Icon of Cool, Fido Dido is now going to feature on Mobile Games the world over, courtesy Mumbai based Jump Games. The Mumbai based developer – publisher has acquired the license to create mobile games on the ever popular character from its creator Joanna Ferone, founder of Fido Dido Inc.
Fido Dido Inc’s Joanna Ferone (President) and Dean Koocher (MD) were here in Mumbai and at a specially arranged one on one with AnimationXpress.com (at the Jump Games studio) shared, “The association with Jump Games is as key to us as our association with the 7UP brand. It is a first for Fido in terms of Mobile device appearances and the plan is to create a bunch of cool casual games for cell phone users across the globe. Fido will be presented in a fun, accessible and animated way, independent of any brand associations”
Jump Games CEO Salil Bhargava shared, “As publishers and developers, we are a global player and we are looking to expand our share in the global pie with world famous characters such as Fido. He has universal appeal, fits in really well with mobile gaming. We are also banking on Fido to enter the Latin American market”
Jump plans to initially launch a couple of Fido games, one in 2D and the other in 3D. The 2D game is Fido hi flier and 3D one will be a Fido bowling game where he reacts and interacts with the players with a wide variety of animated expressions.
“Mobile games are generally fun casual games and Fido fits in well” shared Salil. The 2D Fido hi flier game is playable with single hand and will add to the ease of play factor.In fact creating simple games is critical and they can be most fun to play, though difficult to create” he added.
Jump Games EVP Ninad Chaya shared “The game will have leader-boards for score submissions across the operator networks and FIDO merchandise is part of the cool give-aways to the winners”
Pune based Digikore (which also has its own animation studio and institute) is the Indian partner and agent for Fido Dido. Joanna shared that Digikore was instrumental in the Fido – Jump association and that several other licensing deals with the character were in the pipeline including one with a Delhi based apparel company.
Sharing more on the licensing front, Fido Dido Incâ€?s Dean Koocher shared that Fido is doing great in China too. “The business in China is run by RMM enterprises and they have done an incredible job there with Fido shops & boutiques that just sell Fido stuff. The fashion and apparel license business for Fido is also solid in China. We also have Luggage and Car accessories that are doing well there”
“In Brazil and Latin America where Fido is huge, we have a great presence in Fashion and apparel and have a very strong Licensing partner in Exim which is expanding the license into all areas. Globally 7UP is our biggest and long known commercial partnership. And all the different 7UP creatives featuring Fido that are aired in different parts of the world are run through Joanna” he added.
“And I think JWT is doing a fabulous job of it” Joanna quipped.
Fidoâ€?s creator Joanna Ferone shared that, “Fido came into being 21 years ago as a doodle on cocktail napkin in a pub over discussion about what me and my partner felt about life. And Fido represents acceptance of all kinds of people which is so characteristic of New York as a city”
“If you notice, there is a little bit of Fido in everyone and a little bit of everyone in Fido. He is simple, black and white, silent and more of an Icon that represents a lot of positive good values” she added.
Jumpâ€?s Bhargava shared that, “Worldwide Fido is the king of cool”
Fido Dido Incâ€?s Dean Koocher shared that, “One thing thatâ€?s most exciting about Fido is that he is very licensable and thatâ€?s because heâ€?s simple yet means a lot of things. And there are hundreds and thousands of characters out there, but in my experience I know for a fact that it is very difficult to create a simple character, that can actually become an Icon and mean things to people”
And so while quite a few Indian IP creators and aspirants are getting into their creative acts and developing new characters, the Jump Games – Fido Dido association and mobile games are definitely going to be worth waiting for.