Mattel vs SEGA

Mattel and BBC Studios Expand the World of Bluey Through Multi-Brand Global Licensing Partnership

Mattel and BBC Studios Expand the World of Bluey Through Multi-Brand Licensing Partnership. The first products from the collaboration arrive Fall 2026. EL SEGUNDO, Calif., September 15, 2026 — Mattel, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAT), a leading global play and family entertainment company and owner of one of t...

Mattel Partners with BBC's Bluey Across Multiple Brands

Mattel announced a multi-year global licensing partnership with BBC Studios to bring the animated series Bluey to five of its major brands: Fisher-Price's Little People, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and UNO. This move is part of Mattel's strategic shift from a traditional toy maker to a 'brand management company' focused on building lifelong fandom through an ecosystem of toys, entertainment, and live experiences. The partnership was announced by Mattel's chief marketing and brand officer, Roberto Stanichi, at ADWEEK's Brandweek. The collaboration aims to leverage Bluey's emotional resonance to deepen consumer engagement and expand Mattel's franchise ecosystem, aligning with its brand pillars of centering fans and creating immersive experiences.

• Mattel and BBC Studios signed a multi-year global licensing partnership for Bluey.
• Bluey characters will appear in Fisher-Price Little People, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and UNO products.
• The deal was announced by Mattel's CMO Roberto Stanichi at ADWEEK's Brandweek.

Mattel Game Studios Targets Mobile Hit Like Monopoly Go

Mattel is restructuring its gaming division, now known as Mattel Game Studios, to pursue a blockbuster mobile title similar to Hasbro and Scopely's Monopoly Go. After acquiring NetEase's stake in the joint venture Mattel163 in February 2026 and rebranding in August, Mattel aims to leverage its iconic IPs like Uno, Barbie, and Hot Wheels for mobile and other gaming platforms. Devin Nambiar, COO, oversees a team of about 300 spread across LA and Hangzhou. The company plans to launch games tied to major movie and toy releases, with ambitions to replicate the success of Monopoly Go, which generated significant revenue for Hasbro. Mattel views this as a long-term digital transformation initiative spanning five to ten years.

• Mattel acquired NetEase's stake in the joint venture Mattel163 in February 2026.
• Mattel163 rebranded as Mattel Game Studios in August 2026.
• Devin Nambiar, former EA executive, serves as COO of Mattel Game Studios, overseeing ~300 employees in LA and Hangzhou.

Sega and Netflix expand transmedia strategy with Crazy Taxi film

Sega and Netflix have announced a new transmedia collaboration, starting with a feature film adaptation of Crazy Taxi, written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The slate also includes a new animated Sonic series for pre-school audiences and a live-action film based on RGG Studio's Stranger Than Heaven. The projects aim to leverage different parts of Sega's gaming catalog across various genres and formats. Producing the Crazy Taxi film will be Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara, who have worked on the Sonic franchise. The collaboration marks a strategic move to expand Sega's intellectual properties into film and television, with potential implications for the advertising industry through new sponsorship and product placement opportunities.

• Sega and Netflix announced a collaboration to adapt Crazy Taxi into a feature film.
• Dan Gregor and Doug Mand will write the Crazy Taxi film.
• Producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara are attached to the project.

Rovio to close Copenhagen studio after Sonic Blitz cancel

Sega-owned Rovio is shutting its Copenhagen studio following the cancellation of its runner–card-collection hybrid mobile game Sonic Blitz. Rovio says about 20 employees worked on the canceled project and that a redundancy process is underway; affected staff will be offered transition packages including outplacement and wellbeing support. Sega West COO and Rovio CEO Alex Pelletier‑Normand said retention did not meet expectations despite initial promise, and that the company is concentrating development efforts. AppMagic data shows Sonic Blitz picked up over 200,000 downloads, mainly in Brazil with some players in the Philippines.

• Sega-owned Rovio is discontinuing all operations at its Copenhagen studio after cancelling the mobile game Sonic Blitz.
• Rovio stated that around 20 employees had worked on the now-canceled Sonic Blitz project.
• Rovio will offer transition packages, including outplacement services and wellbeing support, to team members who cannot be reallocated.

Sonic Blitz cancelled as servers shut down

Sonic Blitz, a Sonic-based mobile card game developed by Rovio in partnership with Sega, has been cancelled and its servers shut down on 24 August 2026. The game had been soft-launched in the Philippines (June 2025) and Brazil but never reached global release. Rovio informed its Discord community on 21 August that the closure is part of "broader change" at the studio. AppMagic estimated the title reached over 200,000 downloads across the two soft-launch markets, with install peaks and subsequent fluctuations during 2025–2026. Discord and Twitter accounts for the game also went offline the same day.

• Sonic Blitz has been cancelled and servers were shut down on 24 August 2026.
• The game was soft-launched in the Philippines in June 2025 and later in Brazil but never launched globally.
• Rovio announced the game's closure to its Discord community on 21 August 2026, citing "broader change" at the studio.