MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
EA has kicked off a licensing drive for Mass Effect 3, with accessories, figures, posters and more ready to rock retail this Friday. The publisher has partnered with several licensees including BioWorld for accessories, Razer for branded games peripherals, Dark Horse for graphic novels and GB Eye for posters. There …
Read More »Rovio to open Angry Birds stores in China
The mobile game phenomenon Angry Birds will get its own line of retail stores, developer Rovio has announced. Speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in Beijing, Rovio’s chief marketing officer Peter Vesterbacka said the move was partly to tackle piracy in China. He brought a couple of unofficial Angry Birds …
Read More »Angry Birds costumes go on sale
Fans of Angry Birds can now embarrass themselves with a new range of themed Halloween outfits and headpieces. Costume Discounters is stocking 14 different bird and pig costumes from Rovio’s 350m-selling mobile game franchise, as reported by MacTrast. The costumes are available in both adult and child sizes, with RRPs …
Read More »Rovio chases 1bn users
Angry Birds developer Rovio has set itself the goal of attracting 1bn fans as it plans to crack the Chinese market. The Finnish mobile giant said it wants to grow Angry Birds into a long-term brand as big as Mario or Mickey Mouse, rather than try to build a new …
Read More »Digital boosting games merchandise
Digital games are changing the merchandising business by bridging the gap between physical and virtual goods. For example, most Moshi Monsters toys are accompanied by a promotional code that offers users a virtual gift to use online. Level Up Wear – a firm that produces clothing based on official game …
Read More »Pokémon Black and White hit 3m sales
Pokmon Black and White have sold 3m copies in the US and Europe within their first two weeks on sale. By mid-March the two new Nintendo DS games had sold 1m copies in Europe alone. They have become the fastest-selling games in the series, bringing Europe’s total install base for …
Read More »Sega expands licensing team
Sega Europe will up the ante of its licensing program this year, securing new merchandising deals for its hottest properties, such as Sonic The Hedgehog. To drive this renewed effort, the publisher has hired Sissel Henno as head of licensing. She will head up the department, working with current partners …
Read More »Angry Birds cartoon in the works
The Angry Birds will soon be flying onto screens in a new animated form. Rovio CEO Mikael Hed has announced the company has begun work on an cartoon series based on its best-selling iPhone game, according to the New York Post. We have been looking at that for quit a …
Read More »Retail ready for Angry Birds boom
The most popular iPhone game of all time is flocking from handhelds to the High Street. And retailers are making the most of a merchandise boom for Angry Birds. Plush toys and mobile phone cases have just hit shelves – and board games, clothing and stationery are on the way, …
Read More »The importance of games merchandise
Christmas approaches, and video games once again find themselves competing with toys, gadgets, books and other items as they try to grab gifters’ attention. But the industry has found additional ways to generate revenue with its most popular brands. As with any other major form of entertainment, gaming lends itself …
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