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SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL VIRTUAL WORLDS/APPS
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From server to shelf Characters from virtual worlds and mobile apps are appearing more and more in the toy aisles. Katie Roberts talks to developers of some of the key kids apps and sites to find out more about the trend… LONG-STANDING and successful licensed toys have traditionally been based first on published characters, and then on TV properties. Think Paddington Bear, Mr Men, the various Disney icons and more recently, Peppa Pig, In The Night Garden and Ben 10, to name but a few. But there’s a new kid in town. The developers of apps and virtual worlds are increasingly branching out into physical product with licensing programmes including toys, games, magazines and more. With the internet and mobile phones becoming increasingly prevalent in kids’ lives, it seems the characters and worlds held within are catching their imagination. Jeff Jones, VP and general manager, digital games, The Walt Disney Company EMEA, explains: “Virtual worlds provide a really immersive and engaging storytelling environment. In Disney Club Penguin, kids can play their part in adding to the story-world, enhancing the experience not only for themselves but also for other players. “In a virtual world you can include the little back stories and tangential things that make the experience even more entertaining, which in turn can help kids create their own myths.” He adds: “Kids love gaming, they enjoy having a digital dialogue with their favourite characters, they want to influence the journeys their character takes and with this kind of connection it’s no wonder that they also want to prop them up on their pillow too.”
Kids love gaming, they enjoy having a digital dialogue with their favourite characters and with this kind of connection, it’s no wonder they want to prop them up on their pillow too. Jeff Jones, VP and GM, digital games, Disney EMEA In this interactive, immersive environment, it’s clear why children are becoming more attached to its characters. But is this licensing model likely to overtake more traditional routes to market? Outfit7 is the creator of apps including Talking Tom Cat, Talking Larry the Bird, Talking Gina the Giraffe and many more. The firm’s chief marketing officer, Paul Baldwin, thinks apps and virtual worlds are the way forward for licensees.
He offers: “Because of the interactive nature of apps, they may one day overtake TV. Watching TV is a passive experience, while touching and speaking to an app is an interactive experience.” Darran Garnham, head of global licensing at Mind Candy, the creators of Moshi Monsters, believes while new media is taking a share of the revenue, the two are likely to exist side by side. He says: “The fact of life is that all media is now accessible on numerous devices away from the traditional TV and big screen. “The power is no longer in the hands of powerful Hollywood or television executives to what kids watch and when. The accessibility for kids to use PCs, laptops and all the gadgets Apple offers has opened a new world of opportunities. “However, TV and big production movies will always have a place in the home, you can’t ignore the social nature of watching something with popcorn in hand – but the new kids on the block like Mind Candy will be taking more shelf space at retail.” Many of the early ‘virtual licensors’ began their businesses without incorporating licensing into the plan. Kat Delarvé, director of licensing at Stardoll, tells ToyNews: “Stardoll.com was not started with a plan to do toys or any other physical products. Stardoll was created to give girls a place on the web to be creative and to express themselves through fashion and design. “For us that will always be the driver and that is why our fashion dolls we have created together with Mattel will have a strong tie in to the virtual world of Stardoll.com, unlocking exclusive virtual replicas of the doll fashions for your own Avatar (MeDoll) and much more.” Jones agrees and explains the ‘pester power’ that Disney experienced from users to create a toy line: “When Club Penguin was founded the ambition was to create an online environment that was entertaining and fun for kids and JULY 2011