Tag Archives: video games

Kawaii inspired brand Tasty Peach taps Bits + Pixels for EMEA licensing push

Posted on by

Tasty Peach Studios, a new kawaii inspired brand that has been gaining momentum in the US market, has tapped Bits + Pixels for licensing representation across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The team was appointed for EMEA representation by the brand’s master licensing agency, Dimensional Branding Group.

Tasty Peach Studios is a Japan-inspired kawaii IP created by the artist and popular gamer girl with a strong Twitch following, Ryan Zanfei. The brand has got off to a god start in the US market, where it is working with the likes of Hot Topic as well as key licensees Funko and Aurora.

Founded in 2007, Tasty Peach has grown through grassroots marketing across social media, maker platforms, and fan conventions nationwide. Originally launched at retail in Hot Topic, Piq, and independent comic and anime stores nationwide, their licensing program includes partnerships with Aurora, Funko, Goodie Two Sleeves, Bare Tree Media, Atomic Toybox Entertainment, A&A Global, and Great Eastern Entertainment. 

Bits + Pixels was founded by Sandra Arcan and Su-Yina Farmer, two gaming enthusiasts with more than 35 years combined experience in licensing, retail, marketing, collaborations, and promotions. The team’s other clients include Bungie, Wargaming, and Re-Logic. 

“Tasty Peach is a brand we immediately felt excited about with its super kawaii characters and impressive range of beautifully designed product collections. The artist behind the brand, Ryan Zanfei, being a multi-talented gamer girl, Twitch streamer and product designer cemented it as a compelling addition to our portfolio, not least as we see the story behind Tasty Peach as one representing very topical inspiration for many young people,” said Bits + Pixels co-founder, Arcan. 

Treavor Hodgson, president of Tasty Peach Studios, said: “Tasty Peach is excited by the passion and expertise that Bits + Pixels will bring to the Tasty Peach brand. The team’s current and past licensed and collaborative programs are exactly what we are looking for as we continue to build the brand globally.” 

Dimensional Branding Group’s Morgan Ward, added: “At Dimensional Branding Group, we are thrilled to have such a top notch agency on board to represent Tasty Peach. We look forward to continuing to grow the brand globally with their expertise.”

Ripping up the rule book | NFTs could just change video gaming forever – but will the big players allow it?

Posted on by

This month, Licensing.biz is taking a look at the video games market to uncover and discuss the latest developments and opportunities in licensing around the world’s largest entertainment sector. Here, and in the first of a series of articles exploring the emerging NFTs sector, we explore the potential for non fungible tokens in the video game space.

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

It started out by breeding kittens. Like these things often do, it snowballed from there, and today, NFT video gaming is becoming a strand of the global gaming market that’s really worth paying attention to.

In fact, experts in the field predict that NFTs will change the shape of the video gaming market for good and in a manner that will turn convention on its head to place players right at the very centre of the multi-billion dollar industry. Which all sounds very noble, if not just a little bit too far fetched, surely?

Well, maybe not. Let’s return to those kittens. You were hoping we would. And let’s remind ourselves that it was way back in 2017 – when Covid-19 was a mere tickle at the back of a young bat’s throat – that collecting and breeding digital cats through the CryptoKitties platform was at the height of its popularity. 

One of the earliest blockchain games in existence, the title made headlines for congesting the Ethereum network upon which its kittens ‘lived’ due to its overwhelming popularity. Believe it or not, the idea of collecting digital kittens – each one ultimately unique to their owner – to trade, sell, or use to breed completely new kittens, was one that caught the imagination of a rather sizeable chunk of the global gaming audience.

Neither just for Christmas or simply commodities for turning a profit (and daily CryptoKitties sales are still hitting over $30,000 a day, by the way) these kitties were also able to be utilised as characters in the KittyVerse, where they would participate in cat fights or solve puzzles. In essence, they were uniquely individual characters, controlled and owned by individual players, that could be inserted into any gaming scenario on the CryptoKitties platform.

Meanwhile, those who weren’t occupying themselves with the gestation period of a digital cat were getting their NFT kicks through Reality Gaming Group’s mobile combat game, Reality Clash and its own USP, a platform that enabled players to purchase ‘tokenised’, limited edition weapons to be downloaded into its game.

Tony Pearce is the co-founder of Reality Gaming Group, pioneers of NFT video gaming

These were, of course, the days of NFT before the term NFT even existed. The mere cave drawings of a concept that has in recent months been subject of an enlightenment and at the centre of an “explosion” that has witnessed brands – whether from the arts and culture (or even museums) sector or the children’s toy industry – move to get a foot in the digital collectables door.

“Back then, the only way we could talk about what we were doing was that we were ‘wrapping’ these items with a bit of code that tokenised them and made them limited edition,” recalls Tony Pearce, co-founder of Reality Gaming Group. 

“For three years I tried to explain this to people who had no idea what I was talking about. But in the last six months, the NFT world has exploded… people are beginning to know what we mean by it.”

While it’s evident that the loudest noises are being made in the collectable art side to the NFT movement, Pearce remains insistent that the greatest cultural impacts are yet to be felt, and they will be felt across the video games industry.

“Every week that goes by, more and more people are realising the potential for NFT games,” he says. “But it is still a very small market, when you compare it to mobile games revenue in general. And it’s tiny in the whole games industry. But I have been in games for over 20 years, and have always come into new platforms.

“This is a platform that is waiting for a tipping point. It will be the moment that a really big gaming IP comes into it, integrates NFTs seamlessly, and makes it super easy for people to understand. And that is happening.”

It wasn’t too long ago that BBC Studios detailed its first partnership in the space, tapping Reality Gaming Group itself to develop a blockchain-based digital trading card game based on its Doctor Who franchise. 

Titled Doctor Who: Worlds Apart, the licensed game enables fans to collect and trade digital versions of the characters from the iconic TV series. Secured on the blockchain, each NFT is a unique asset that cannot be copied, replicated, or even tampered with. They are in essence, one of a kind. A limited edition of absolute singular rarity. Like little digital snowflakes that will remain frozen. For the rest of time.

But for the kind of cultural impact that Pearce envisions, we need to scale up. 

“It’s going to be Call of Duty having tradeable guns, or FiFA having tokenised players to trade with; it’s going to be one of these mass market games that integrates NFT seamlessly, and suddenly people will realise what that means for games.”

And that’s perhaps, precisely why, so far, it hasn’t been done. After all, what publisher will be the first Triple A video game franchise in the queue to relinquish its power over its players? For the companies currently running the show, the NFT pill is a bitter and tough one to swallow right now. And one that could turn the market on its head. 

“The truth is,” admits Pearce, “the big game companies are worried about this. They are very happy to lock people in to their games, and only their games. The last thing Fortnite wants is you buying an in-app skin, taking it out and using it somewhere else. They want you spending money in the game.

“And that’s where the games industry is wrong in my view, and why I am so happy with the way the blockchain is changing that; because you could spend hundreds of pounds in a game, and actually, you don’t own anything.”

And what happens if that game gets pulled? It’s certainly not an uncommon occurrence, and with a majority of games now opting for in-game purchasing, the impact of closures could potential reach far and wide. According to the statistical website, Statista, in-game purchasing overtook game purchases last year, accounting for the biggest share of the video game market and taking around $54 billion from global audiences last year. By 2025, the market value of in-game purchases is expected to pass $74.4 billion.

This is no small amount that gamers are spending on items that, when it comes down to it, do not – in the physical sense –  belong to them.

Doctor Who: Worlds Apart – an AR and NFT digital card game developed by BBC Studios and Reality Gaming Group

“In the real world, I go into TopShop three months ago and buy a t-shirt. TopShop went bust two months ago, so I’m walking down the street and my shirt disappears? That’s the equivalent of in-game purchasing right now,” says Pearce.

“I spent real money on those items, why don’t I own them? Well, the reason I don’t own them is because they are logged into that game in a centralised database. You don’t even have a wallet, you have an account.”

The idea central to NFTs then – whether that is in the video games space or in the digital collectables and art world – is that it allows for ownership to be changed hands. Its story is that it transfers the power back to the consumer or the player, by decentralising the assets bought by the player. Taking them out of the system composed by the games publishers, and into the ‘wallets’ (they are actually called wallets) of their owners. Even if the game they are from does go bust.

“So imagine that scenario, and the game you play has gone bust. You could say, ‘well what do I use my NFT gun for now’? Well, guess what?” says Pearce. “Someone else will make a game that will allow you to use that gun in it, because there is a community of people that have all of these guns that are waiting for the next game to come out.

“You have instantly got a community of hundreds of thousands of people that are desperate to use their items. What a great user acquisition tool that is.

“And if you have a game like Fortnite, that locks you in and won’t allow for NFTs, or a new game similar to Fortnite where you can use your NFTs, well, guess where the players are going to go.”

And that has to be the crux of the argument. The success or failure of the NFT video game market must therefore rest with the players.

“It is the players, the gamers, and the community that is going to force the big games companies to go blockchain, because independents are building for it. The big players have had it too good for too long but the blockchain has the potential to change all of that.

“It’s not going to be before Christmas, but over the next two to three years, we will see a big brand step in. simply because they have to. NFTs have the potential to turn things on its head, all driven by the global audience of gamers.”

You don’t get much more punk rock than that, and who knew it would all begin by breeding kittens.

Wargaming’s World of Warships commandeers HMS Belfast in groundbreaking Imperial War Museums partnership

Posted on by

Wargaming, the developer and publisher of the popular combat video game, World of Warships, has commandeered HMS Belfast to open a new gaming room for fans of the franchise, in a new partnership with Imperial War Museums.

The room will be made available for the public when the venues reopens this week (July 8th), inviting visitors to the newly refurbished warship to immerse themselves in the world of naval combat as they get hands-on with World of Warships and World of Warships: Legends on in-situ gaming PCs and video game consoles.

World of Warships and World of Warships: Legends recorded over 50 million player accounts from across the world, giving players the opportunity to helm hundreds of historical vessels, including HMS Belfast itself, in a massively multiplayer video game title that requires a balance of strategy and real-time combat.

Offering the largest digital collection of historically accurate ships available to play, World of Warships is supporting the global community of museums and heritage sites with in-game content based on historical documents and actual blueprints from the first half of the 20th century.

Meanwhile, following an extended closure that started in March 2020, HMS Belfast is reopening in time for summer with new exhibition spaces and an enhanced visitor offer onboard. From July 8th, visitors to the Second World War Royal Navy warship can explore new displays, discover stories from crew members and enjoy interactive experiences such as the World of Warships Command Centre.

John Brown, IWM executive director commercial services and operations, said: “After an extended closure period of sixteen months, we are thrilled to be reopening HMS Belfast this summer and welcome visitors back onboard this magnificent warship.

“The World of Warships Command Centre is a really fantastic addition to the refreshed visitor offer and will enable audiences to interact with HMS Belfast and its history in a completely new way.”

Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming added: “Over the past year we have been privileged to work with naval museums across the world and support them during an immensely difficult time.

“We are delighted to be able to add a new dimension to the already incredible offering onboard HMS Belfast, and can’t wait to see this historic warship ship delight and educate visitors once more.”

Nerd is the word | From video gaming to toy collecting, the Insights Family explores the Kidult market

Posted on by

Jurassic Park and Transformers mash-ups, LEGO sets exploring themes of travel, history, science – and iconic worlds of science fiction, of course – and a healthy gaming scene that simply continues to expand and capture new audiences (and that’s just the news this week); the entertainment space is reaching wider audiences and appealing across the generations. Here, The Insights Family’s founder, Nick Richardson explores the topic of the booming Kidult market

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

Nostalgia is a powerful tool when marketing products. The emotional pull of recounting past experiences has enabled brands who ordinarily target children to penetrate an older market, expanding their brand presence.

Recently, the kidult trend has accelerated, as adults have reverted to the familiar nature of reliving childhood memories that have provided comfortable experiences in the wake of the pandemic. Some brands have sought partnerships in order to appeal to older audiences for their products which traditionally appeal to younger demographics.

While in our data, the audience for Pokémon in the UK is five to 13-year-olds, the company sought out collaboration with musician Post Malone for its 25th anniversary this year, perhaps aiming to recapture his older teen audience (14 to 18) to celebrate this event. Additionally, the firm’s remake of the Diamond and Pearl editions in the gaming series, originally released in 2006, is a clear attempt to target an older audience of active gamers.

It’s no secret that more adults than ever now play video games. According to our Parents Insights data, gaming is a top five family hobby, as the younger generation of parents who have grown up as gamers themselves carry their hobby into their adult years.

In the UK, LEGO is the most popular toy among kids of every age bracket we survey, but the company is regularly expanding its product offering to target those beyond the initial demographic of kids. This includes creating building sets of flowers and football stadiums, or those themed around travel and history; all aimed at an older audience.

Meanwhile, the popularity of collectables such as Funko Pop! vinyl figures – a top 10 toy for kids aged 11 to 13 in the UK, and a collection of toys that have representation from a range of different IP and brands across different mediums – among adults is indicative of the very real presence of the kidult trend.

Likewise, the effort from Disney to remake and remaster its library of classic animated films for a new generation is also indicative of the older market of fans. The excitement for these films is not only created by the anticipation from kids, but also their parents who want to relive their childhood experiences.

Brands are currently looking to classic brands and IP to guarantee revenue in the fallout of 2020, targeting adults through nostalgic content in the process. Through the success of these films, Disney not only recaptures the imagination of their long-time fans but creates new brand advocates in the younger generation.

In the TV industry, there is also clear evidence of a conscious effort to appeal to this trend. Tracy Beaker returned to screens in February this year in a series designed to appeal to kids and their parents alike. Meanwhile the Biff and Chip reading books, used in schools for more than 30 years, have been made into a TV series, coming to CBeebies.

The growth in popularity of adult cartoons such as Rick and Morty – the favourite show amongst 16 to 18 year olds boys in the UK – is evident that there is a distinct market for mediums traditionally utilised to appeal to younger audiences. Dragon Ball and SpongeBob SquarePants also appear in the top 20 shows among this demographic.

So what, then, does this mean to you?

Well, quite simply, the kidult trend represents an opportunity for brands to expand their revenue streams beyond their kid audiences. By creating collectables that may be aimed at an older demographic, brands can extend their revenue streams while building advocacy with an audience who may pass on their interests to their kids, creating a new generation of fans in the process.

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

The Insights Family, is the global leader in kids, parents, and family market intelligence, providing real-time data on their attitudes, behaviour, and consumption patterns. Every year the company survey more than 362,100 kids and more than 176,800 parents.

Smash hit gaming franchise Fall Guys joins the Wow! Stuff Wow! Pods collectables line up

Posted on by

Mediatonic’s smash hit gaming franchise, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout has joined the Wow! Stuff portfolio as the award-winning toy maker welcomes the IP to its character brand collectables range, Wow! Pods.

Recognised as the breakout gaming hit of 2020, Fall Guys quickly established itself as one of the most joyful multiplayer titles available, in which players tumble over bizarre obstacles, shove through unruly competitors, and overcome the laws of physics to avoid elimination in their quest for the crown. 

Now, Fall Guys’ brightly coloured beans are stumbling into the spotlight as main characters of the new Wow! Pods Fall Guys collectables range. The products will feature the Wow! Stuff patent applied for Swipe to Light function which reveals mystery icons under the UV light.

Wow! Stuff’s co-founder and head of licensing, Kenny McAndrew, said: “Fall Guys is a phenomenal hit and the characters are loved by thousands of players around the world. Fall Guys fits perfectly within our ethos of ensuring Wow! Pods meets the fandom thirst from fans of character brands.” 

Fée Heyer, Devolver Digital’s head of global licensing, added: “We are careful in our selection of licensees and want the finest innovation that truly fulfills the wishes of our Fall Guys fans. We have seen how successfully Wow! Pods has re-invented and re-invigorated the collectables market with its unique set of cool features, and we’re so excited for Fall Guys fans to see their favourites realised in real life with this special range of collectables.”

Wow! Pods Fall Guys will be available across leading retailers in the UK, Europe and North America from September 1st. SRP $/£/€14.99.

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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 gears up for 30 years of Sonic the Hedgehog with special virtual Sonic Central event

Posted on by

SEGA is gearing up for the 30th anniversary of its most iconic Blue Blur, Sonic the Hedgehog with the launch of a special virtual event called Sonic Central on the brand’s official YouTube and Switch channels this week.

The event, taking place on Thursday, May 27th at 9am Pacific Time, will see SEGA’s own Sonic team joined by a cast of special guests to reveal a whole plethora of new partnerships, events, and upcoming projects spanning the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and beyond.

The virtual event will be just part of the celebrations surrounding the 30th anniversary of the company’s flagship character, an icon of retro video gaming that has built out a successful global franchise that over the course of its 30 years has spanned entertainment formats such as TV series, comic books, video games, films, and more.

Sonic the Hedgehog will be marking its official 30th anniversary on June 23rd this year. Ahead of the big day, SEGA has paid tribute to the brand’s legacy among a generation of fans with the launch of a new fan-appreciation video, showcasing a nostalgic look back at the franchise, as the Blue Blur ‘speeds forwards to inspire future generations.’

Developed by the creative agency Liquid+ Arcade, the Unstoppable campaign follows the experiences of several young Sonic fans throughout the decades – from the early ‘90s SEGA Genesis era to today, as Sonic ‘encourages them to reach higher, go faster and become a hero.’

Head down memory lane with Sonic and check out the new fan appreciation video below:

King Features builds global licensing slate for hit video game IP, Cuphead

Posted on by

King Features Syndicate has detailed a ‘robust international expansion’ for its hit gaming property, Cuphead, with activity encompassing new agents and licensing deals on a global scale for the brand.

The raft of new signings will see Cuphead grow its domestic and international presence with products across apparel, accessories, novelties, publishing, and more, all of which will land ahead of the debut of The Cuphead Show this year. The series has been developed in partnership with Netflix Animation.

Studio MDHR’s award-winning video game will now come to life across the Asian market, with new accessories, apparel, houseware, novelties, toys and games from Ensky and Elsonic this year, along with a collection of apparel and accessories inspired by the game from GZ Fanthful.

Cuphead and Mugman will also be growing their presence in new territories as King Features taps new international licensing agents for the Cuphead brand. The property will be represented by Caravanserai in Spain and Portugal, and by Vertical Licensing in Brazil.

“Cuphead is a true gaming and pop culture sensation, with its popularity continuing to grow as it is discovered in new territories around the globe,” said King Features vice president and general manager, global head of licensing, Carla Silva.

“With the new animated series set to debut on Netflix later this year, we expect the demand for the property to skyrocket and we are thrilled to be expanding our licensing programs with new partnerships and renewed deals to continue bringing fans around the world products inspired by Cuphead, Mugman and their adventures.”

King Features is also growing Cuphead’s publishing program with additional graphic novels from Dark Horse Comics, which has renewed its worldwide deal to expand its existing lineup of Cuphead books. Dark Horse has also expanded its publishing programme internationally on behalf of the “Art of Cuphead” and the graphic novels, with Pix ‘N Love in France, Editoriale Cosmo in Italy, Norma in Spain, Comme il faut in Russia and Sebundo/G Novels in Japan.

Meanwhile, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, who released two Middle Grade novels inspired by the video game in 2020, is expanding its programme into Russia with the Exmo Publishing Group in 2021 and releasing a new “How To Draw” format in late 2022.

Last but not least, Running Press (a subsidiary of Hachette) is joining the roster of new partners with plans to release a Cuphead “Mini Kit” in Spring 2022, consisting of a mini book and a Cuphead character figure.

Cuphead-inspired apparel, accessories, art, toys, and novelty items are available from partners including Fifth Sun, PowerA, YouTooz, Forbidden Planet, Insert Coin Limited,

JAKKS Pacific extends global toy deal with SEGA for Sonic the Hedgehog

Posted on by

JAKKS Pacific has renewed and expanded its global toy partnership with SEGA of America for the classic and modern versions of the hit entertainment franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog.

Under the extended partnership, JAKKS will design, manufacture, market, and sell Sonic the Hedgehog branded toy product lines worldwide, commencing in 2022. The agreement includes the rights to produce action figures, play-sets, vehicles, plush, and collectables.

JAKKS has seen wide success with the Sonic the Hedgehog IP since its introduction to the market in 2019, with product launches spanning big box retailers in-store and online. Its four-inch figures replicating modern and classic versions of Sonic were a hit with fans of all ages.

The introduction of the 2.5-inch figures and Green Hills Zone play-set last fall brought all new ways to play and recreate the action of this iconic zone from the video games.

“Our line of Sonic the Hedgehog products consistently hit the mark with retailers and fans, and we are excited to continue to develop innovative toys with SEGA that resonate on a global scale,” said Craig Drobis, senior vice president of marketing at JAKKS Pacific, Inc.

“Our Sonic figures, play-sets and plush have seen consistent sales growth since our partnership with SEGA began. There is more great product to be introduced for this Fall and for several years to come.”

Alex Gomez, licensing director at SEGA of America, added: “JAKKS Pacific has been an integral partner in bringing our vision for unique, high-quality Sonic collectibles to market over the past two years, and we’re ecstatic to expand our partnership them as we enter the next decade of the franchise.

“The new collection is sure to bring Sonic fun to new heights with merchandise tied to upcoming projects and will feature the Blue Blur in his Classic and Modern form, with something special for Sonic fans of every generation.”