Commentary

Brand licensing continues to stoke immersive entertainment

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November 21, 2022 by Kevin Williams

The role that video game IP has in the branding and licensing sector is now enhanced by the inclusion of not just toys, branding and merchandising, but also the deployment of immersive experiences in the out-of-home sector and, with the launch of Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft and other video game based location based entertainment venues, the drive in this sector will only increase.

The Brand Licensing Europe 2022 in London last month held a fashion show style catwalk for the promotion of new mascots. This was one of the more direct comparisons between the symbiotic nature of themed entertainment business and the licensing and brand sector.

The importance of licensed brands in the theme park and waterpark sector was also underlined with the news that Sony Pictures Entertainment revealed plans to open a theme and waterpark in Thailand in partnership with Amazon Falls Co.

Columbia Pictures' Aquaverse

Under the name Columbia Pictures' Aquaverse, the park will include several attractions and theming based on Sony-owned Columbia Pictures properties including "Jumanji," "Ghostbusters" and "Hotel Transylvania."

In a statement Sony Pictures stated that this project was the next step in the company's global strategy to grow and expand location-based entertainment by utilizing its globally known film and TV brands.

Acquisitions and mergers also played a part in the brand and licensing scene, with the news that Secret Cinema, known for its immersive live performance experiences based on licensed properties from studios like Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony, Netflix and Disney had been acquired by TodayTix Group, a global e-commerce operation, for an undisclosed sum.

The merger will see the continuation of the brand work, but with the e-commerce operation supplying frictionless technology for audience insight and the growth of the immersive event business.

Brand development focus emerges

Speaking of Universal, news was breaking that amplified other announcements. NBCUniversal revealed that the Universal brand development group, along with its sister division Universal parks and resorts merchandising group, will be merging into a new operation, to be named Universal Products & Experiences.

This is the first time that a major game, movie, theme park and brand company has looked at the terminology of "experiences" in its offering and marks a momentous moment in branding and licensing history. This will impact the products, licensing and franchising from the operation's various divisions, including Universal Pictures, Universal Studios, Universal Parks & Resorts and NBCUniversal Television — with investment into immersive experiences and attractions, merchandising and toys/games based on IP from across the operation.

An example of the previous investment by the Universal branding in London was the "Jurassic World: The Exhibition" — a temporary installation involving props and animatronics from the blockbuster movie. This is an example of the temporary traveling exhibitions and immersive entertainment being deployed that marry big brand IP with the skill set of themed entertainment attractions.

Streamed TV, movies offer content

London is also seeing an explosion in live experiences based on media properties from streamed TV and movies. This has included the "Saw: The Experience," based on the Lionsgate movie IP, developed in partnership with Twisted Pictures and production company Path Entertainment Group, with the first example opening in London during October.

Other media properties such as "Tomb Raider" have also been turned into live experiences that opened this year in Camden, London. As well as the smash hit Netflix's "Stranger Things: The Experience" opening to rave reviews in the capital.

Concerning other big IP getting its latest public offering, there is also "The Wizarding World" based on the Harry Potter IP from Warner Bros., creating several traveling experiences developed by Imagine Exhibitions.

Along with the "Harry Potter: Magic at Play," an interactive attraction, a "Quidditch" skills training game saw its first stop at Chicago. Also, the "Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience," a walking attraction, first returning to Cheshire, U.K., then making landfall in New York which is already home to a location-based entertainment facility based on the property, Harry Potter Store New York, including a virtual reality experience developed in partnership with Dreamscape Immersion, which opened last year.

Creative players respond

Hologate, not to be outdone, launched its "Ghostbusters" VR experience, and the Immersive GameBox licensed with Netflix, including the "Squid Games" mixed reality experience.

Another company with experience in this sphere is Zero Latency, with over 50 free-roaming VR installations. Following on from its recent Ubisoft license with "FarCry VR," the company announced in September that it signed an agreement with Games Workshop to develop a Warhammer 40,000 VR experience for its platform.

Based on the "Space Marine" characters, the game will be rolled out across venues in 2023.

Also marking the use of prominent movie IP in amusement, U.K. distributor Electrocoin represented the Stern Pinball release "James Bond" — developed in collaboration with property owner Eon Productions — at the 60th anniversary event at London's BFI Southbank for the fictional super spy.

A movie based pintable is expected to be as popular, as seen with the famous "Addams Family."

Nintendo, meanwhile, completed its acquisition of Dynamo Pictures that it announced back in July. The acquisition of the film company's shares by the Japanese video game corporation will see the operation that specializes in CGI movies to be rebranded Nintendo Pictures — and the restructured operation will now focus on development of content, utilizing Nintendo IP.

The implementation of movies and game characters has seen some success, especially in the shadow of the sequel to "Sonic the Hedgehog" which has seen Sega elevate videogame characters to a new level of stardom — as Nintendo intends to enter the scene, having dropped the trailer for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" in partnership with Universal during October to millions of likes.

The importance of branding in immersive amusement and attractions has been part of the sector from the start.

(Editor's note: Extracts from this blog are from recent coverage in The Stinger Report, published by Spider Entertainment and its director, Kevin Williams, the leading interactive out-of-home entertainment news service covering the immersive frontier and beyond.)

Music & GamesStern Pinball, Inc. USA

About Kevin Williams

Along with advisory positions with other entrants into the market he is founder and publisher of the Stinger Report, “a-must-read” e-zine for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry. He is a prolific writer and provides regular news columns for main trade publications. He also travels the globe as a keynote speaker, moderator and panelist at numerous industry conferences and events. Author of “The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities,” the only book on this aspect of the market, with the second edition scheduled for a 2023 release.

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