BY MARCY MAGIERA Yo-Kai Watch, the hottest kids’ property in Japan over the past 18 months, will land in North America on Oct. 5, when cable’s Disney XD will begin showing the animated half-hour five days a week. The TV premiere marks the beginning of a licensing campaign that will see a legion of mischievous Yo-kai spirits unleashed across video games, comic books, toys, … [Read more...] about Full Licensee Roster to Back N.A. Launch of Japanese Anime Hit
Video Games and Software
Licensed Products Figure Prominently in Season’s First ‘Hot Toys’ List
By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. Yesterday, 105 days before Christmas, Toys 'R' Us unveiled its Holiday Hot Toy List for 2015. As you'd expect, licensed brands from Disney, especially Star Wars, figured prominently, capturing four of the coveted "Fabulous 15" spots. At least six of the Fab 15 were licensed, including (in the order listed by TRU): Doc McStuffins Take Care of Me … [Read more...] about Licensed Products Figure Prominently in Season’s First ‘Hot Toys’ List
EA Brings Bruce Lee Back to Life for UFC Mobile Game
By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. With apologies to the great Ronda Rousey, the biggest star in the EA Sports UFC Mobile game roster may just be a fighter who never even set foot in a UFC octagon—or anywhere else in the last 32 years for that matter. A game feature lets users play as Bruce Lee in four weight divisions. EA is also running a promotion through September 3 allowing users to … [Read more...] about EA Brings Bruce Lee Back to Life for UFC Mobile Game
Japanese Phenomenon Poised to Enter U.S. Market
By Marcy Magiera Yo-kai Watch is arguably the hottest kids' property in Japan. Now the franchise, about a young boy who uses a special watch to summon spirits who are causing pesky problems for people, is about to hit the U.S. In November, Nintendo will launch a Yo-kai Watch game for its handheld 3DS, about the same time that Viz Media's Perfect Square imprint will introduce … [Read more...] about Japanese Phenomenon Poised to Enter U.S. Market
DraftKings Plays Ball With MLB Clubs
DraftKings, the official daily fantasy sports partner of MLB, cut a separate deal with 27 of the League’s 30 clubs that will allow users to get exclusive content on the DraftKings iPhone app and integration with MLB’s own At Bat app. The Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays are the only clubs that aren’t participating because their states/province treat … [Read more...] about DraftKings Plays Ball With MLB Clubs
Digital Deals
By Glenn Demby You Gotta Have Hart: Hannah Hart is the latest YouTube star to cash in on her digital celebrity by inking a multi-year deal with women's multichannel network Kin Community for brand integrations, media opportunities and new programming production. Play Puck!: MLB Advanced Media will pay the NHL $600 million over 6 years for the right to broadcast and stream … [Read more...] about Digital Deals
Peanuts Video Game
Photo: 20th Century Fox & Peanuts Worldwide Peanuts Worldwide has licensed Activision Publishing for an original video game tied in to The Peanuts Movie slated for theaters this fall. The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Great Adventure, a side-scrolling exploration platformer game starring Peanuts characters, will launch Nov. 6 for PlayStation4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo … [Read more...] about Peanuts Video Game
Coming Video Games More Original; Sequels & New IP Ripe for Licensing
The video game industry, like the movie business, relies heavily on sequels and established franchises to fill its coffers. It takes only a glance at the roster of top-selling titles to tell why: In games, like movies, sequels sell. Vintage Games & Their Progeny Dominate 2014 The NPD Group's ranking of Top 10 video game titles for 2014 contains two Call of Duty titles … [Read more...] about Coming Video Games More Original; Sequels & New IP Ripe for Licensing
Jordan Still Rules
No knock against LeBron James, but when it comes to NBA star power, nobody tops Michael Jordan. As if to drive home that point, 2K announced that Jordan, who retired in 2003, will be on the cover of its Special Edition NBA 2K16 video game. Those who pre-order before Sept. 25 will also get a Jordan poster, t-shirt and/or Fathead. … [Read more...] about Jordan Still Rules
Disney Reorg Aims to Shore up Video Games
Video games may be the closest thing mighty Disney has to an Achilles’ heel. The merger between Disney Interactive and Disney Consumer Products aims to fix that. The move is hardly unexpected. For years, DCP, which is supposed to focus on “traditional” games, has developed digital products like app-based story books, mobile learning apps like Imagicademy, toys to life like … [Read more...] about Disney Reorg Aims to Shore up Video Games