102-103_105_LA Gaming 2017_muk_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 06/01/2017 17:18 Page 105
State Of The Nation: Gaming
Nintendo Coming To Universal Parks
Nintendo-themed areas are coming to Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. In the announcement on YouTube, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto said: “We are constantly amazed how the park developers are bringing the essence of our games to life in the real world. Together we are building it with an eye for what guests will actually experience.” Planning and creative work on these areas is well underway; the first will open in Osaka ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Above: Mario is coming to Universal Studios resorts. Right: GB Eye’s range of giftware in Sainsbury’s. Below centre: Call of Duty Infinite Warfare mug from GB Eye.
New Toys Fuel Animal Jam Licensing Jazwares has revealed brand new products in its popular Animal Jam toy range, further fuelling the interest through licensees, the programme of which is being driven by Rockpool Licensing. Included in the new collection are vehicles for the pets to enjoy, as well as customisable dens and the eagerly awaited Series two and three collectable Adopt-a-Pets, which come complete with accessories to mix and match across the entire range. All toys come with unique codes to unlock exclusive content in the online game too, meaning they appeal to existing fans of the digital world as well as attracting new players. Left: Artwork of the new Pet Fantasy Castle from Jazwares for Animal Jam.
Eye-ing Up More Growth The all-important Q4 period saw GB Eye launch great product ranges on Call of Duty, Titanfall, Dishonored, Gears of War and Battlefield to sit alongside the modern classics like Fallout, Skyrim, Uncharted and the Playstation brand. “Many of these are top 20 licences for GB Eye and take us into not only the specialists such as HMV, Forbidden Planet, GAME and GameStop, but also the grocers,” says Max Arguile, licensing manager of GB Eye. “Asda perform consistently well and Sainsbury’s are delighted with its new gifting range. Our latest drinkware and gifting products are such a perfect fit and have seen massive growth thanks in part to new distributors across Europe and beyond. Customers like a one stop shop and with GB Eye’s varied product range we provide exactly that.”
Motorhead Is Ace Of The Slots Global Merchandising Services has teamed up with NetEnt, the leading digital casino entertainment company, to bring to life the world of Motorhead through an immersive online slot gaming experience. It’s the final game in the NetEnt Rocks Trilogy, which also includes Guns N’ Roses and Jimi Hendrix video slots. Global Merchandising Services’ senior licensing manager Gabbi Langdorf said, “The Motorhead brand is synonymous with high-octane music. Ace of Spades, which will be included as a soundtrack, couldn’t be a better theme song to this style of Above: Motorhead gaming and we hope not only fans but the is the latest video gaming public will appreciate the fantastic slot in the NetEnt game mechanics that NetEnt are producing.” Rocks Trilogy.
Pending approval. Final product may vary from that shown.
LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2017
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