NEWS
Ubisoft pumps £1m into Rabbids franchise ads
Heavyweight marketing push revealed for series 1.3 million Rabbids titles sold in the UK by Dominic Sacco
PUBLISHER Ubisoft will spend big to turn its Raving Rabbidsseries into one of the industry’s biggest kids brands.
The firm is shelling out
£1m to promote upcoming game Raving Rabbids Travel In Time, as well as the range of Rabbidstoys, figurines and even an upcoming TV show. The ad campaign will target children and parents on TV and online, with spots running on a range of kids channels, including CiTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Boomerang. Online advertisements will appear on Cartoon Network’s website and popular children’s social network BinWeevils. “These are brands that children really engage with and whose websites are
The Renault ads have boosted the Rabbids’ mainstream appeal
real destinations for our target audience,” says Ubisoft’s UK brand manager Ombeline Wallon. “In the UK, the Rabbids have sold over 1.3m video games since their first appearance and we expect our new title to build on this solid base.
“The brand has also started to attract partners outside of video games
“ by James Batchelor
ANY GAME can sell well on Wii, as long as it’s supported well by publishers, Nintendo has told MCV.
The statement comes as games firms prepare to launch a core-focused Wii title every week in the run- up to Christmas.
The console has struggled to shed the stigma of being a casual-focused machine, but a resurgence kicked off last week with the critically acclaimed GoldenEye 007.
8 November 12th 2010
The line-up continues this week with Call of Duty: Black Ops, while next Friday (November 19th) sees the release of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit– followed a week later by Epic Mickey. Nintendo caps this off on December 3rd with Donkey Kong Country Returns. Many argue the Wii represents an inhospitable market for third-party publishers but Nintendo denies this is the case.
which enables us to multiply our touchpoints with consumers, therefore increasing the fame of the Rabbids themselves. “From the Renault Grand Scenic adverts in cinemas, to the series of collectable figurines and the recently announced collaboration with Aardman on a pilot for an animated TV show, the Rabbidsbrand is certainly gaining momentum.” Ubisoft is also launching a fan club where it will provide news and updates to Rabbidsfans.
Raving Rabbids Travel in
The brand has attracted firms outside games, increasing the Rabbids’ fame. Ombeline Wallon, Ubisoft
Timeis the fifth title in Ubisoft’s popular party game franchise. The first Rayman Raving Rabbidsdebuted in 2006. The series is one of the most successful franchises on Wii, and inspired casual hit Just Dance.
Ubisoft: 01932 578000 ‘Core games can succeed on Wii’
“The sales of GoldenEye show that these titles can and do perform well on Wii,” said Nintendo’s UK head of comms Rob Saunders. “The idea that Wii owners are only after smaller mini- game compilations or first- party titles isn’t true. “A good quality title, supported well by both publisher and retail, has just as much chance of performing well as any Nintendo title.” Nintendo:
01753 483700
CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS:
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Pac-Man Party
Videos are available within the free iPad Edition of MCVon iTunes and the free Browser-based Digital Edition, which can be accessed at
MCVUK.com
In Brief
ACTIVISION: The publisher reported a net profit of $51m (£31.6m) for the quarter ending September 30th 2010, up on the $15m (£9.3m) it recorded in the same period last year.
EA: A new free-to-play PC Battlefieldgame has been announced. Dubbed Battlefield Play4Free, EA is currently accepting players to sign up to the beta.
NAMCO BANDAI: The firm posted a loss of ¥1.93bn (£14.7m) for the first half of its financial year. Net sales were up slightly at ¥173.6bn (£1.3bn).
BEST BUY: The retailer’s UK online store has gone live. It sells all products available in stores and offers free delivery. The games section is handled by The Hut Group.
KONAMI: Profit grew 87.8 per cent year-on-year for Konami, up ¥4.2bn (£32m) from ¥2.2bn (£16.8m). The rise was attributed to strong sales of PES 2011and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
BEHAVIOUR INTERACTIVE: Formerly known as A2M, the developer has rebranded itself and announced sequels to Wetand Naughty Bear.
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