After successfully moving into the video game space with a line of Mega Blok Halo construction sets, Mega Brands sets its sights on a racier video game license: EA's Need for Speed. How's that going to work?
The Halo franchise is full of iconic imagery, from the strong and silent Master Chief to the Covenant's arsenal of purple combat vehicles. Even in Mega Blok format, you can definitely tell that Master Chief is indeed Master Chief, and not some random soldier.
The Need for Speed franchise, on the other hand, is filled with cars, and while there are some pretty iconic cars out there, there are also plenty of toys depicting those cars. It seems like an odd decision, but Mega Brands has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with EA to make toys based off of the Need for Speed experience.
"We're thrilled to be partnering with EA to create the first construction toy line based on the Need for Speed franchise," said Vic Bertrand, Chief Innovation Officer of MEGA Brands. "Whether it's realistic driving games or over-the-top car pursuits, Need for Speed has attracted millions of followers worldwide. We look forward to bringing this world to life through Mega Bloks by offering fans an action-packed building experience.''
According to the press release the playsets, which will start arriving next summer, will focus on the "core play pattern of building vehicles," which sounds interesting enough. Mega Bloks does do vehicles pretty well, and some of their Probuilder line vehicles are downright impressive.
I guess the question is will the Need for Speed license make for better-selling car construction sets? We'll find out this summer.