Mattel is taking another stab at bringing its toys to mobile games, this time as part of joint venture with Chinese videogames publisher NetEase. The Mattel163 joint venture comes after the toymaker struggled for years to bring its IP to the online world. The first of the titles will be based on the card game Uno and debut in the first half on Facebook Messenger, Android and Apple’s iOS. The companies also will develop games based on Barbie, Fisher-Price toys and other properties.

The joint venture is Mattel’s most recent effort to bring its toys into the online market. Early last year, Mattel worked with developer Rocket League to launch the mobile racing game “Hot Wheels: Races Off” and teamed with Glu Mobile’s Cie Games to add Hot Wheels content to its “Racing Rivals” title. Since arriving from Google about a year ago, Mattel CEO Margo Georgiadis has pushed the company to expand its reach in games, content and live experiences. A successful game could deliver up to $50 million in annual revenue, Georgiadis has told analysts. For its part, NetEase, which generates about $5.5 billion in annual revenue, has developed several popular franchises in China, including Onmyoji, a role-playing game released in 2016 that has had more than 200 million downloads.

Contact:

Mattel, Joseph Euteneuer, Chief Financial Officer, 310-252-2000