Toikido talks | “Video game licensing is in the best health of any entertainment platform”

Fresh from welcoming the latest major gaming IP to the fold in the form of the British indie game developer’s multiplayer title, Gang Beasts, there’s a palpable and persistent excitement among the Toikido team right now. This was an outfit that, upon launch last year, promised to turn the toy and licensing sector on its head.

So far, having turned around a successful toy line based on one of the biggest gaming franchises of the past two years, within a record-setting six months (navigating a pandemic and shipping chaos out of China along the way), Toikido’s debut product portfolio for the Among Us IP appears to have done just that.

Straight out of the box, the Among Us toys have been subject to rave reviews online from across the markets, hitting demand in a timely fashion as retailers now begin to reap the benefits of the Toikido model. It’s why expectations are now high for the team’s follow up property, and why excitement levels are even higher; all for a game that is yet to receive an ‘official’ launch.

Licensing.biz catches up with Toikido co-founder, Darran Garnham for a quick run through of all the latest:

There was a lot of excitement around the announcement that Toikido had signed with Among Us – what has the momentum behind the signing been like in the months since – the buzz doesn’t seem to have gone away – what’s been fuelling the excitement?

The team at Innersloth and Duel Wield have managed the programme phenomenally well. Protecting their licensees and not double licensing ensures the products supply and demand is in a great balance to keep momentum. Inbound interest from fans has been incredible and great fun.

What plans have you got in place for the Among Us brand from here and for the rest of the year onwards? What categories will be key for you as you build the brand from here?

Product is just hitting shelves now with toys in market in most countries.  We have moved from contract to shelf in just six months which is amazing.  We could have been even quicker had we not had Covid & the shipping chaos out of China. The reaction from every market has been positive and we have delivered to retail ontime.

The toys will be driving the programme but design on apparel, bedding and puzzles looks really strong. The game itself has had some exciting updates so this allows us to plug into new characters / colours and ship elements.

How do audiences for gaming IP differ to other entertainment, how does it influence the licensing strategy for the brand? How do you tap into the cross-generational audiences?

The gaming community are extremely supportive and invested in the game and products and are very vocal on social media. I love that. I want the fans to tell us what we are doing right, wrong and what products are missing from the range.

Gaming content – compared to entertainment like films – is never static – i.e. subject to updates and new gaming modes etc… To what extent does this influence the licensing programme, what level of creativity or freedom does this bring to the table for you guys?

Thankfully working with digital IP is nothing new to the team at Toikido. We are set up to flex and move fast as game updates drop. We all love what we do and so the WhatsApp / Slack chat over the weekend is as busy as it is during the week.

Can you talk us through the latest gaming IP under the Toikido umbrella? What will this be bringing to the video game licensing space?

We are really proud to have added Boneloaf and the multi-award winning Gang Beasts. This is a crazy, bright character fun filled multiplayer game. I know when my kids are playing as I can hear the shouts and laughter.

We will be working closely with Boneloaf so expect a wide variety of products and some super fun toys. The game is coming to Switch this fall and so it’s great timing building on the current fanbase and expanding with Nintendo. 

 Why is this the right move for you guys, what makes this an ideal partnership and IP for Toikido?

The Boneloaf team share our values. We like working in partnership rather than just feeling like ‘another licensee’, that’s what we have with Innersloth and now with Boneloaf.

 

Is the video game licensing space in good health? What do you think of the state of innovation and creativity in the video game licensing sector? What is Toikido bringing to that space?

I think it’s in the best health of any of the entertainment platforms. I think it’s also setting positive visions of change through the #RaiseTheGame Diversity Pledge – ‘RaiseTheGame is a collaborative and high-impact pledge to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the games industry – creating cultures where everyone belongs, voices are heard and ideas can thrive.’

It’s exciting to be working with studios to expand their fanbase, work with current fan crop and expand global opportunities for their IP.

What’s the next step for you guys?

We have three of our own IP in development, a Netflix IP launching in fall and an NFT project that I believe is very unique in this exploding space.

We will also announce an exciting strategic investor in the coming months so we not only have fuel for growth but additional IP coming into the business.

 

Toikido and Dreamtex cosy up for Among Us bedding and homewares

The boutique bedding specialist, Dreamtex Ltd has partnered with Toikido to launch a licensed homewares collection based on the globally popular video gaming franchise, Among Us.

Under the partnership, Dreamtex will be launching Among Us themed bedding, blankets, towels, and cushions later this year, all of which will celebrate and reflect the style of the hit spaceship survival game. Among Us has become a runaway gaming sensation over the past year, recognised for its cast of characters and gameplay centered around deception.

The Dreamtex collection will incorporate 2D characters graphics from the game along with their classic phrases.

“The sell-in so far has been phenomenal with orders already covering the majority of Dreamtex’s customer base,” said Anthony Duckworth, MD of Dreamtex Ltd. “Among Us is already proving to be one of our biggest success stories. It is a must-have brand that can only get stronger through 2021 and beyond, and we will endeavour to maximise all retail opportunities with our innovative approach to product development and design.

“We are delighted to be working with the team at Toikido and excited to have added Among Us to our growing portfolio of gaming brands. We know that Among Us merchandise is in high demand and we are thrilled to be playing our part in the game’s licensing story.”

Darran Garnham, founder of Toikido, added: “We are delighted to bring Toikido and Dreamtex together on this project. Dreamtex’s quality, design, sourcing, and ethical standards are phenomenal, as is their passion for Toikido’s vision for the AmongUs brand.”

Dreamtex Ltd is an award-winning, privately owned UK company offering a bespoke approach to licensed merchandise. The company was founded and is owned by Anthony Duckworth, Andrew Downie, and Jo Duckworth who together bring extensive local knowledge and expertise to the home textile category.

Meanwhile, headquartered in London, Toikido has an ecosystem across licensing, gaming, music and entertainment that aims to react quickly in bringing brands to market. Its partnership with Innersloth Games was devised to bring its flagship gaming brand, Among Us to the toys, apparel, and homewares space for fans across the globe.

Toikido supports UKIE’s ongoing #RaiseTheGame Diversity Pledge.

Winning Moves and Top Trumps USA bring Among Us into puzzles sector in Toikido partnership

Toikido has partnered with the leading games company, Winning Moves and Top Trumps USA to bring the hit gaming franchise, Among Us to the games and puzzles space.

Under the new partnership, games specialist, Winning Moves will be launching four challenging puzzle designs, enabling fans to choose their difficulty level across a series of 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 piece puzzle formats. The partnership marks the latest licensing move for the popular gaming title Among Us that has captured players’ attention across the globe in recent years.

Toikido’s Darran Garnham, said: “Our family love Among Us and Winning Moves – Top Trumps and so to bring them both together with Innersloth Games is really exciting.”

Megan Wain, senior licensing manager for Winning Moves, added: “Both Among Us and Jigsaw puzzles have both solidified their place in our daily lives culture with massive, global fan bases, and we are beyond excited to bring these worlds together for the first time.

“Winning Moves has always had a big focus on the latest trends, so we are really excited to be part of the Toikido – Among Us family.” 

The new collection of puzzles is due to launch in autumn/winter 2021 globally with Top Trumps USA exclusively distributing for the North America market. 

Scott Whitney, head of retail at Top Trumps USA, said: “In the world of gaming, Among Us is a massive global phenomenon, so it’s great to bring fans unique product. We have had fans requesting puzzles since the game launched, so we are confident that this will quickly become a top selling licence for us.”

Toikido taps YuMe Toys for Among Us distribution across US, Canada, Europe and more

Toikido has struck a deal with the award-winning toy brand, YuMe Toys to distribute the official Among Us branded toy range across the US, Canada, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Japan. The range, featuring plush toys, feature plush, capsules, costumes and seasonal items will be available to trade from May this year.

The popular online multiplayer game Among Us was the most downloaded game of 2020, with half a billion users last November, according to SuperData. The game is currently available on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and  PC, with further releases and updates planned for later this year.

Among Us offers the perfect mix of fun, social factors, and amazing characters,” said Darran Garnham, founder and CEO, Toikido. “Toikido is passionate about giving fans what they love without compromising quality and YuMe Toys are the ideal partner to deliver this.”

Michael Kwan, CEO, YuMe Toys, added: “We’re excited to partner with Toikido to be part of the Among Us gaming phenomenon. The demand for product from the fan community can be seen through the impressive meme culture and millions of Twitch followers.

“The YuMe team have responded swiftly to the games’ popularity and we’re proud to bring this unique toy range to the fans in record time.”

The first Among Us toys from YuMe and Toikido will be available to the public at selected retailers across the US, Canada and Europe from June 2021.

For business enquiries for the U.S. and Canada please contact Darryl Lai: darryl.lai@maxx-marketing.com. For all other business enquiries please contact Felipe Noriega: felipe.noriega@maxx-marketing.com.

Among Us builds global licensing network with Tycoon in LatAm and SkyBrands across Europe

Innersloth’s gaming phenomenon, Among Us is expanding its international reach with a slew of new global licensing announcements, spearheaded by the appointment of Tycoon Enterprises as its licensing agent across Latin America.

Among Us took the world by storm when it hit half a billion unique monthly players last November, rocketing the multi-player mobile game to the top spot of the download charts and securing the title two awards – Best Multi-Player and Best Mobile Game – at the 2020 Game Awards.

Combining social gameplay with horror-humour, the game recently launched on Nintendo Switch and is set to bow on Xbox this year.

The new deal grants Tycoon wide merchandising and promotional rights as it looks to secure partners across the Latin American market.

“Fans of the game have shown us, through the engagement with the IP, that they are excited for us to take the crewmates to new worlds, and to grow our brand into other mediums beyond gaming,” said Rowan Rowden, co-founder of Dual Wield Studio

“And it is all about them.”

Outside of the US, the Mexican and Brazilian markets have amassed the largest player bases, ranking number one and two on Facebook, followed by Colombia, Argentina, and Peru. Views and likes on TikTok and Twitch proliferate across the region.

“This is probably one of the most anticipated and sought-after branded programs ever, and the level of interest shown by the licensee and Retail community in Among Us is incredibly high,” said Dalia Benbassat, head of corporate relations at Tycoon.

“This kind of excitement comes like a breath of fresh air for the entire industry and reminds us of the important role that brands play in the path to recovery. We are delighted to be part of the Among Us Crew and look forward to the launch of our first lines of merchandise.”

Meanwhile, in Europe, Innersloth has tapped SkyBrands to develop a portfolio of products across apparel and home textiles based on the Among Us IP. The partnership will witness the launch of the gaming brand into the fashion and textile market across Europe.

‘The demand for official quality products with Among Us is huge and in close collaboration with the team behind Among Us, SkyBrands can now develop and deliver products with apparel and home textiles,’ read a statement from the company.

‘If you’re ready to hear more about the great possibilities for your shop or brand, then do not hesitate to contact SkyBrands.’