The Japanese toy company TOMY has signed a deal with SEGA of America to add Sonic the Hedgehog to their line of Club Mocchi- Mocchi- plushies. This new line of plushies will represent the first non-Nintendo IP to be made into a TOMY plushie.
In a press release sent out today, TOMY talks about their reasoning for choosing Sonic the Hedgehog to be their next Club Mocchi- Mocchi- IP. "Sonic is an all-time classic video game character that has evolved into a beloved lifestyle brand and we are thrilled to bring these amazing characters to fans and collectors around the world through our unique Club Mocchi- Mocchi- brand,” said TOMY’s Director of Global Brands, Morgan Weyl. Meanwhile, Michael Cisneros, Manager of Licensing at SEGA of America, says that they're "thrilled" to team up with TOMY due to their "long-standing reputation for high-quality plush toys."
Founded in 1924 as Tomy (an abridgment of the founder's surname), TOMY is a major worldwide brand, but most of their products are licensed outside of Japan. They've (more specifically, Takara, who they merged with in 2006) had a hand in the creation of things such as Beyblade tops, Transformer mechas, and B-daman marble shooting toys. UK readers might know TOMY for their line of electronic Tomy Trains. As for Club Mocchi- Mocchi-, they're TOMY's line of plushie toys that primarily features a variety of Nintendo IPs such as Animal Crossing, Splatoon, and Super Mario. Sonic's addition to the Club Mocchi- Mocchi line will be the first non-Nintendo IP that gets TOMY's plushie treatment.
You can learn more about the Sonic the Hedgehog plushie on Tomy's official website here. As for Sonic himself, he'll be premiering in a sequel to his live-action/CGI movie and a Netflix Original series called Sonic Prime, both expected to release in 2022.
