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SCEA launches licensed apparel program to sell you the schwag we don't want photo

As videogame quasi-journalists (or whatever category it is you'd like to put us in), we often get quite a bit of a random videogame schwag. 90% of this garba-- uh, awesome pieces of schwag, are articles of clothing. I recently donated 80 pounds of extra large t-shirts that don't fit me to the Salvation Army. Most featured logos and art from videogames like Donkey Kong, Devil May Cry, Grand Theft Auto, Prince of Persia, Ninja Gaiden, Killzone, God of War, Gears of War ... you get the idea.

So while I don't need this stuff, Sony Computer Entertainment America are hoping you will, and are launching a new line of apparel and accessories for various PlayStation brand games franchises. Listed in the press release (which you can see after the jump) are titles like God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, Heavenly Sword, and the upcoming Little Big Planet. Sony are promising t-shirts, headwear, hoodies, bags, and even boxers and "loungewear," whatever the hell that means.

Videogame apparel is not a new industry, with many licensed products being sold by Nintendo and others through online outlets and brick-and-mortar retailers like Hot Topic. Let's hope that Sony's partners (IV Gear Inc., Fortune Fashions, Bioworld, and MJC) can develop and design interesting products that look less like advertisements, and more like something a human being might want to wear.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LAUNCHES NEW LICENSED APPAREL PROGRAM

Companies Work Together to Showcase Top PlayStation® franchise titles

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announces four new industry leaders in apparel and accessory licenses for the PlayStation® brand and various game franchises, including God of War®, Ratchet & Clank®, Resistance Fall of Man®, Heavenly Sword™ and Little Big Planet™. IV Gear Inc. will develop an extensive line of t-shirts, headwear and other apparel for the specialty and mid-tier market. Fortune Fashions will also focus on the mid-tier market as well as mass retail channels for t-shirts and hoodies. Bioworld will produce headwear, bags and accessories. MJC will round out the program with boys and young men's boxers and loungewear.

“PlayStation is an extremely strong and well-known brand” said Shelly Gayner, Director of Licensing, SCEA. “We feel that this is a great opportunity for us to satiate our core fans and extend and capitalize on PlayStation name recognition by creating a new line of apparel in connection with the PlayStation brands and our top franchise titles.”

John Leonhardt, President of Dimensional Branding Group, who is leading the DBG PlayStation licensing team, adds, “With the addition of this diverse roster of creative and passionate apparel partners this marks the initiation of PlayStation as one of the most innovative and cutting edge licensing programs.”








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16 comments | showing # 1 to 16
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DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 08:22
DeusPayne
I'll admit, I wear the 1-up Mushroom and Magic Mushroom wristbands on occasion. As long as they capture my inner nerd without being a walking advertisement, I'm okay with this move.
Aaron Mxy Yost's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 08:28
Aaron Mxy Yost
Nick, I wear an XL shirt... Just saying.
Nick Chester's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 08:31
Nick Chester
@ Mxy:

I will keep that in mind. I had considered randomly sending community members all of this crap I have, but some of the shirts I've worn to bed. I'm not sure you guys want my used stuff. Or do you!?!?
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 08:37
Samit Sarkar
Put a shirt on eBay with the title “Sony schwag”. Then, put this in the description:

“This T-shirt was worn by Nick Chester, Editor-in-Chief of Destructoid.com. It is soaked with a variety of his bodily fluids.”

I guarantee it’ll sell for at least $50.
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 08:53
AgentMOO
This might make them a couple bucks as long as they don't include the pure, concentrated shirt form of apathy that is pictured above.
Chris Morris's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 09:07
Chris Morris
I would actually be ok with wearing some of the "advertisement" clothing if it came in a size for normal people. I love how promo clothing and pre-order bonuses are always extra large. Where is all the love for the small and medium people that play video games? There are the nerds that gorge on pizza and mountain dew all day, but then there are the super hardcore that don't have time to eat at all. They need outerwear too!
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 09:44
MechaMonkey
Putting game developers' names on shirts is a good way to start. I really don't want everyone asking me who Bethesda is.
ceark's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 11:04
ceark
not that I have anything against the homeless, but if you donated a bunch of gamer wear to the salvation army, and a bunch of bums start wearing gaming shirts, doesn't that reinforce the negative stereotype that gamers are bums?
Corak's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 11:25
Corak
@cerak
Possibly, I'm sure some shirts will make it into the hands of the homeless and that's a good thing. But I know the salvation army has thrift stores around here where they sell this stuff, then the money would go for other stuff they need.

If the shirts looked like something I'd like to wear I'd consider it. While a t-shirt with mario on it would be cool to some but I'm not 12 so getting a t-shirt with a cartoon character on it doesn't interest me in the least. Its hard to hit on a chick at a bar with a cartoon Italian sterotype on your shirt. =P
ceark's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 11:32
ceark
oh yeah, I forgot about the thrift stores. good point.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 12:22
Sharpless
I'm a "large."

Love you, Nick.
ToeKing's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 13:51
ToeKing
@Nick
You wear shirts to bed? Try sleeping nekid, I highly recommend it. It will save shirts and liberate you. Then with the shirts you've managed to save you can send them to the community.
ZServ's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 15:13
ZServ
I wear larges and up.


Just sayin'.
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 15:40
Darren Nakamura
I want to sniff Nick Chester's pajamas. Send them to me.
HarassmentPanda's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 17:44
HarassmentPanda
Why is it free shirts are ALWAYS XL? I understand that Americans are larger than the rest of the world, but that doesn't mean we all nee XL shirts. Sure, an XL will "fit" just about anybody, but just because I can put it on doesn't mean it actually fits.
Bob Muir's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/06/2008 21:11
Bob Muir
I hate most gamer shirts, because it's usually just the game's logo and the prerendered promotional artwork that everyone's seen. Very rarely does the shirt have an artistic design beyond reusing what worked in other mediums.
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