posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
The new IP could join the multiverse of games.
One of the popular ideas in entertainment today is the multiverse. While the concept has been around much longer in mediums such as comics, in the past few years the concept has really taken off, thanks to films such as those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and games such as Fortnite. However, anime and manga have generally shied away from the concept of a multiverse unless it’s within a single authors work. Toei Animation, though, is taking a big leap into the idea of the multiverse with a licensing deal with Spaceport Technologies with its new film Hypergalactic. Spaceport Technologies announced the deal on Tuesday, stating, “This collaboration is set to redefine branded content and fan engagement by introducing Toei Animation‘s Hypergalactic into the most popular content platforms for gamers of all ages, including Roblox and Fortnite.”
© TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Calling all Anime Fans! Your favorite Hypergalactic characters are coming to @Roblox & @Fortnite! Spaceport partners with @ToeiAnimation (Dragon Ball, One Piece!) to unleash HYPERGALACTIC content! Get ready for epic UGC experiences! ➡️https://t.co/tARPCN9IxM #Roblox #Fortnite… pic.twitter.com/iXCv2Uzod0
— Spaceport.xyz 🚀 (@spaceportxyz) August 6, 2024
Spaceport Technologies also spoke on the potential of user generated content (UGC), saying, “Spaceport’s technology allows IP owners like Toei to leverage this power by licensing Hypergalactic to multiple game developers and content creators simultaneously and at scale. This builds a much larger pool of content for users to choose from and provides the brand more opportunities to resonate with new and existing fans.”
The companies did not go into details on Hypergalactic content in games such as Roblox or Fortnite. However, Fortnite generates much of its revenue through in-game cosmetics (for characters, weapons, and vehicles) and emotes.
Fortnite recently concluded its in-game narrative collaboration event with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, and earlier in the year held a similar in-game narrative collaboration with Nickelodeon‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Fortnite and its developers, Epic Games are no strangers to in-game narrative collaborations.
The idea of leveraging the concept of the multiverse to gain brand recognition isn’t a novel concept, but it is one the Japanese entertainment industry generally does not use. This could be a step in seeing more anime and manga characters collaborating with other IPs. And when that happens, the multiverse will be our oyster.
Sources: Email correspondence, Spaceport Technologies’ website and X/Twitter account
