July 2025
Mario Kart World: Transmedia Monetization Strategy
Collegiate Games Competition — Honorable Mentions
In 2025, I competed in the inaugural Collegiate Games Challenge, a national invitational organized by Gay Gaming Professionals that brought together students from 20+ universities across three tracks: Interactive, Business, and Cinematic.
In the Business Category, my team developed a go-to-market strategy for Nintendo's inaugural Switch 2 title, Mario Kart World. We analyzed how to unlock incremental transmedia revenue and engagement from its 120+ million existing fanbase — grounded in audience segmentation, competitive benchmarking, and trends in collectibles, experiential marketing, and live-service monetization.
Three Transmedia Pillars
- Collectible Partnerships (Pop Mart): Leveraging the collectibles trend to create physical touchpoints that drive digital engagement loops.
- Experiential Activations (Waymo): Real-world experiences that convert casual fans into engaged community members.
- Food + Gaming Integrations (Universal Studios / Yoshi's Diner): Expanding the Mario Kart brand into everyday lifestyle moments.
The core insight was that licensing alone isn't transmedia — true transmedia monetization happens when physical products, real-world experiences, and digital gameplay reinforce each other. Our strategy received Honorable Mentions in the Business Category.