Mojang has tapped Jazwares in a global deal to create toys for Minecraft, to be released in time for the 2013 holiday season.
“Minecraft is one of the hottest brands on the planet right now,” said Laura Zebersky, EVP of global sales at Jazwares. “The marketplace is primed for a line of toys, electronics and paper craft items that reflect the fun and creativity of the game.”
In the absence of major toy deals, many Minecraft players have already made their own awesome toys, from painting cardboard boxes to look like lava and grass, to creating elaborate Lego kits like the one pictured above (which you can pick up on Etsy).
Not surprising, given that Minecraft has a strong community of players that like to build things.
But that brings up another concern – with more and more officially licensed Minecraft toys entering the market, will those independent creators and sellers encounter a Jayne’s Hat scenario?
“FOX, the licensors of Firefly merch, is sending out cease and desist notices to Etsy sellers who carry their own cunning hats.” – ThinkGeek Blog
Time will tell whether Mojang and their partners treat their IRL community of creators as well as they have served their virtual ones. Dan, one member of the Minecraft crafting community, weighed in on IP issues and potential fallout in an interview with us here: Minecraft Crafters Weigh in on IP and Custom Crafts
