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with Velan Studios for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit,” said Tom Prata, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of strategic initiatives. “Through this collaboration, we are providing fans with a one of a kind, interactive experience that is only available on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.”

The system will allow Nintendo Switch users to set out a course in the real world, using the game’s physical Gate markers. They can then ‘remotely control’ their physical Mario Kart around the course. Each Kart features its own camera that will translate the course setting and physical surroundings onto the player’s screen – either their Switch screen or connected TV – where the Mario Kart experience will be made complete with the addition of the high-octane action and in-game brawling.

Velan Studios is building on the legacy of its founders Karthik and Guha Bala and their core team, renowned for their innovations in fusing toys with interactive game experiences.

“Our mission at Velan is to create breakthrough games that are magic,” said Karthik Bala, CEO, Velan Studios. “We invented the initial mixed reality hardware and game prototype to really nail the exhilaration of racing in the real world with the play and feel of a video game.

“We showed the experience to Nintendo and were thrilled they saw its potential. That started a wonderful multi-year creative collaboration, which became Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. We can’t wait to see the creative ways fans play when they race around their own creations as Mario and Luigi.”

To learn more about Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, visit https://www.nintendo.com/. The game will be released by Nintendo worldwide on October 16, 2020.

Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! acquires Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man animated series

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The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man and The Ghostly Adventures are the latest children’s series to be landing on Genius Brands’ recently launched Kartoon Channel! app. The streaming rights to the two animated series were acquired from 41 Entertainment as GBI continues to build its animated content offering.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures features the classic video game character Pac-Man in a series that follows his daily adventures, alongside his loyal crew Cyli and Spiral. Together they protect Pac-World from a ghostly army led by the evil Betrayus.

Pac-Man was originally conceived in 1980 when the franchise rose to fame via its arcade video games. Pac-Man went on to make an array of branding and entertainment appearances, becoming one of the most recognised video game characters on the planet. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the video game franchise that can be credited with kick-starting a pop culture movement.

Meanwhile, Kartoon Channel! has also secured 26 episodes of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, a series based on the blockbuster video game series from SEGA. This light-hearted adventure series emphasizes positive themes for kids about personal safety and interpersonal relationships.

The series stars Sonic and his friend Tails as they work to thwart the machinations of Dr Robotnik and his henchmen Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts.

“Our mission in creating Kartoon Channel! has always been to deliver the best of the best in children’s entertainment, and we are excited to add these two series, featuring popular characters that are proven winners and that kids love,” said Caroline Tyre, general manager of Kartoon Channel!

Mobile games publisher Exient wants to be the go-to partner for IP owners

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The independent mobile games publisher, Exient is looking to position itself as the go-to mobile games partner for IP owners in the games and entertainment space.

Headed up by Dave Hawkins, the firm has success over the last 12 months with the self-published Lemmings Puzzle Adventure. It had previously built its business providing work-for-hire services on IP such as FIFA, Angry Birds, F1, and more.

Earlier this year, the company unveiled a new corporate brand identity, bringing its Sad Puppy and Donut labels under its new Exient Publishing banner. It is now expanding its headcount across offices in the UK and Malta to support the development and publishing of self-funded mobile games based on IP from the worlds of games, TV, and entertainment.

Exient already has several titles lined up for 2021.

Donut Publishing will remain as a legal entity in the UK in order to service existing titles, however all new titles will be published through Exient Publishing going forward. In addition to development roles, the company is focusing its recruitment on marketing, user acquisition and community management to support its publishing activities.

“The success we’ve experienced with Lemmings Puzzle Adventure has given us the confidence to double down on our publishing activity, so bringing everything under a single Exient Publishing brand was the next logical step in our evolution,” said Exient COO Nusrat Shah.

“We have a pipeline of self-funded projects for 2021 based on really exciting IPs and we’re keen to work with IP holders and brands interested in taking their properties to mobile platforms.”

Bit Fry Game Studios scores NFL Players Association partnership for its latest video game push

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Bit Fry Game Studios has struck up an agreement with OneTeam Partners and the NFL Players Association to bring an officially-licensed football game to the studios’ growing line-up of sports videogames.

The games developer already incorporates select NFL players into its existing arcade action NHL-licensed hockey game Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, and its upcoming NBA-licensed basketball game, Ultimate Rivals: The Court. With the NFLPA license, Bit Fry will enable users to play on the virtual gridiron with superstar athletes from across hockey, basketball, baseball, and soccer, alongside a select roster of NFL players.

The agreement grants Bit Fry the right to feature the names, numbers, images, and likenesses of nearly 2,000 current NFL players in an arcade action football game. OneTeam, the NFLPA’s group licensing representative, facilitated the deal.

“Bit Fry is the leading studio in the arcade-action sports segment and is thrilled to be bringing the NFL players into the Ultimate Rivals universe with another play-book shredding, category defining title that gives football a video-game treatment unlike any seen before it,” said Ben Freidlin, CEO and founder of Bit Fry Game Studios and the creator of the Ultimate Rivals franchise.

“Fans of the franchise can expect the studio to remain dedicated to an exceptionally high quality experience, including all of the standard baseline ingredients of a Bit Fry game, such as 60fps framerates minimum, an unprecedented balance of approachable gameplay and high skill-cap depth, and industry standard-setting visuals and auditory aesthetics.”

Steve Scebelo, interim president, NFL Players Inc, added: “Bit Fry’s games continue to impress, providing opportunities for fans to create virtual team mashups while including the likes of Alex Morgan, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Trout and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

“As we look for new ways to connect with sports gamers, especially in today’s climate, this is an exciting development for fans and the future of gaming.”

“We are constantly exploring ways to innovate how athletes interact with fans across the ever-evolving games landscape, and this partnership with the NFLPA and Bit Fry Game Studios illustrates the creative potential that exists,” said Ahmad Nassar, CEO, OneTeam Partners.

Ultimate Rivals™: The Rink is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and will be followed by Ultimate Rivals: The Court. Bit Fry’s football game is scheduled for release in 2021, with platforms to be announced at a later date.

Hasbro, Pokemon and Penguin Ventures among first exhibitors taking part in Festival of Licensing

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Hasbro, The Pokemon Company, Penguin Ventures, and the Natural History Museum are among just some of the biggest names to be taking part in the new virtual Festival of Licensing running this October and taking the place of Brand Licensing Europe this year.

Brands from across the entertainment, publishing, gaming, sport, lifestyle, and heritage licensing fields have now confirmed their attendance and taken up their exhibition slots at the digital gathering which this year will run all online from October 6th to 29th. The event is to be hosted by Global Licensing Group in partnership with Licensing International.

Acamar Films, Chupa Chups, NBA Properties, Sega Europe, Start Licensing, and Yale are among those to have already registered to exhibit.

“Many great business opportunities have stemmed from the connections we have made at Brand Licensing Europe,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum. “This year, especially, it is important for us to continue expanding our partnerships and develop new ways for the public to connect with the natural world through our 80 million specimens.

“We are thrilled to be taking part in Festival of Licensing and look forward to new business opportunities to evolve our licensing strategy.”

Registration for the four-week long celebration of global licensing also opens today at www.festivaloflicensing.com where attendees can opt to attend any or all of the Festival’s three regionally tailored events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as the Licensing Leadership Summit:

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

“The feedback we have received about Festival of Licensing since announcing it just four weeks ago has been incredible and we are thrilled to be able to announce such an amazing first roster of exhibitors,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “This is only the beginning – we have another seven weeks till ‘doors open’ – so there will be a lot more news, and surprises, coming down the line.”

 

Exhibitors confirmed to date Include:

 

  • Acamar Films
  • Asgard Media
  • Bioworld
  • Brainbase
  • Brandgenuity
  • CAA-GBG
  • Chupa Chups, S.A Unipersonal
  • CPLG/Wildbrain
  • Crunchyroll Europe
  • Cyber Group Studios
  • Dependable Solutions
  • Design Plus
  • Edutainment
  • Hasbro
  • Herschend Entertainment Studios
  • J Patton
  • KOCCA
  • Licensing Works
  • LoCoco Licensing
  • Natural History Museum
  • NBA Properties Inc
  • Octane5
  • Opsec
  • Penguin Ventures
  • Pokemon
  • Sega Europe
  • Start Licensing
  • Tesa Scribos
  • UCLA
  • Xilam
  • Yale
  • Zolan Licensing Agency

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities can visit www.festivaloflicensing.com for more information.