Littlest Pet Shop is making a comeback with a new game on Roblox along with a new line of toys. The collaboration with master toy licensee Basic Fun!, Hasbro, and Suit Up Games will feature an experience where kids can virtually collect the bobble-headed animals.
“In reimagining Littlest Pet Shop for a modern audience, it was clear that we needed to meet today’s kids and kidults where they are,” says Eugene Evans, Senior Vice President for Digital Strategy and Licensing at Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro. “Roblox connects tens of millions of people every day for immersive and shared digital experiences, so it was natural to engage this community as we bring back the beloved brand on a global scale.”
Hasbro initially launched Littlest Pet Shop more than 30 years ago and since then the brand has sold more than 1 billion pets worldwide, with more than 3,000 pets to collect, display, and trade.
“The iconic brand was one of the original toys to grow through its vibrant social media community,” says Maureen Dilger, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at Basic Fun! “Littlest Pet Shop is a natural fit for Roblox — the most popular immersive platform in the world for today’s young people to connect.”
The December release of the video game will kickstart a global marketing campaign to relaunch Littlest Pet Shop to kids. Basic Fun! will launch the program in more than 20 countries, with products set to launch starting in the spring. The collection will have more than 140 pets to collect, featuring new characters, packs, and playsets.
“There has been a gap in the Roblox marketplace for a pet simulation game leveraging the pet collector genre,” says Ross Targett, General Manager of Suit Up Games. “It was serendipity when Basic Fun! approached us about a partnership, as we were keen to enter this space in a big way. By collaborating with Basic Fun!, we get to do it with a global cross-generational brand like Littlest Pet Shop that has collecting pets at the heart of its DNA.”
“Over the years, we’ve seen huge demand to bring Littlest Pet Shop back — especially from fans who grew up with the brand in the ‘90s and ‘00s that want to connect with the newest generation through the universal language of play,” says Bradley Bowman, Senior Licensing Director, Global Toy and Games at Hasbro. “Basic Fun! has been a fantastic partner in keeping our classic brands alive and relevant as ever, so it was natural to entrust them with the relaunch of Littlest Pet Shop as we expand into the ‘phygital’ world to meet today’s kids where they are.”
The Littlest Pet Shop Roblox experience will be available starting in December, but Basic Fun! will be previewing the experience and the new line of Littlest Pet Shop toys in Booth No. 2235 at Toy Fair this weekend.
