Toy giant and brand-owner Mattel has announced a new partnership with Rollic, the Istanbul-based game developer and publisher, to produce a new “mass market” Barbie mobile game for release “later this year.”
Rollic is, of course, a subsidiary of Zynga, itself being wholly-owned by Take-Two Interactive making this latest agreement with the world’s biggest toy company (and owner of more brands from your childhood than you can remember) a bit of a multimedia monster. And with last year’s Barbie movie takings rapidly approaching $1.5 billion, the release of a new Barbie game on mobile with such high profile backing makes this something of a big deal.
Mattel describes their moves away from the traditional, physical toy enterprises that have made their name and into digital spin-offs as an endeavor which will “provide captivating and engaging entertainment experiences based on Mattel’s beloved intellectual properties that will resonate with fans across generations.”
And while there are existing Barbie branded games on mobile – see Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, Barbie Magical Fashion, Barbie DreamHouse Tycoon on Roblox and even a movie-themed tie-in that saw Barbie crossing the tracks into mainstream smash Stumble Guys – the (as yet untitled) Barbie mobile game marks something of a clean sweep and fresh start for the brand following big screen success.
“Best-in-class immersive entertainment”
“Partnering with Rollic and Zynga enables us to bring a fresh and exciting mass market Barbie mobile game to fans worldwide,” said Mike DeLaet, global head of digital gaming at Mattel. “This collaboration underscores Mattel’s dedication to leveraging our iconic brands in innovative ways and propels our digital games division’s ability to deliver best-in-class immersive entertainment experiences for fans of all ages.”
At the time of writing it’s not yet known which game genre or level of casual the game will be aiming for, but given Rollic’s past record for games such as Car Lot Management, Coffee Stack, Colors Runners, Hoard Master, Crowd Evolution, Fill The Fridge and more, it’s pretty safe to say that hypercasual is something of a speciality.
Either way, partnering with Rollic. Zynga and Take-Two shows the power of the brand and their intention to get serious in games. Rollic recently passed 2.7 billion lifetime downloads in 175 countries with an impressive 22 titles reaching the number one or number two spot in the U.S. Apple App Store. Mattel have specifically zoomed in on their “data-driven talent” and ability to “build updates that capture player reactions” as key components that sealed the deal.
An icon meets mobile
“Barbie is beloved by generations of players around the world, and we are delighted to partner with Mattel to bring the latest iteration of this icon to mobile gaming,” said Burak Vardal, CEO of Rollic. “Our teams’ ability to translate cultural moments into lasting gameplay allows us to provide players with another place to engage with their favorite IP and we are excited to step into the world of Barbie with this brand-new title.”
