DOSSIER METAVERSE - THE NEW DIGITAL LANDSCAPE

DOSSIER METAVERSE THE NEW DIGITAL LANDSCAPE

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CURATED BY ROSSELLA ARENA

WELCOME TO THE METAVERSE

THE GLOBAL METAVERSE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO BE WORTH APPROXIMATELY USD 65 BILLION IN 2022 (GRAND VIEW RESEARCH, EMERGEN RESEARCH, AND PRECEDENCE RESEARCH). THROUGH 2032, IT IS PREDICTED TO EXPAND AT A COMPOUND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE (CAGR) OF 47.2%. MAJOR FACTORS OF GROWTH INCLUDE INTEGRATING DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL WORLDS USING THE INTERNET, AND THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF MIXED REALITY(MR), AUGMENTED REALITY (AR), AND VIRTUAL REALITY (VR).

The Metaverse has enormous potential, and in the future, it may gradually reach many different sectors of our lives: in order to keep up with and fully understand this argument, several topics must be investigated, ranging from gaming, an industry worth around $200 billion that has now reached half of the human population thanks to the smartphone, to everything related to the world of the web to the most recent developments in the use of artificial intelligence.

Aside from the ability to play online games, the Metaverse has evolved into a location to meet and socialise: 50% of Generation Z visits these social virtual worlds without participating in the main game.

METAWERSE MARKET SIZE, 2021 T0 2030 (USD BILLION)

It appears that all daily activities, including market transactions, are going online, and therefore huge brands and companies are ensuring that they are more and more present, with avatars, virtual worlds, and NFT. The first industries to enter these virtual worlds are those relating to fashion and luxury, but all are increasingly organising themselves to enter the metaverse in some way.

It should also be mentioned that, from a licensing standpoint, numerous Metaverse properties, such as Minecraft and Fortnite, continue to develop product lines in many categories, which spread into the physical world.

Furthermore, the Metaverse’s ability to construct immersive experiences is particularly intriguing to the entertainment industry. The metaverse in the entertainment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.07% between 2022 and 2027, with a special focus on the

film sector. The market is expected to grow by USD 33,323.31 million. It is estimated that North America will contribute 33% of the global market growth, which is dependent on several factors, including growing consumer awareness of VR gaming, increasing adoption of AR VR gaming by individuals, and rising consumer spending across virtual concerts, events, and others.

The Metaverse will become more inclusive and full of developments, which we must continue to monitor.

© technavio

THE GLOBAL POWER OF MINECRAFT BRAND

The brainchild of Stockholm’s Mojang Studios, the multiple-awardwinning Minecraft is an instantly memorable game where players create wonderful and imaginative things. It was developed with a mission to inspire generations of game changers by building a world where the Minecraft community shares core values of crafting together, celebrating creativity, fueling passion, and creating fun!

The critically-acclaimed game became an immediate hit sensation and has since grown to become the best-selling video game of all time selling more than 238 million copies across 20 platforms and is still played today by millions of players in every country and territory around the world, including Antarctica and Vatican City! Minecraft became the first game to top one trillion views on YouTube (as of December 2021). And, a fun fact: If each view were a Minecraft block 12 inches square, you could build a stack that reached from the Earth to the sun and back -- with about seven million miles to spare!

In 2014 when Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios, Minecraft had only eight licensing partners on board and has since evolved into a formidable evergreen entertainment franchise with robust consumer products and retail programs. Mojang Studios continues to expand the Minecraft experience beyond the game.

WHAT STARTED AS A GAME IN 2009 ABOUT BREAKING AND PLACING BLOCKS HAS GROWN NEARLY 15 YEARS LATER INTO A PLATFORM AND CANVAS FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND A GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT FRANCHISE POWERHOUSE.

To continue to grow the franchise, Minecraft launched Marketplace in 2017 as an online store where players can purchase communitycreated content using Minecoins. Marketplace creators have generated more than $500M in revenue from downloads of skins, worlds, and other experiences. Minecraft Marketplace has partnered to create content with some of the biggest entertainment brands, including Star Wars, Minions, How to Train Your Dragon, Ben 10, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

This past April, Mojang Studios, in partnership with Blackbird Interactive, launched Minecraft Legends, an all-new action strategy game where fans explore a familiar universe in unfamiliar ways. Minecraft Legends is an organic expansion of the Minecraft IP and continues the Minecraft franchise’s legacy as an approachable, familyfriendly way to jump into new genres.

In 2021 Federico San Martin joined as the Global Head of Consumer Products for the Minecraft brand, with a focus on building the licensing and retail program worldwide. Since then, the consumer products team has expanded the business to over 150 partners worldwide across a multitude of categories, including toys, games, publishing, apparel/accessories, seasonal, paper goods, and more.

Recently, Minecraft signed a slate of new licensing partners to further expand product offerings, headlined by Crayola (Seasonal/Party – U.S., Canada), American Greetings (Greeting Cards & Wrapping Paper –U.S., Canada), Crunchpak (Food & Beverage – U.S., Canada), Dynacraft (Sporting Goods – U.S.), Bladez Toys (Arts & Crafts – U.K., Europe, Australia), Procos Seasonal/Party – Europe), L Founders Loyalty Programs – Europe) and Andromeda (Back-to-School – Mexico), joining existing best-in-class global partners, including LEGO, Mattel, Random House, Hallmark, Hasbro, and Uniqlo, as well as regional partners such as Fashion UK, Character World, Castaic, Caprice and more.

Over the past couple of years, Minecraft has also partnered with some of the biggest fashion brands in the world, including Burberry, Lacoste, Crocs, and Puma, to create unique collaborations that bridge the gap between the digital and physical space and speak to the individuality and authenticity of the brand.

“With an unprecedented scope for creativity, Minecraft has become a global phenomenon that fosters creative thinking and problem solving both in the game and through our branded products, offering fans the opportunity to interact with Minecraft both physically and digitally,” commented San Martin. “Ahead of our 15th anniversary next year, this is the ideal time for us to explore new areas of business globally and to share with current and potential new partners our upcoming franchise initiatives across content, game updates, marketing, retail and promotional activities.”

The 15th Anniversary celebration plans in 2024 includes initiatives to expand the brand’s entertainment offerings; new content, new games, new retail and promotional partnerships and more! Additionally as part of the further evolution of the franchise, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are in development on a Minecraft theatrical feature, set to star Jason Momoa, which will premiere on April 4, 2025.

“Over the next three years, our focus will be on category expansion to include collectibles, consumer electronics, food & beverage, health & beauty, for example, and to continue to work with our international agents, including CAA and Merchantwise to further build the global footprint of Minecraft,” San Martin adds.

It appears they are certainly delivering on their goal to delight the Minecraft community with products that extend across generations and beyond the game!

THE OFFICIAL SMURF NFT COLLECTION IS FINALLY

HERE!

ON APRIL 18TH, 2023 THE SMURFS’ SOCIETY UNVEILED THE FIRST OFFICIAL PFP COLLECTION BACKED BY THE SMURFS BRAND. THIS AMBITIOUS PROJECT BUILDS ON THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF A FULLY ON-CHAIN GAME THAT GATHERED OVER 85,000 PLAYERS AND ENTERED THE TOP100 MOST ACTIVE DECENTRALIZED APPS IN FEB’23.

The Smurfs is an incredibly successful franchise that has captured the hearts of children and adults worldwide for 65 years. This year, the Smurfs have become one of the few ‘classic brands’ to enter the world of Web3 successfully. Their fully on-chain game gathered a diverse community of crypto natives and entered the TOP10 most collected profiles on the decentralized social Network protocol ‘Lens.’ The collection is an opportunity to unite communities around the Smurfs’ positive values and reward them for their engagement and actions.

A LEGENDARY COLLECTION THAT DEFINES NEW STANDARDS FOR NFTS

‘The Smurfs’ Society Legendary Collection’ is an official collection of 12,500 NFTs built on the Smurfs’ universe. The original characters and an exciting new cast of Smurfs have been brought to life in intricately detailed 3D-rendered NFTs.

The collection consists of 250 unique Smurf characters with 50 individual variants. Each NFT is unique and customized with over 300 randomized traits including skins, background FX, lighting, and more, and designed in collaboration with influential artists as well as our partners and community members. The goal is to build a truly distinctive collection with an unrivaled level of diversity that speaks to a global community.

Each NFT comes with exclusive utilities and benefits, with unique perks attached to individual Smurf characters (like game tickets for Soccer Smurf, wine bottles for Sommelier Smurf, etc.). Utilities include physical prints, raffles to win prizes, and access to partners’ and artists’ services, products, or artwork. All Smurfs’ Society holders will get access to satellite projects currently in the works, such as an upcoming NFT game, and access to a DAO platform to curate and finance sustainable projects to protect the planet.

THE SEQUENTIAL SALE: AN INNOVATION THAT WORKS WITH THE WEB3 COMMUNITY

The sale process started on April 18th with a “bucket auction” for 3,000 of the PFPs in the collection. In this type of sale, a single ‘clearing price’ will be determined at the end of the auction based on bid amounts and total NFT supply. This process allows the market to set the price of the collection.

Next, a discounted sale for community members will take place. This is when owners of “access crystals” collected during the gamification phase will have a chance to ‘mint’ the Smurf characters they’ve won or purchased. The mint price will be based on the clearing price from the bucket auction, minus the discount associated with each access crystal.

The final step of the community-driven drop will see special sales for the remaining NFTs in the collection, with additional artists’ collaborations and events.

COMING NEXT: BUILDING A WHOLE WEB3 ECOSYSTEM

The Smurfs’ Society was developed by a collective of experienced entrepreneurs, artists, and Web3 experts, collaborating closely with IMPS, the Smurfs’ parent company. The team’s long-term vision is to introduce new ambition to Web3 by combining innovative experiences, individual rewards, and collective interests to support ‘for good’ initiatives. These community and ‘for good’ values are at the core of the Smurfs brand.

They have already partnered with a dozen Web3 names (The Sandbox, Lens Protocol, ZenGo, P00lS, etc.), over 100 Web3 communities, and have started announcing collaborations with an incredible group of artists such as André, Philippe Druillet, Richard Orlinski, Fafi Birtak, Antonyo Marest, and many others still to come.

The Smurfs’ Society proves that a traditional brand can transcend Web3 standards, demonstrating that they are listening to and most importantly working with the relevant communities to build innovative projects in this demanding market. Whether or not this adventure becomes the first literal ‘Blue’ chip NFT collection, it has already corroborated the Smurfs’ Society’s motto, Together, invincible

MOONBUG’S DIGITAL BRANDS

You joined Moonbug in 2022. What can you tell us today about this incredible company?

We consider Moonbug a pioneer of the next generation of entertainment. With an audience first approach, we have built our portfolio of properties through the acquisition of popular kids’ IPs that were originally born in the digital space. By leveraging our creative and production expertise, we have grown these properties into global entertainment franchises.

Moonbug is also an award-winning global entertainment company behind some of the most popular kids’ titles in the world, including CoComelon. CoComelon is the largest YouTube kids’ channel worldwide, with over 175 million subscribers globally and over 4.2 billion views a month.

Moonbug was born just four years ago and in a few years, it has become a really trusted brand for parents and families. CoComelon is one of our strongest properties in the world, followed by Blippi and others.

Other digital brands are coming up: why and how is Moonbug different from its competitors?

The most important thing to remember is that we are a digital company and we have an audience-first approach. Our strategy has always had our audience in mind first, so we create content that kids love and parents trust and respond to. Thanks to the data we receive from our consumers, coupled with the creativity and wonderful storytelling from our Studios team, we can ensure our content supports preschoolers’ learning whilst they are having lots of fun.

MOONBUG IS AN AMAZING COMPANY THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AND IMPRESS WITH ITS TRIUMPHS. LM INTERVIEWED FRANCESCA ROMANA GIANESIN, HEAD OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS FOR MOONBUG EMEA, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEIR SUCCESS AND FUTURE PROJECTS.

For example, we have seen that JJ’s best friend Cody received really good feedback from the audience. Hence, we wanted to create a channel dedicated to him, because Cody connects with audiences and performs very well. We look at the audience first, we follow the audience and we ensure the content and products we deliver are developmentally appropriate whilst remaining fun, exciting and entertaining. We are data-led, and in the end, this allows us to be a globally relevant franchise.

It is fundamental to be very interactive with the audience. In that period that we are living, why according to you is digital-first content so important?

It’s very easy, it concerns accessibility. YouTube is there everywhere you go, thanks to the smartphone, iPad, iPhone, computer, it can be accessed at any time and free of charge.

The other element is the importance of the Millennial consumer. Our core audience are pre-schoolers, and the parents of the pre-schoolers are mainly Millennials, who are digital creatures. This digital propensity increases the access to our channels. Just to give you an idea now of the strength of this, we currently have more than 8 billion monthly views across all our channels on YouTube, and you can find us on more than 150 different platforms globally. We launched super successful shows on Netflix and our shows are available in 34 different languages, including American Sign Language.

When we launched CoComelon on Netflix, it was the second most streamed show last year after Criminal Minds, bigger than Stranger

Things and Wednesday, just to put into perspective the strength of this property and the value of the YouTube channel.

How is your licensing approach and how is it tailored-made to partners?

At Moonbug we have really disrupted the studio model, for which you first launch the movies and then produce the consumer products. In our case it can be done both ways, we can develop episodes from partners’ ideas for products, or we can also develop products from episodes. We work with our internal teams and our partners, look at the content and the data, we combine all information and ideas and develop something unique. And what’s more, we can do it at the speed of light.

This is the new approach to licensing in general, where tailoredmade content is crucial to appeal to licensees and other partners. And for the publishing, you can confirm the same approach, I suppose.

There’s so much to say about content creation in recent years, where we have seen several evolutions in the industry. We have passed through the era of mass media in the ‘80s with the multichannel, and in 2000 the focus was OTT and new platforms. Today since 2020 the creator economy has established itself, with the dominance of bloggers, Instagrammers... Everyone creates something, so to make a difference you have to work even harder on quality and the important values you can pass on to children. In the creator economy, you need to be fast and close to the audience, and these, in my opinion, are our strengths, they represent the difference we make, that’s why we have billions and billions of views, and hundreds of millions of subscribers.

Tell us about the other innovations you have in the pipeline.

We are really proud not only of CoComelon and Blippi, but also of all our other properties, such as Lellobee City Farm, Little Angel, Morphle, and the super cute Oddbods.

And staying in the world of CoComelon, we have launched a new channel called CoComelon JJ’s Animal Time, in which JJ and his animal friends share many new adventures.

The spinoff shows definitely represent an opportunity for building the brand and product development. We are also working on the Cody character, whose channel, It’s Cody Time, launched in May 2022. Nina is another character in the world of CoComelon who is incredibly popular with our audience.

Nina grew up surrounded by her family’s rich Mexican culture and she is always excited to share and celebrate her heritage in the everyday aspects of her life.

BOSS BEAUTIES X BARBIE VIRTUAL COLLECTIBLES

Designed to celebrate the 250 careers represented in the Barbie line, the collection features the familiar signature style of Boss Beauties with an iconic Barbiecore™ look. Career traits featured in the first drop of the collection include artists, astronauts, CEOs, doctors, pet vets, pilots, and more, reminding fans and collectors that they can be anything.

The collection features a variety of rarities, unlocking perks and physical goods for collectors, including virtual Career Conversations with role models, tickets to Barbie live events, doll gift sets, and more.

Priced at $25 per pack, the virtual collectibles are meant to be easy to purchase and at an accessible price point, lowering barriers of entry into web3 for all. Each pack will include four Boss Beauties x Barbie collectibles of different rarities, selected at random. This collaboration with Barbie propels Boss Beauties, the first women-led web3 company who’s been featured in the halls of both the New York Stock Exchange and the United Nations, one step closer to achieving its mission of onboarding the next 1 Million women and girls into a web3 world. To further support their shared mission of elevating women, Barbie and Boss Beauties previously announced a collective $250,000 donation benefitting both the Barbie Dream Gap Project and the Boss Beauties Foundation

“As Barbie continues her journey in the metaverse, we are proud to partner with Boss Beauties to empower women and collectors to explore web3 through our virtual collection,” said Lisa McKnight, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel “Having exceeded 250 careers, it’s only natural for Barbie to dive deeper into digital collecting by highlighting some of her most recognizable roles. Now fans can be inspired by and celebrate her professional accomplishments with these career-centric Boss Beauties x Barbie virtual collectibles.”

“As we enter into the world of web3, it is imperative that women are included,“ said Lisa Mayer, CEO and Co-Founder of Boss Beauties “Our work encourages women and girls as they navigate the evolving internet and career landscape, aligning directly with Mattel’s mission of inspiring them to believe that they can be anything. This partnership helps introduce multiple generations who love Barbie to the world of web3.”

Follow @BossBeauties on Twitter and Instagram to stay tuned on the latest announcements.

BARBIE, THE #1 FASHION DOLL BRAND, AND BOSS BEAUTIES, A TOP WOMEN-LED WEB3 BRAND, DEBUTED THEIR BOSS BEAUTIES X BARBIE VIRTUAL COLLECTIBLES, FEATURED ON MATTELCREATIONS. COM.

INTERVIEW WITH PAUL ROBINSON

LICENSING MAGAZINE INTERVIEWED PAUL ROBINSON, PRESIDENT OF KARTOON CHANNEL! WORLDWIDE, GENIUS BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, TO DISCOVER THE LATEST NOVELTIES AND TO FIND OUT WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THE NEW DIGITAL LANDSCAPE.

How did the AI-created Kidaverse Fast Facts come about, and how is the audience’s reaction going a few months after its announcement?

Kidaverse Fast Facts is a series of short animated educational stories featuring characters such as History Henry, Science Sally and Sporty Steve. We wanted to create some interactive experiences for kids: we operate a linear channel, a FAST channel and a VOD channel, but we wanted to find a way in which kids could interact with content, creating proposals that were differentiating. We started experimenting with 3D content and to provide children registered on the app with customised avatars, to help them to find their way around. We called all of that metaversal and interactive content Kidaverse We thought to experiment also with AI and ChatGPT in particular, to support children’s learning. Kidaverse Fast Facts therefore emerged from this creative universe.

The project has just started in the US, and so far the audience reaction has been very good. A Cambridge University’s research said that Generation Alpha’s children are happiest when they feel they are doing well: with Kidaverse Fast Facts we can help them to do a bit of maths or history when they are watching TV. This is just meant to inspire kids to think more about everything, then go on research online or to their textbook or ask their parents further questions.

Another AI-generated project, Minis based on the IP Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club, is now also in production. Could you tell us more?

Warren Secret Millionaires Club is a full-length animated show cocreated by the business magnate Warren Buffett, appearing as a cartoon version of himself. It was born to help children understand how to be financially responsible. It answers some important questions, for instance, How do you save up the money? If you get a new job when you are a bit older, you know how much money should you get, and how you spend it?

Also in these new shorts, we would like to give children little tips and help them think about money, because it is important. To be honest, many children may not know who Warren Buffett is, but If parents know him, they will recognize he is a reassuring authority in conveying good information around financial literacy.

There is a big debate going on right now about the different uses of Artificial Intelligence. In your experience, how can and should AI be utilized in creative work?

There are many prejudices about AI, with a lot of people saying AI is terrible, is going to destroy jobs, and is not creative. But of course, AI is everywhere in our lives, and I think the important thing is that we use it to better our humankind. In my opinion, you can’t produce content just with AI, it is not a replacement for human beings. It is a tool, in the same way that Google or, in the old days, an encyclopaedia. In our work we are using AI for basic research, and we have also done some voicing, but the final curation is always done by producers and editors. In an increasingly digitised society, what role do you think linear TV can play in the world and in the American market?

Some parents want to limit the time kids spend on screens. Of course you need to have a balance, to be outside and playing with friends, but the screen and digital media are here to stay, and the little ones love them.

Kids and all of us watch TV as a great source of entertainment, usually talking about what we have seen, originating a shared experience at school, or in the office. TV’s not going away and can still be a container of positive values. Now people talk about kids and linear TV declining, but on our US Kartoon Channel! app there is a linear channel that is played when you access the app, and that is watched very often. When we asked the children why during a survey, they explained that find it quite easy and did not feel like choosing a programme in the VOD services. The same experience can also happen to adults.

How far has Kartoon Channel! spread globally today? Genius Brands recently entered into an agreement with Star Times, for expanding in Africa…

We have been in North America, US and Canada for about two years and currently, we are rolling out internationally. With Star Times we are now present in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa, in around 40 countries

The platform has been advertising the shows in shopping malls, and we have been doing promotions in schools, with Kartoon Channel!branded water bottles to give to kids.

In the last year we have arrived in Australia, New Zealand, Maldives, Philippines, Germany. We will be launching next in some Asian countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) and we are also having conversations in other European countries.

How are you continuing to build your distribution and content strategy?

As a company, we believe in value-driven content, but also in innovating. Children are generally watching shorter shows, episode durations are coming down, and their attention span is more difficult to get. You must really grab them in the first few seconds, and we are generally finding now that stories are 11 minutes, not 22 minutes. Another point is that kids are smarter at tech than we are as adults, and they are not intimidated by it. We are therefore trying to be wherever they are: Smart TV, mobile phones, connected device, etc. We are working to innovate our distribution and content strategy, so that we keep up because the different consumers are smart and they have choices: we need to make sure that they choose us.

KINTANA, THE DIGITAL SOUL OF PEA

PEA (FORMERLY PEA&PROMOPLAST) HAS BEEN A WORLD LEADER IN DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION FOR THE PROMOTIONS AND PUBLISHING MARKET FOR OVER 40 YEARS. IN RECENT YEARS IT IS INCREASINGLY FEELING THE NEED TO UPDATE THE DIGITAL OFFER FOR ITS CUSTOMERS. THIS IS WHY KINTANA WAS FOUNDED, THE COMPANY THAT WILL BE 100% FOCUSED ON DIGITAL PROPOSALS.

Kintana is Pea’s new digital competence centre, created with a very specific task: to make physical products from thousands of Italian and international smart companies. The Kintana digital centre creates an interactive phygital experience around physical products that can achieve unprecedented results in terms of engagement, storytelling, and data that can then be translated into business opportunities. Kintana has two patented digital ecosystems built around its customers’ needs: TATA APP and TATA AI.

TATA APP is a mobile application that offers its partners in-depth information on end consumers, tracking their data and habits through advanced gamification and loyalty logic. By placing RFID on the product or scanning the Bar/QR Code from the packaging, the application is able to provide personalised content in line with the brand values. TATA APP is able to support a client with data profiling and data management, customer clustering, user engagement and conversion, creating a solid community of real-world consumers, and transforming every single contact into a valuable lead.

TATA AI, on the other hand, is an artificial intelligence program designed and trained to interact and play with children. By means of the algorithm and the input provided by the user (be it a photo, image, text or vowel), it is able to construct new and exciting stories. In addition to creating pure entertainment for users, the goal of TATA AI is to highlight their habits and likes by creating buyer personas that are as minutely defined as possible. The user is invited to enter their content, after which the algorithm automatically generates a story containing their preferences.

The key goals of TATA AI are to focus on the interests and habits

of cross age end-users, generate exclusive content for registered members, and above all, to provide uniqueness to each individual user with inedited and fully customised content.

Paolo Rigobello, General Manager, Kintana, comments on the work of the digital centre: ‘Kintana’s mission is to make a product intelligent, capable of creating an immersive and fully interactive phygital experience. A product is recognised by the TATA platform becoming a portal between two worlds, the physical and the digital, connecting the consumer directly to the company. The digital competence centre is our B2B bridge, built on exclusive information and content, for a profitable one-to-one relationship with the end customer.”

Kintana technology enables the full spectrum of data derived from the phygital experience to be collected, processed, and transformed into competitive advantages for companies. This data revolves around the end user and their way of relating to the consumer product, thereby becoming the most reliable and accurate yardstick.

Pea and Kintana have redefined the very concept of a product completely changing the way users interact with the objects they own. With their more than 40 years of experience, they have taken a step into the future.

Are you ready for new and unique experiences?

AVATARS, THE WAY TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN THE METAVERSE

THE METAVERSE IS AN EMERGING PHENOMENON THAT HAS BEEN STEADILY GROWING WORLDWIDE AND PROMISES TO OFFER GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IT CAN HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SAVE TIME, AND GENERALLY DO MUCH MORE THAN JUST PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR PLAYING BY MIXING VIRTUAL OR AUGMENTED REALITY WITH REAL REALITY, RADICALLY CHANGING HOW ENTERTAINMENT HAS BECOME MUCH MORE IMMERSIVE WITH PERSONALIZED AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.

BY TAMTAMING

IT ALL STARTS WITH AVATARS

The key to entry into the metaverse is an avatar which represents a person’s virtual self that can be easily constructed on designated sites. Avatar creation offers total freedom of expression allowing people to decide to be anyone or anything and transform into someone or something completely different with a few simple clicks. But what are the motives for entering the metaverse?

From a motivational point of view, the metaverse represents the possibility of acting out one’s need to be identity fluid: younger generations often choose an abstract concept with a strong personality and low anthropomorphism; there is a perceived need to separate from oneself on earth to inhabit an alternate form that allows for complete freedom of expression.

The departure from reality frees individuals from their real identity

and allows them to go beyond their physical, real self. An interesting possibility of an alternative world emerges in which the motive for engagement is completely open. For men under 30, entering the metaverse, meeting new “subjects,” exchanging real-life references in order to meet again, allows for a cognitive and free experience which fills a need for relationships for boys in this post-pandemic period. While the pandemic confined boys at home for a very long time, limiting their interactions with the outside physical world - with activities, sports, interests, groups - the metaverse becomes an easy and immediate option, allowing them to live in a parallel, open, unrestricted context, in which many aspects of themselves can be enacted, whether they fit in in the real world or not.

For digital natives, the metaverse is the fulfillment of their identity that is both real and virtual. It allows them to have experiences that otherwise would not be possible and to access other realms without ever leaving home.

As qualitative researchers, the TAMTAMING team is very interested in the many possibilities for research applications that the metaverse offers in terms of setting (an immersive reality) and its potential in terms of expression and creativity

The group did their research on the Roblox platform which has a decidedly young audience: of the approximately 60 million players that visit Roblox on a daily basis, 86 percent are under 16 years old and 54 percent are under 12. But what is the metaverse?

• The metaverse is a narrative within which new and multiple meanings are created.

• It is non-sequential, non-linear text. Engagement, learning by doing, exploration and autonomy are some of the key elements of non-sequential context.

MASSIMO CEALTI (FOUNDING PARTNER – ALTITUDE C)

DANIELA FUJANI (CO-FOUNDER – TIPS RICERCHE)

STEFANIA GOGNA (SEMIOTICIAN – STEFANIA GOGNA) LUCA MEYER (FREELANCE MARKET RESEARCHER)

• It is an interactive environment : interactivity experienced as active enjoyment, influence over the narrative. The interactivity facilitated by the video game allows the user/videogame player to influence and modify events and become the author of the unfolding story himself.

• Reality within fiction : the concept of interactivity expands its meaning, granting to the realm of fiction what is not possible to accomplish in reality.

Opportunities for Qualitative Research

During the TAMTAMING experience with Roblox , the team came into contact with many people with varied profiles (however access to the speech feature is restricted to those over the age of 13). From an operational point of view, to do research with and about the metaverse , TAMTAMING identified some initial conclusions and operational basics:

• The team concludes that recruiting people must be done directly on the platforms as there is no advantage to recruiting in a traditional way, using the platforms just as group ch at rooms

• Apart from via avatar, moderation of individual or group discussions seems to be closer to traditional modes, especially those of creatively oriented discussions.

• Performing passive, active, accompanied observations, etc., and ethnographic or semiotic studies are applicable opportunities with minimal adaptations. Finally, as social scientists, one also has a duty to point out the dark side of the metaverse: the pitfalls, the excesses and the dangers. One of the negative aspects is the control of user interactions via text messages, an activity that is referred to as moderation. The system operates with A.I. that still needs significant improvement. In contrast, the filtering of verbal conversations seems to be more limited, although this probably depends on the language of conversation. Unfortunately, cases of both verbal violence (insults, accusations, judgments, winks, profanity) and visual violence (inappropriate gestures and dress) were not uncommon.

The urgency of these examples stems first and foremost from the need to protect the young audience, as well as and the related risks arising from the lack of sanction and the blurring of lines between virtual and real life.

The Metaverse most definitely offers extraordinary advantages and solutions, but the team still points to the need for stricter guidelines for norms and rules of behavior

* This text is an excerpt from the article published on Licensing Magazine No. 3/2023

VIDEOGAMES 2023: A YEAR FULL OF NOVELTIES

BY BEATRICE REVELLO

THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY HAS BEEN THRIVING FOR YEARS, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF INTERESTING TITLES RELEASES EVERY YEAR ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS, AND THE UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES OF IP DEVELOPMENT ON THE LICENSING FRONT. FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC SLOWDOWN, 2023 LOOKS TO BE ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LAUNCHES FROM GAMING COMPANIES WITH NEW RELEASES AND BIG COMEBACKS.

In the run-up to Summer Game Fest (which replaced the well-known E3 event), there was lots of news being announced by major industry players.

This year’s Summer Games Fest took place in California on June 8th. The event welcomed 40 big companies including developers and producers such as Activision Blizzard, Bandai, Capcom, CD Projekt RED, PlayStation, SEGA, Ubisoft and Xbox, to name a few. Netflix and Amazon Games, both of whom have been developing and launching video games for years, also participated.

The first half of 2023 has already given the gaming market a lot of excitement, and strong titles, for both gamers and non-gamers.

Since the beginning of the year some big titles like Dead Space, Resident Evil 4 - Remake have been released, as well as the game that has monopolised the internet and streaming platforms for several weeks: Hogwarts Legacy, featuring the world’s most famous wizard and one of the most transversal IPs ever: Harry Potter.

Another great narrative of the 20th and 21st century returns to consoles and PC with a new title: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The franchise continues to be active on the video game market, giving its fans brand-new games to experience exciting adventures inside the Star Wars universe, following stories and plots that enrich the brand’s storytelling even further.

From movies to books and licensing, Star Wars is a franchise that fits perfectly within different worlds and content, and the video game market is no different, providing an opportunity to experiment with a world that is renowned the world over.

In May there will also be a big return on Nintendo Switch, the handheld console par excellence, of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the much-awaited sequel to the previous game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The overall growth in the industry has also been the case for titles that did not originate from native gaming IPs but had already been active in the market for a few years with several successful titles.

For example, Microids recently unveiled The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone, an action-adventure game with interactive mode, which will be released in the fourth quarter of 2023. The production company also announced the release date of Smurfs Kart, which will

be available on various platforms as of August 22nd. 2023 will not only be a year of new releases, but big comebacks to the scene of one of the most beloved genres of all times: fighting games. By 2024 the three biggest fighting games in history will return to entertain gamers around the world.

The first two to be released with a confirmed date are Street Fighter 6, followed by Mortal Kombat 1, due out on September 19th, both of which will open the door to a whole new narrative universe. Still to be confirmed is Tekken 8, another title highly anticipated by its fandom.

Yet another eagerly awaited title is the return of the Japanese fantasy saga Square Enix with its new game Final Fantasy XVI, released on June 22nd. Also in June, Diablo IV was released on all platforms.

Lots of other new games will be released in the second half of 2023 as well, including Pikmin, Avatars: Frontiers of Pandora, The Lords of the Fallen, Silent Hill 2 Remake among many others.

In ‘behind the scenes’ news in the video games industry, the European Commission approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard creating a heated debate as to the fairness of the merger in question.

Square Enix, the company behind Final Fantasy, recently revised its business strategy to focus on attractive Triple A games for international

audiences, and faster production of video game titles with shorter waiting times for different releases.

And the years-long partnership between Eletronics Arts and FIFA has come to an end. After the FIFA 23 release, there will be a new EA football game partner, EA Sports FC.

In terms of platforms, Switch is still the best-selling console this year with 125 million units sold in March alone, according to data presented by SafeBettingSites.com, making Switch the second bestselling console of all times.

EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING. THE POTENTIAL OF ONLINE GAMING

BY MATTEO MELANI

VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT JUST TOOLS FOR ENTERTAINMENT BUT CAN ALSO BE USEFUL FOR DEVELOPING NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND COMMUNICATING VALUES TO TARGETED AUDIENCES. THIS IS WELL ESTABLISHED AMONG THE MANY BRANDS THAT USE ONLINE GAMING TO PROMOTE NEW INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE THEIR REPUTATION. AS COMPARED TO A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO OR AN IMAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, GAMES OFFER THE USER AN INTERACTIVE AND ENTERTAINING EXPERIENCE. THE BEST PLATFORMS FOR PLAYING GAMES INCLUDE APPS (DOWNLOADED ON SMARTPHONES), WEBSITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

Co-branding is undoubtedly one of the most effective methods for launching branded-content games because it allows new elements to be added to the usual brand narrative. One example is the Pringles Mind Popping Cup launched last April, a digital tournament created by Pringles, PG Esports and Dentsu which offered users offline experiences in addition to the online game. The tournament started with four Online Qualifiers (qualifying matches were live streamed on Twitch) and continued with the final with the best hundred players at PLB World’s studios in Milan. The final event was open to the public and broadcast on Twitch.

One of Amazon’s most recent marketing projects was also a cobranding operation. Created in collaboration with Niantic, Amazon Anywhere is a service for viewing and purchasing products available

on Amazon within Peridot, a new augmented reality animal breeding game. What sets Amazon Anywhere apart from other apps is the convenience of execution because the user does not have to leave the game to browse the catalogue. By installing the app, Peridot adds an element of reality to its fantasy settings dominated by magical animals and creatures. This is not the first time Amazon has been involved in launching video games, with the e-commerce giant’s platform Luna being one of its most popular.

Without a doubt the target audience most responsive to new developments on the video game front are the young and very young, but seniors are also passionate about games and can be an interesting target audience as well. However, according to a study by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), seven out of ten gamers aged 50+ stated that new game formats do not suit their interests and 28% of respondents prefer to play consoles such as Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo Switch. Let’s see how this trend will evolve in the future.

THE BENEFITS OF AUGMENTED REALITY IN E-COMMERCE

BY MATTEO MELANI

While an image or text can only show certain characteristics of a product, augmented reality can immerse a customer in the complete vision of that product because the technology can provide information that details and enriches the concept of an object. In recent years, many retailers have invested more and more resources into the development of augmented reality systems to enhance the shopping experience on their e-commerce sites with apps that can be downloaded directly from a smartphone or tablet. One of the pioneers in the use of augmented reality is Ikea, which launched the Ikea Place app in collaboration with Apple in 2017. By tapping on the display, a customer can select an item and then, by taking a picture of a room, see if it looks good in that space. If a user is undecided about the colour of a sofa for their living room, or the size of a table for their kitchen, they can select the product, place it in the photo of their room at home, and make an informed decision. The products have exact measurements and fabrics colours that accurately reflect the models in the stores. Augmented reality can be a valuable asset in the clothing industry as well, for example H&M and Snapchat created an app that allows you to try on clothes directly from a smartphone without going to a shop or having to input your height or weight. To see how an outfit looks on, all you have to do is take a photo with the Snap camera and select a product on the bottom of the screen. Improving product promotion is not the only benefit of augmented

reality: augmented reality systems are able to capture data about their customers that can then be used to personalise the next shopping experience or to create an advertising campaign.

The value of augmented reality has also been proven in numbers: according to a survey by Techjury, 70 per cent of consumers think that intelligent systems provide benefits when choosing products and 57 per cent of customers say they are more likely to buy from a brand if it uses augmented reality.

DUE TO ITS POTENTIAL AND FUNCTIONS, AUGMENTED REALITY CAN PROVIDE BENEFITS TO VARIOUS ECONOMIC SECTORS, INCLUDING ONLINE COMMERCE.

BRILLIANT METAVERSE NEWS

RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ANNOUNCEMENTS ON REAL-WORLD BRANDS MAKING THEIR WAY INTO THE METAVERSE, AND VICE VERSA.

FaZe Clan, to actors, models, and Olympians. With more than 2 million mentions on Twitter, the NFT collection has also established a sizeable Twitter community reach, second only to Bored Ape Yacht Club.

FORNITE

In November 2022 Ralph Lauren teamed with Fortnite, the online gaming platform, on both a digital apparel and accessories collection and a physical apparel capsule. For the first time in the company’s history, the Polo Pony logo has been redesigned to include Fortnite’s signature llama, which has replaced the horse in the artwork for the collection.

Both the physical and digital collections drew inspiration from the brand’s Stadium collection and Polo Sport line from the ’90s, reimagined for the metaverse.

iam8bit announced on July 18th, 2023 a new partnership with Epic Games to create a vinyl edition of Fortnite’s exceptional lobby tracks, in a deal facilitated by IMG. Filled with popular earworms from Fortnite’s early days, it includes songs that players may have heard while waiting to party up or while busting out dance moves.

OKAY BEARS

In early autumn, popular NFT project Okay Bears ventured into the retail world with IMG after appointing the agency as its exclusive global licensing representative. Launched in April 2022, Okay Bears was an instant hit with $18 million sales in 24 hours, and has clocked $150 million in total trade volume since then. The collection features 10,000 diverse bears that provide a platform to innovators and creators, all rallying behind the brand’s clean, inclusive, and positive message – “We’re All Gonna Be Okay.”

IMG is working with Okay Bears to facilitate meaningful collaborations across all categories that reflect the brand’s values and provide Okay Bears’ active global community with engaging products and experiences. Since its launch, Okay Bears has collaborated with NBA athlete Lonzo Ball and official NBA supplier Wilson, and organically attracted a wide range of celebrities from Game of Thrones, and

Fortnite: Best of the Lobby packs 18 tracks on a single LP, pressed on Peely Yellow vinyl, featuring all-new original artwork from illustrator Jim Mahfood. It’s a wild take on the massively popular game, highlighting iconic Outfits like Peely, Power Chord, Skull Trooper, The Brat, and Tomatohead. Ranging from cozy holiday tunes to spooky jams, the LP features, an array of classic Fortnite tunes from the game’s first two Chapters. Fortnite: Best of the Lobby also includes extended audio versions of popular Emotes that will have listeners bouncing like Billy.

Fortnite: Best of the Lobby is priced at $31.99 and is scheduled to ship in October.

PIÑATA SMASHLINGS

Toikido and Supersocial are thrilled to announce the global launch of Piñata Smashlings, an imaginative, visually stunning, multiplayer game that will captivate audiences worldwide and kids of all ages. The innovative, blockbuster, premium quality game offers players a unique social experience as they explore, capture, and train Smashlings, the magical pet-like creatures that live in the Piñataverse – and marks the first of its kind integration of digital gameplay alongside physical product, experiential entertainment, and more.

The partnership between Toikido, the London-based entertainment company on the cutting edge of digital design and toys, and Supersocial, US-based developer and publisher of metaverse games and experiences, represents a transformative step forward in both digital and traditional entertainment. While the two companies have come together to craft the fascinating Piñata Smashlings universe for Roblox, the Piñataverse extends far beyond the virtual realm. Hot on the heels of the game launch, a vast array of consumer products, encompassing everything from toys and collectibles to apparel, will hit the market. This makes Piñata Smashlings the first-ever fully-native entertainment franchise to spring forth from a Roblox game world

Developed in unison to ensure a seamless integration between the toys and online gameplay, the physical products will encourage a whole new level of fan engagement, and will be accessible in more than 70 countries, with initial rollouts in the UK and U.S. The Smashlings universe will also extend into an exciting new animated television series, set to debut on a major streaming network soon, further immersing fans in this enchanting world.

ROME 2024

European Championships in Rome 2024 will have a phygital dimension thanks to a project innovative come on tried out sports in our country. Athletics enthusiasts will have one available from September virtual space dedicated to them and they will be able to start exploring the places of the Europeanswhere the best athletes on the continent will compete next summer. It will be an immersive experience, developed by the Euro Roma 2024 Foundation and by the company XMetaReal, specializes in creating experiences, services and content within the Metaverse.

Larissa Iapichino, one of the leading Italian champions to the world championships this August, will be the first athlete to enter the Rome 2024 Metaverse as official testimonial of the project. “I can’t wait to jump into this digital world and use my avatar to meet other visitors –explains Iapichino -. It is an opportunity to bring new people together, especially young people, to the disciplines of athletics, widening the audience of spectators even in reality”.

The Metaverse of Rome 2024 will be inaugurated in September, nine months before the start of the competition, which will be held from 7 to 12 June 2024

The UNDW3 card (pronounced “underwater”) by Lacoste is the new groundbreaking personalized experience program fueled by blockchain technology to reward brand builders and co-creators.

UNDW3 is a brand experience created by the community for the community, where technology, fashion, lifestyle and art come together: you’ll gain access to iconic moments in Lacoste’s history, limited edition products and exclusive experiences.

UNDW3 takes the Lacoste customer experience to the next level. By joining the community, you play a part in the brand’s future through WEB3. Get ready to solve quests, move up the leaderboard and unlock exclusive perks. An adventure in collaboration with all the brand’s Crocodiles, halfway between the physical and the digital world. Lacoste UNDW3: The Emerge is a collection of 1,212 unique Crocodiles. This digital collection is based on the Ethereum blockchain and is only accessible to UNDW3 Pass holders. Distributed randomly, certain attributes of the crocodiles have unlocked exclusive benefits for their holders.

LACOSTE