The breakout video game hit of 2020, Fall Guys, has selected Moose Toys as its global Master Toy Licensee, as the partners plan a global rollout of figures, collectibles, plush toys, and more. If you haven’t heard of Fall Guys yet, don’t worry, you will. The game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout was a massive breakout hit on its release just months ago, in August 2020. The game has since attracted 11 million players on the Steam platform for PC games, and according to PlayStation Europe, it became “the most downloaded PlayStation Plus game of all time on a global basis.” That’s just the beginning for Fall Guys, as it has yet to release Ultimate Knockout on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Moose Toys is… . . . read more
Wildbrain CPLG Powers Up For Brawl Stars Partnership
New deal for hit mobile gaming brand extends agency’s partnership with rights holder LINE FRIENDS. WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies, has secured a multi-territory representation deal for the popular online mobile game Brawl Stars with the brand’s global rights holder LINE FRIENDS. The deal marks an extension of WildBrain CPLG’s existing partnership with LINE FRIENDS for character brands BROWN & FRIENDS and BT21. On behalf of LINE FRIENDS, WildBrain CPLG will represent Brawl Stars across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Iberia, Benelux, Nordics, CEE, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The licensing program will be aimed at fans of all ages, and key target categories include apparel, accessories, toy, homewares and stationery. “We’ve established a very successful partnership with LINE FRIENDS… . . . read more
Hasbro Bringing Roblox Into The Real World With New Toys and Games
Partnership will bring official NERF Roblox Blasters and MONOPOLY: Roblox 2022 Edition Board game to fans worldwide. The global play and entertainment company Hasbro, Inc. has launched a partnership with Roblox Corporation to introduce a range of Roblox-inspired NERF blasters representing some of the most popular experiences on the Roblox platform. In addition, Hasbro has developed a Roblox version of its iconic MONOPOLY board game, which is available now for pre-order on Hasbro Pulse for fans aged 16 and older in the U.S. and Canada, and at Big Bad Toy Shop. Roblox is a video game company that built a fascinating “human co-experience platform” that enables shared experiences among billions of users. Every day, more than 32.6 million people around the world have fun with friends as they explore millions of… . . . read more
Hasbro’s Finn Arnesen Joins Games Workshop
The Games Workshop Group is diving even deeper into the entertainment business, announcing the appointment of former Hasbro Studios SVP Finn Arnesen as the company’s first Head of Entertainment Development. Games Workshop is best known for its Warhammer gaming franchise, and the company also has its own library of novels and short stories based on the game. Arnesen’s first task in his new role will be to mine that content to develop both animated and live action talent for film and TV series. Arnesen will report to Game Workshop’s Executive Vice President of Global Licensing, Jon Gillard. Arnesen is a respected veteran of the content world, having worked with Turner Broadcasting and Hasbro Studios. “In its almost 40-year history, Warhammer has been a leader in the field of tabletop and video… . . . read more
Roblox Going Live on Deal With Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel
The wildly popular Roblox game is going on air via the Kartoon Channel’s OTT platform, as part of an agreement between Genius Brands and gaming video company Tankee. The new show, with the working title ‘Radical Roblox’, will focus on a group of popular Roblox influencers playing the game on air. The show will debut exclusively on Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel in June with 12 episodes planned for season one. Roblox has been operating for more than a decade, but has exploded in popularity in the late 2010s. By early 2020 the game was worth an astounding $4 billion, thanks to a loyal following of 150 million monthly users, which rose by 35 million from 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic the game’s popularity soared by 40 per cent, and over the… . . . read more
Jazwares Extends Fortnite Licensing Deal
Jazwares, a global leader in toys and licensing, today announced its partnership with Epic Games for Fortnite toys and collectibles has been extended through 2025, in a deal brokered by IMG. Starting in January 2022, Jazwares will be the exclusive toy partner for Fortnite action figures four-inches-high and under and their compatible vehicles, play sets, accessories and more. Jazwares will also continue to produce new remote control or R/C vehicles, all of which will be compatible with Jazwares’ full four inch action figure line, and plush toys in varying sizes. Also in 2022, fans can expect to find an all-new lineup of highly detailed two inch action figures with multiple points of articulation and accompanying playsets, vehicles and accessories to build out their world of Fortnite in miniature scale. The… . . . read more
Among Us Announces Key Deals With Tycoon & SkyBrands
The quirky and wildly popular video game Among Us is expanding its global reach with new licensing deals, including key agreements in Latin America and Europe. Gaming company Innersloth has appointed Tycoon Enterprises as its exclusive licensing agent in Latin America, while in Europe, the company has tagged SkyBrands to develop a portfolio of apparel and home textile products using Among Us imagery. Among Us is a multiplayer product heavy on social gameplay in which one of the players plays the role of a killer on a space station, while the other players try to identify the murderer in their midst. The game famously saw Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortes playing for an online audience against the leader of Canada’s opposition New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh, in which Singh killed off… . . . read more
LOL Surprise Joins the Digital Fun With ROBLOX
Two giants of the children’s play industry have combined forces in a licensing deal between the gaming platform ROBLOX and the toy franchise LOL Surprise. LOL Surprise Official Party will launch on Roblox’s social gaming platform on April 2, according to a statement to The Licensing Letter from MGA Entertainment. “This past year has found parents discovering new ways to get their kids to play,” said Aram Atamian. “With that, one of America’s top toy properties LOL Surprise is joining forces with top digital gaming platform ROBLOX – creating a relationship with the 1st Doll World of Roblox on a global level. Through these two leaders in toy/play coming together, billions of fans can now discover a more immersive and shared gaming experience.” As a lead up to the LOL/ROBLOX… . . . read more
Tetris Waffle Maker Shows You Should Play With Your Food
Lisle Licensing takes the Tetris brand forward in 2021 The video game property Tetris and their UK-based licensing agent Lisle Licensing have launched a slate of new deals, including one for a hilarious new Tetris waffle maker from Fizz Creations. Apparently, someone with a love of trapezoids realized waffles are just a lot of tasty Tetris shapes packed together, and decided to produce a waffle maker that punches out the individual shapes. No more can you mother tell you to stop playing with your food. “We’re all about fun and novelty at Fizz Creations, so are excited to partner with Tetris to launch the waffle maker,” said Zoe Ryan, Marketing Manager at Fizz Creations. ” added Tetrimino shaped waffles … what’s not to love!” Lisle Licensing says they’ve kicked off… . . . read more
Special Report: The Future of Hasbro
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The ‘Play and Entertainment’ conglomerate Hasbro has for the first time outlined its future plans in a live investor event, and as expected, the news will be game changing for the company and for its licensing partners worldwide. Sit down and grab yourself a coffee or tea, because it’s a LOT. At the core of the announcement, Hasbro has outlined its “strategic growth drivers” for the near and medium term, and has unveiled new product segments aligned to these drivers. In other words, the company is restructuring, and it’s doing so in ways that it feels will better prepare Hasbro for a rapidly changing environment. The new financial reporting segments are: Consumer Products, including toys and games; Wizards of the Coast (Wizards) and… . . . read more