“Stray,” an indie video game where you play as a cat traversing a futuristic city with a fellow robot (you only go with him), caused a considerable uproar when it was announced in 2020. This buzz moved to the game’s official release. on consoles. and PC this week, with “Stray” accumulating playback numbers well above those of a typical indie release.
Annapurna Interactive, the game’s publisher, came prepared. In parallel with the launch, the studio announced a pre-order of two linked merchandising pieces in collaboration with Travel Cat, a pet products company. One of the items is a cat harness / leash. The other is a cat backpack complete with a bubble viewfinder for your feline friend.
we have hinted at it. is true. We are happy to share that limited edition Stray x Travel Cat merchandise for your feline companions can be booked! pic.twitter.com/YmRQVEO0Pe
– Annapurrna Intercative (@A_i) July 14, 2022
The airline-approved carrier has a long list of features (including a mesh screen that you can change for the bubble) and is spacious enough to hold “big” cats, according to the article’s description. The harness and backpack have a double mark with the Travel Cat and “Stray” logos.
Credit to Annapurna to advance the game here. There’s no guarantee that any game, let alone an indie one, will be a big enough hit to grab attention outside of the usual realm of games, but “Stray” has. Having the merchandise ready allows Annapurna to take even more advantage of that momentum.
The limited edition Stray x Travel Cat backpack has a visual bubble window that is replaced by a mesh screen. | Credit: Travel Cat / Annapurna Interactive
Also, we’ve already seen what happens when indie games turned into surprise hits don’t have a branded merchandise. InnerSloth, creator of “Among Us,” had to struggle to launch a merchandise store after fans began creating and selling imitation merchandise after the game’s sudden success.
“Stray” merchandising is also a reminder that pet products are a fantastic and potentially underused opportunity for the brand. People love their pets as if they were human (maybe even more so than humans!), So articles that help pet owners pamper their beloved fur balls can be very helpful and create many positive interactions. with the brand.