Hermes-Otto Creates Game Apparel Company Musterbrand

Fashion and retail company Hermes-OTTO International announced the creation of Musterbrand, a subsidiary dedicated to licensing and merchandising apparel based on video game franchises, such as Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo. The firm has already signed multi-year agreements with game publishers like Konami, Square Enix, and Sony Computer Entertainment to develop clothing and accessory collections. The items are sold through online shops integrated into official game sites -- stores that will eventually be integrated into the actual games. Musterbrand launched with a set of "performance gear" inspired by Sony Computer Entertainment's racing game Gran Turismo 5, which includes a branded T-shirt, long-sleeve top, windbreaker, track jacket, and endurance jacket, ranging in price from $24 to $199. Today, the company unveiled a collection of "street-military pieces" inspired by Konami's Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Some of the products include a detachable badge featuring the Peace Walker logo (pictured) -- new badges for upcoming Metal Gear Solid games will be made available in the future. Later this year, Musterbrand will release a collection that ties into Square Enix's Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The firm says it is in talks with other game developers for more collections, and that it intends to have partnerships with developers and publishers representing 20 percent of the game market by 2012. Opened last year, the company was founded by both Hermes-Otto International and Knut Jochen Bergel, who is president and CEO at Musterbrand. Bergel was previously vice president and general manager for Codemasters' Central Europe operations from 2004 to early 2010. "The gaming business has matured to support in-game advertising and virtual retail," says Bergel. "Creating collections and retail platforms that capture players' engagement is the logical evolution of this industry." He adds, "There are hundreds of millions of gamers out there that are passionate about the characters they play. We want to tap that passion and extend their virtual experience into real life."