From the editor

Welcome, dear reader, to Toy World’s special Licensing World flip-cover issue. Licensing undeniably continues to play a huge role in the Toys & Games industry. While the overall toy market is slightly down this year, sales of licensed toys and games are up +3%, according to Circana, increasing their share to a whopping 33% of overall sales (YTD July 2024). Licensed characters and brands now form a major part of consumer consciousness. Whether they’re arguing on social media about whether or not Hello Kitty is, in fact, a cat – do send me your ‘felines’ on the matter - camping on the street to get their hands on the latest Disney Lorcana launch before anyone else, trying to secure one of YuMe Toys’ awesome Netflix advent calendars, or coming a very respectable fifth at a competitive Harry Potter quiz night (OK, OK, I’m talking about myself here), fans want to immerse themselves in the brands they know and love in a litany of ways. And this, of course, is very good news for toy and game licensees, as well as the retailers that will ultimately stock their products.

So, onto this issue. We may have caught a few of you by surprise with the early timing of this one and for that we can only apologise – you see, we were keen to be out well in advance of a little thing called Brand Licensing Europe, which returns this year from 24th-26th September instead of its customary October slot. It’s shaping up to be another absolutely unmissable event, and lots of you have chosen to highlight what you’ll be showcasing at London Excel in this packed issue’s BLE 2024 bumper preview. To all those who’ve taken part, thanks for getting your copy over to us four weeks earlier than you usually would – we know that in the world of licensing, that’s no mean feat…

Also in this issue, we’ve celebrated the magic of Minecraft with a special feature on the brand’s 15th anniversary. From its humble beginnings as a pre-Alpha development build called the ‘Cave Game’ to a global powerhouse with a strong presence at retail, in homes and, soon, at cinemas, with the release of the first-ever feature length live adaptation Minecraft film, we’ve taken a deep dive into how Minecraft has built such a cult following and what comes next for this creative, inclusive brand. Federico San Martin, senior director of Minecraft Consumer Products, has provided some fascinating insight for readers, so make sure you block out plenty of time for a read through.

On top of all this, we’re bringing you a look behind the curtain at Mark Thompson Productions, an expert in developing edutainment shows and the company behind Science Museum Group’s groundbreaking stage show, as well as more on the upcoming launch of Funko Fusion, Funko’s first foray into the world of computer gaming and an expansive new world that invites players to engage with the extended Funko universeand some of NBCUniversal’s most beloved properties - like never before.