Nintendo Targets New Audience With ‘My Mario’ Products and Apps Launching This February
Nintendo has unveiled the U.S. launch of “My Mario,” a comprehensive new line of Mario-themed products specifically designed for young children.
This initiative represents a significant push by the video game giant to introduce its flagship character to a new generation of consumers, extending the franchise’s immense reach beyond its core gaming audience.
The wide range of products will include picture books published by Penguin Random House, building blocks, infant and toddler clothing, rattles, plush toys, and bath toys manufactured by Tomy.
These items will first become available at the Nintendo New York and Nintendo San Francisco stores, with a wider release at select retail stores across the U.S. scheduled for this spring.
More products are slated to roll out throughout the year as the company builds out the brand.
The digital component of the brand is the free “Hello, Mario!” app, which will launch on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch simultaneously.
The brand originally debuted in Japan, where the interactive app launched alongside a companion game, “Hello, Yoshi!”.
Both apps allow users to interact with Mario or Yoshi’s face by simply touching the screen on smartphones and Switch consoles in various ways.
Supporting the product line is a series of kid-friendly, one-minute stop-motion animation shorts available for streaming on the official Play Nintendo YouTube channel, with five episodes currently available for viewing.
The “My Mario” expansion arrives following the monumental box office success of the franchise’s film adaptation.
The theatrical performance established the movie as the highest-earning video game adaptation in history.
The film ended the prior year as the second highest-earning film globally and in the United States, cementing Mario’s status as a top-tier multimedia property.
The movie is getting a sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is scheduled to open in North America and later in Japan, demonstrating Nintendo’s long-term commitment to the cinematic universe.
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