Video Games

News
Rocketship Entertainment, Rovio, Angry Birds, Tom Akel, Publishing, Video Games

Rocketship Entertainment teams with Rovio for Angry Birds graphic novels and comics

“Angry Birds is a household name that a generation of fans have grown up with.” said Rocketship CEO and publisher Tom Akel.

News
Insight Editions, Fortiche, Melcher Media, Arcane, Elisabeth Vincentelli, Art, Video Games, Publishing

Insight Editions teams with Riot Games for The Art and Making of Arcane.

The book includes never-before seen art and in-depth interviews with the creative team behind the show, including Arcane co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee.

News
LEGO, Fortnite, Toys & Games, Video Games

LEGO debuts Fortnite sets

The four new sets include the LEGO Fortnite Durrr Burger, LEGO Fortnite Supply Llama, LEGO Fortnite Peely Bone and the LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus.

Interview
Sam, it’s great to catch up. Let’s talk Sonic! What are some of the creative challenges in translating a video game character into consumer products? Sometimes, translating the energy of a video game character – especially one known for his speed – can be challenging. We’ve had so much growth with the Sonic IP over the last few years, so we must stay on top of trends while remaining true to the IP – and always keeping our end consumer in mind. I often refer to myself as a “brand guardian”; the gatekeeper between the brand and the end consumer. With an IP like Sonic, he’s incredibly recognisable, and we work hard to create trend and seasonal assets for our licensees to use to keep Sonic relevant. There’s lots of popular video game characters that don’t go on to thrive in licensing. Why has Sonic thrived across so many different categories? I always say there’s a Sonic for everyone. People who grew up in the Nineties remember having their mates over after school, sitting on the floor, staring up at a screen as thick as it was wide and playing Sonic on the Mega Drive. Then, when you look at kids today, they have so many touchpoints for the IP – movies, animation, mobile, console games… However, one thing that has yet to change is the brand’s DNA. Sonic is the same fast hedgehog he’s always been. The brand’s success at retail is down to working with carefully selected partners. Every product is considered with the end consumer in mind. Speaking of partners, what’s the key to a successful creative collaboration with licensees? I’ve enjoyed working on several collaborations at SEGA, all with their unique challenges and opportunities. The success of any partnership is working together and being open to new ideas and opinions. With any partnership, you need to think about why we are doing this from the beginning. Who is this for? What is the purpose? Asking those questions ensures the message doesn’t get lost. The magic is when you create something unexpected, while still being recognisable and staying true to the brand’s core values. That leads us nicely to your partnership with LEGO. Can you give us some insight into the creative process behind bringing Sonic into bricks? We’ve taken everything amazing about Sonic and what people love about the LEGO brand, and mashed them together to create a range of genuinely fun products that look great on shelf. This is LEGO’s first action toy, and key to this is the addition of the speed sphere. A speed sphere? I’m sold – what is it!? Ha! It’s a sphere you place the Sonic minifigure into, which you then use to propel him across the room, smashing through LEGO-built scenery and Dr. Eggman’s evil Badniks. There are so many little hidden easter eggs for the fans, which we were keen to include. It also allowed us to play around with products that aren’t canon. We’ve introduced brand-new mechs and vehicles that fans won’t be familiar with… Who can you make them with if you can’t create new things with LEGO? The team over at the LEGO Group have been incredible to work with, and this has been a fantastic collaboration on so many levels... It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime project which I couldn’t be prouder of. You mentioned this range marking LEGO’s first move into ‘action toys’. How did these ‘action’ requirements affect product development on the sets? Sonic is known for his speed, and the LEGO team was bold enough to capture this in brick form. Early on, we established that each set needed to feature an element of speed, jeopardy, and quiet play for those moments when you want to sit and chill with your favourite Sonic friends… And we had to feature a loop; that was an absolute must! I cannot tell you how many versions of each set we reviewed before we landed on the final design. Working with such a passionate group of designers who are as meticulous and passionate about products and their respective brands as we are has been fantastic. Do any other partnerships come to mind when highlighting how creative licensees can be with your brands? The first project that I think of is Sonic’s 25th anniversary. We partnered with an art gallery to create 25 pieces of bespoke artwork, working with various artists across various mediums: fine art, metalwork, clay sculpture and even neon lighting. Seeing how these artists interpreted the brand in their work was terrific. However, I remember one artist painted Sonic covered in tattoos, smoking a cigarette and sticking his middle finger up… Needless to say, that version didn’t make it to the final exhibition! Ha! Not ideal! Now, before we wrap up, what should we be keeping an eye out for from you guys? There is so much to look forward to. The Sonic Movie 3 is out in December, and there will be lots more to come soon. Sonic turns 35 in 2026, so there will be lots of activity around the anniversary and plenty of other surprises to look forward to between now and then: partnerships, collaborations, and events. You can be sure that Sonic isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

SEGA’s Samuel Byard on Sonic’s success in consumer products

Samuel Byard – Senior Product Development Manager at SEGA Europe – talks us through the key to Sonic’s success in consumer products.

Brand Licensing Europe
John Friend, Xbox, BLE, Brand Licensing Europe, Video Games

John Friend – Head of Xbox Gaming Consumer Products at Microsoft– to deliver day one keynote at BLE 2024

“Our goal has always been to fuel our community’s fans and fandom with best-in-class products at a global scale,” said Friend.

News
Saber Interactive, Paramount, Quiet Place, Stormind Games, Video Games, Film & TV

Saber Interactive teams with Paramount and Stormind Games for A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a first-person, single-player videogame that explores a new story within the A Quiet Place universe.

News
BBC Studios, Marina Mello, Stephen Davies, Video Games

BBC Studios welcomes Marina Mello as Global Director for Gaming & Interactive

“I’m delighted to be joining the teams at BBC Studios and to combine my love and experience in TV with my gaming expertise,” said Mello.

News
Minecraft, The World of Minecraft, Video Games, John Packard, Alex Wiltshire, Mojang Studios, Publishing

Expanse marks 15 years of Minecraft with The World of Minecraft coffee table book

“Our Minecraft books set the gold standard for gaming titles,” said John Packard, Publishing Director at Farshore and Expanse.

News
Stumble Guys, Looney Tunes, Video Games, Film & TV

Stumble Guys welcomes Looney Tunes

A new team-based game sees players team up with Wile E. Coyote to transport gadgets out of the ACME factory.

News
LEGO, Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, Toys & Games, Video Games, Eiji Aonuma, Wes Talbott

LEGO teams with Nintendo for The Legend of Zelda set

“Our fans have been asking for a LEGO set based on The Legend of Zelda series for a while!” said LEGO Designer Wes Talbott.

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