Summary
Mattel Inc., a brand synonymous with near-countless toy franchises, has announced that it will be partnering withOutright Games Ltd.to bring new Barbie, Monster High, and Matchbox games to console and PC players. All three games are expected to be available for purchase before the end of 2024.
Founded in 2016, London and Madrid-based Outright Games already has publishing credits on more than 50 games, not counting the three that have just been announced. The company works exclusively with recognizable, family-friendly IPs, repackaging cartoons, toys, and other kid-friendly material in a video game format. Its catalog runs the gamut from early-childhood franchises likePaw PatrolandPeppa Pigto fare aimed at older kids,likeSteven Universe andGuillermo del Toro’sTrollhunters, along with games based on celebrities like JoJo Siwa and Ryan Kaji ofRyan’s Worldfame.
The three games, announced in a press release issued on May 22, are titledBarbie Project Friendship,Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets, andMatchbox Driving Adventures, marking the first time Outright Games has produced a game featuring any of these brands. These three games should be just the beginning, as the release states Outright Games and Mattel have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership. As far as the content of these games is concerned,Matchbox Driving Adventureswill be a competitive driving game, while the games based onBarbieandMonster Highdollswill focus more on teamwork and friendship. Mattel global head of digital gaming Mike DeLaet had high praise for Outright Games as the publisher to expand these toy brands' presence in gaming, noting that a “critical component of this strategy is choosing the right partners.”
Mattel Has A History With Gaming
While this is the first time Outright Games will take a crack at Mattel-licensed products, it’s far from the first foray into gaming for the toy and game company. In 2023, Mattel Digital Games peaked at around 48 million active monthly players, led by games likeBarbie:DreamHouse TycoonandHot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged. Even outside its own brand of games, its toys have made appearances elsewhere in gaming, with John Cena andCody Rhodes Mattel action figures inWWE 2K24as playable wrestlers. On top of that, Mattel was once a player in the video game console business, with Mattel Electronics manufacturing the Intellivision, the second-best-selling video game console from 1980 to 1982.
No release dates have been announced for any of these three upcoming games, although the press release states that details will continue to be sent out over the next several months. While they wait, Mattel fans can also look forward to anew Barbie mobile gamefrom Zynga-owned developer Rollic.
