THE GAMING INDUSTRY LEVELS UP

The video game industry is moving into crossover content and creating an entirely new way for brands to reach consumers and further expand their IP.

Video games have experienced a significant boom in recent years, with licensed retail sales growing 8 percent from 2015 to 2016 globally, according to the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association’s Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey 2017.

In fact, gaming companies today are turning to crossover content, experiential events, traditional licensed merchandise and more to bring their characters and franchises to broader audiences via new stories and avenues of fan engagement. The industry has also captured the eye of Europe’s largest licensing trade show, Brand Licensing Europe.

During the event, taking place Oct. 10-12 at London’s Olympia, a brand-new Gaming Activation Zone will be on display and will also feature a gaming-focused keynote panel, entitled “Gaming: Dispelling the Myths,” featuring executives from Sony, Activision and more.