How Video Games go Global
Snacks tell us a lot about globalization and cultural identities. So do video games.
Ms. Gillian Tett wrote a brilliant piece on how the KitKat went global. With the example of Nestlé’s milk chocolate-covered wafer’s bar in Japan, she explains how identities and cultures can be fluid and ambiguous, how meanings can change when they cross borders, and how sales can explode when crossovers are approached with an open mindset.
The former American video game developer Buena Vista Games (Disney Interactive) has an interesting KitKat story to tell as well.
Back in the year 2000, Disney Interactive was in the unprofitable educational PC software market. To make money, they licensed various valuable intellectual properties - such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy - to the video game holding company Square Enix, in Japan.
Similar to KitKat, the Japanese proposed somewhat cringe-worthy ideas to American management. Square Enix envisioned Final Fantasy characters (a Japanese science-fantasy franchise) interacting with the likes of Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Lion King, and Arielle in a Super Mario 64 inspired journey. Furthermore, the protagonist of the game was supposed to wield a Keyblade sword.
Kingdom Hearts is a crossover of various Disney properties based in a fictional universe. The series centers on the main character, Sora, and his journey and experiences with various Disney, Square Enix and Pixar characters
Today, it can be safely said that Disney’s courage to follow suit and their fearlessness to experiment with intellectual property lead to success. Since their first release of Kingdom Hearts in 2002, over 10 titles and sequels have been published and more than 30 million copies sold worldwide. In addition, the Grammy award-winning DJ Skrillex and Utada Hikaru have produced the game’s most recent theme song. Also, the popular franchise Pirates of the Caribbean is featured in Kingdom Hearts as well.
KitKat and Kingdom Hearts are metaphors for globalization and cross-cultural collaborations. In an ever more populist and nationalistic world, they remind us that products, labels, brands, and characters can be malleable - and magical.