Tokyo, Japan – February 7, 2014 – LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, announced that they have acquired the merchandising and licensing rights in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand for “LINE Pokopang” characters from Treenod, Inc., the game company that developed the app, and will move forward with plans to start taking offers from other companies for merchandising and licensing opportunities. LINE Pokopang is a free game app for iPhone and Android available through the LINE GAME service offered on the LINE platform.

LINE Pokopang is an action puzzle game in which players defeat monsters by tracing three or more connecting blocks of the same color to destroy them, clearing as many as they can within the one minute time limit. Since its release in May 2013, the game has received praise for the amount of pleasure derived simply from destroying blocks with a single stroke. It has  topped 28 million downloads and grown into a game truly loved the world over.

The main game character BONI along with his friends OVIS and crew share an animal motif featuring rabbits and sheep, and boast unique expressions that have won them instant favor among players everywhere. Countless fans have asked for Pokopang-based merchandise, and now LINE is taking this chance to start offering goods based off popular in-game characters.

In addition to developing their own in-house merchandise, LINE has also been entertaining license agreement offers from other companies. Merchandise development agreements have already been reached with Takara Tomy A.R.T.S as well as FuRyu Corporation and other toy and prize developers. Current plans have the merchandise slated to be released in stages this summer.

Main Cast of Pokopang