Whether you refer to it as soccer or football, there’s no question that the sport is considered by many to be the most popular on a worldwide scale. 2014 is a big year for fans of the ball and boot combo too because it marks the return of the FIFA World Cup after its standard four year hiatus; a gap comparable to that of the Olympic games. Suffice to say, it’s a big deal, and fans the world over will be tuning in, but now gamers that may not care for the sport have a new reason to watch.
Announced this week, famed video game developer Nintendo and Adidas have reached an agreement to make Pikachu from the all-too-popular Pokemon franchise the official mascot for Japan during the World Cup later this year. The deal will have the electric rodent and a handful of other popular pocket monsters (including Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle) suiting up in Japanese kits to cheer on the team in Brazil.
This announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Nintendo previously detailed plans to start working with outside companies to license its properties, although scoring Pikachu a position as an official mascot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup probably wasn’t what fans expected. Regardless, promotion of this magnitude is great for a company that’s been struggling as of late, and it’s a sign that more deals akin to this are attainable.
After learning of a Pokemon-related promotion like this, it’s easy to forget that there’s currently a rather wicked one going on for new 3DS owners. Anyone who picks up a 3DS or 2DS and registers it on Club Nintendo can score a free copy of Pokemon X or Y, so consumers should definitely take the necessary steps to capitalize on that deal. Admittedly, it’s easy to get distracted by the thought of someone trying to play soccer in that Pikachu costume, so it’s understandable if some forgot.
What do you think of Pikachu scoring the mascot position for Japan’s soccer team? Are you surprised that I didn’t make any reference to this being a “shocking” or “electrifying” deal?
Source: Soccerly
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