Right now, Topps owns 7 main licenses that will translate well to the digital landscape. The first three are already in play with Bunt, Huddle and Kick. They also own the license for Star Wars, UFC, WWE, and Garbage Pail Kids, all of which are great situations to eventually transfer over to digital. If I had to guess, that is likely the order they are going to be produced if things continue going down the way they are.
With a cryptic Tweet from @IanHundiak – the man behind all the social media aspects of the three main apps, we might have been handed a free glimpse as to which of those licenses is next on the docket. To add fuel to the fire, the original backdrop for the @toppsdigital account was Star Wars themed. Its all coming together!
Stop This Absolutely Reckless Worrying About Recent Selections…
— Ian Hundiak (@IanHundiak) January 3, 2015
Star Wars is a huge deal. A HUGE DEAL. It has a rabid fan base, an existing card collecting lineup, and some of the most recognizable movie characters of all time. It also has a movie in the works, and is owned by Disney – something that makes a Star Wars app a no brainer.
Although one could argue that UFC and WWE both play into the fantasy sports side of things a bit more fluidly, the Star Wars license opens many more doors. The question is, how will they do it?
If I had to guess, there will be gameplay elements based on the cards themselves, either in a TCG type of manner, or in collecting the cards and achieving the top scores. Topps recently got national attention for the first licensed preview of the new movie in their upcoming heritage release, and I can see them using that approach for the new app.
Additionally, with a recent release of Star Wars Masterworks, which includes sketch cards and autographs of the actors from the first six movies, those elements will transfer as well. As I wrote yesterday on my other site, there is lots of territory for Topps to expand their digital portfolio.
As soon as more information is released, I will be all over it – check back for future updates.
There is/was a job posting here (http://www.mediabistro.com/abm/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=173107&igid=) for an App Producer for Topps FORCE. Would seem to lend credence to Star Wars being the next license to get an app.