The battle between The Komplex and The Forge has entered a new realm.
Wisconsin-based PlayMonster LLC teamed up with HEM — a third-party distributor — to expand its Snap Ships brand into the Korean market for the first time. The space-themed construction line launches at retail in South Korea today in celebration of Children’s Day, a regional holiday observed each year on May 5.
“We are excited to bring the brand to a strong market like Korea with a full national rollout,” says Richard Gill, vice president international, PlayMonster. “It demonstrates that Snap Ships’ dynamic new ‘Build to Battle’ play belies language and cultural barriers, appealing to kids and families everywhere.”
Kids in Korea join others across the U.S., UK, Australia, South Africa, and more in immersing themselves in the Snap Ships’ intergalactic storyline and play pattern. The Snap Ships App for iOS and Android and season one of the animated series, Snap Ships: Dawn to Battle, have been translated into Korean to complete the full experience. Snap Ships was invented by video game industry vets Scott Pease and Jeff Swenty (Tony Hawk series, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty).
The entry into Korea for Snap Ships is just one piece of an over-arching international growth plan for PlayMonster. Following the rebranding of Interplay to PlayMonster UK this year, and the acquisition of BriteBrush, the company says it will extend distribution of its products — including Snap Ships, Drone Home, 5 Second Rule, and more — further into Europe this fall. Plans are in the works for growth across Russia, Hungary, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, and Israel.
“With a presence in 60 countries, our aim is to continue to expand our business internationally in tandem with our partners, like HEM, and further develop our business relations,” Gill says. “Asia is becoming a growth market — Korea is spearheading that — with India, China, and Japan following suit.”
