GAMES MERCHANDISE Figures of fun
More and more game IPs are being brought to life through merchandise. Dominic Sacco asks key publishers about the growing demand for these extra products
FORGET about the business of games for a moment and try to put yourself in the mind of a ten-year- old boy or girl. To them, a game brand they admire
such as Moshi Monsters, Pokémon or Sonic the Hedgehogis probably not seen as just a video game – nor a boxed copy sale – but an entire world they can get lost in and will want to explore further.
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Merchandise lets consumers do just that – whether they are children with an interest in Ubisoft’s Raving Rabbidsgames or older gamers who want clothing based on more serious IPs such as Mass Effect. Often unfairly described as
‘cashing in’, merchandising not only
I think we’ll begin to see a closing gap between virtual and real world goods. Darran Garnham, Mind Candy
provides an additional source of revenue for a publisher or developer, but it also gives passionate fans an extension to a game or character they love.
“Merchandising is a really
important move that enables kids to connect with the brand on a variety of levels,” says Darran Garnham, head of licensing for Mind Candy – which has developed the hit online virtual pets game Moshi Monsters. The firm sells plush toys, cards and more. It even opened a temporary pop-up shop earlier this year. “When kids love a brand or a character they want to experience it on their terms,” he adds. “Whether that be playing the game online, taking a magazine in the car, swapping trading cards in the playground or hugging a cuddly toy in bed.
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“Physical products help the characters come alive outside the game and broaden the affinity kids have with the brand on and offline.” The same can be said for a vast spectrum of gaming IP – not just kids’ franchises. Square Enix’s licensing division has partnerships in place for it to produce merchandise based on other publishers’ properties such Halo: Reach, Metal Gear Solidand Bayonettafigures. “I am sure there is a strong demand for the children’s market, but I imagine that market is more susceptible to ‘trend’ successes,” adds Square Enix Europe’s merchandiser Akihiro Ichimura. “However, we concentrate on collectible merchandise which is renowned for high quality, so we have earned a great reputation from our fans.”
MOVING MERCHANDISE As the industry continues to evolve, publishers are seeing an increasing demand for game merchandise. Wormsdeveloper Team 17 hired
AT New Media to branch its brand out to licensees, retailers and promoters, and is working on a collection ofWormsproducts (see ‘Key 2011 merchandise’ over the page). Meanwhile, Sega brought in a new head of brand licensing for Europe earlier this year, Sissel Henno, to ensure Sonic’s 20th anniversary is met with sufficient merchandise. “Licensees and retailers are starting to realise there is a shift in the consumption of entertainment. A lot more time is spent playing video games in place of watching TV for instance,” Henno tells MCV. “If you ask kids today which brands they favour, many of them will list characters from video games
Mind Candy produces a range of Moshi Monsters goodies from plushies to backpack toys
and social media. I believe there is still vast untapped potential for licensing based on games, and we will see an increase in overall sales as more retailers start listing the stock and see the results in their sell-through numbers.”
Ubisoft is another publisher that has seen a shift in games’ ability to cross over into new markets. The creatures from its Raving Rabbids Wii party game franchise are available as plush toys and have even appeared Renault TV ads. “The characters, storylines and visual styling of games have become more iconic and immersive over the years,” says Ubisoft’s UK commercial manager Chris Marcus. “That’s translated into some games’ ability to successfully cross into
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