Along with our earlier press release on Hasbro licensing, Playthings has a report on what sorts of opportunities the toy giant has for books and other literature.
According to Michael Kelly, Senior Global Publishing Manager, “Our worldwide publishing program is an integral part of Hasbro’s strategy to create cohesive global brands. The team has created a long-term story arc for each IP which provides yet another way for fans to enjoy these amazing sagas. The history of the brands, combined with the depth of the characters and the layer of the films lends incredibly well to creating truly exciting and immersive publishing works. We were highly selective in choosing these publishers to work alongside Hasbro to bring Transformers and G.I. Joe brands to life on book pages ranging from color/activity books to storybooks, novelty books and novels.”
To read the full article click here, or check after the break. Thanks to Shin Densetsu of HissTank.com for the intel.
Hasbro ups publishing plans; grows video games
By Staff — Playthings, 6/1/2009 12:32:00 PM
PAWTUCKET, R.I.—Hasbro’s Entertainment & Licensing Division today announced it recently signed more than 20 worldwide licensing deals with publishers for products across a variety of formats for its two Summer 2009 feature films, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, as well as additional video game deals for its tentpole pictures and core toy and game properties.
Among the new licensees are publishing heavyweights Bendon Publishing, HarperCollins, Random House, Readers’ Digest and Simon & Schuster, who will collectively release 35 new titles to the U.S. and Canadian markets in 2009, in addition to the 36 previously announced titles from IDW.
“Our worldwide publishing program is an integral part of Hasbro’s strategy to create cohesive global brands. The team has created a long-term story arc for each IP which provides yet another way for fans to enjoy these amazing sagas,” said Michael Kelly, Hasbro’s Senior Global Publishing Manager, Entertainment & Licensing. “The history of the brands, combined with the depth of the characters and the layer of the films lends incredibly well to creating truly exciting and immersive publishing works. We were highly selective in choosing these publishers to work alongside Hasbro to bring Transformers and G.I. Joe brands to life on book pages ranging from color/activity books to storybooks, novelty books and novels.”
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing program will deliver 11 children’s books based on G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The publisher will develop, publish and market color and activity and storybooks for young children as well as offer junior novelizations for older kids.
HarperCollins has signed on to bring to market nine new titles based on Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen. The deal expands HarperCollins’ existing relationship with Hasbro for books based on the Transformers: Animated TV series as well as its titles based on the original Transformers movie.
Random House’s Del Rey imprint will release five titles geared toward adults and collectors. Two novels from author Allen Dean Foster will be based on Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and two novels by writer Max Allan Collins will be based on G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra. In addition, the company will issue the Essential Guide to G.I. Joe vs. Cobra, a “history” of the rivalry.
Reader’s Digest Children’s Publishing will release two novelty titles based on Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and two novelty titles based on G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra. All four will target the juvenile market. Bendon Publishing plans to market six coloring and activity books in the U.S. and Canada.
Electronic Arts’ video game adaptation of Hasbro’s Connect 4 from the original Hasbro Game Night gameSeparately, Hasbro said this week that more than a dozen of its toy and game properties will be featured as new video game titles for various video game platforms in the second half of this year through licensing deals with Electronic Arts, Activision and Glu Mobile. Additionally, through an extended licensing agreement with Performance Design Products, a new line of Hasbro-branded video game accessories will land at retail later this year.
The pending wave of new video games builds on a program by Electronic Arts that has seen the release of nearly 40 Hasbro-inspired titles across 16 brands and 13 platforms in the last 18 months.
Among the noteworthy Hasbro titles due out in the near term are Activision’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game this month and EA’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra game in August; and EA’s versions of Battleship, Yahtzee, Connect4, Scrabble, Boggle and Sorry! on Xbox Live Arcade.
This fall, plans call for the release of EA’s Hasbro Family Game Night 2 in versions for the Nintendo’s Wii console and DS handheld, with both versions showcasing a variety of classic Hasbro games; plus Wii and DS titles featuring the Littlest Pet Shop brand.
DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures’ Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen will be released on June 24. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, is scheduled to hit theaters on August 7.