It was announced today that this Fall, Capcom and Sanrio will be joining forces to bring out the recently revealed Street Fighter line of Hello Kitty plush dolls to the public. It is after all Street Fighter’s 25th anniversary and with such a milestone achievement, you can’t blame Capcom for trying to reach out to brand new markets. The truth is that Hello Kitty and all of her Sanrio friends are very popular and if a young girl happens to be introduced to Street Fighter for the first time and winds up becoming a fan thanks to her new Chun Li doll, then mission accomplished.
Press release:
POWERHOUSE GLOBAL COMPANIES CAPCOM® AND SANRIO® ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE HELLO KITTY X STREET FIGHTERTM CO-BRANDED MERCHANDISE
SAN DIEGO – July 22, 2011 – Capcom® Entertainment, Inc., a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, and Sanrio, Inc., creator of beloved icon Hello Kitty®, today announced a partnership to create a new line of co-branded Street Fighter™ themed merchandise that will launch in fall 2012. The collaboration will be a fusion of the unique styles of these world-famous brands, yielding a broad range of merchandise featuring Hello Kitty dressed in the distinct costumes from the Street Fighter series of video games.
“Capcom has long admired Sanrio and their ability to create memorable and cherished lifestyle brands so it is a distinct pleasure to partner with them for this new cross-over line of merchandise,” said Joshua Izzo, Director of Licensing, Capcom Entertainment, Inc. “The combination of Street Fighter and Hello Kitty will offer fans a whole new way to experience our characters.”
“We are always looking for new ways to surprise our fans and partnering with a strong brand-focused company such as Capcom is a natural fit for us,” said Jill Koch, Vice President of Brand Management and Marketing, Sanrio, Inc. “Hello Kitty and Street Fighter have a dedicated core following around the world and our collaboration brings the legacy of both brands together in a fun and unexpected way.”
Specific details on the co-branded merchandise and retailer availability will be released at a later date.
Street Fighter® was first released in the arcades in 1987. This was followed up in 1991 with the smash hit Street Fighter® II, and as of April 12, 2011, the series as a whole has shipped more than 31 million units on home consoles worldwide. The innovative battle system found in the Street Fighter games helped to establish the fighting game genre for video games.