Pocket Gems is announcing today that its top-grossing mobile game War Dragons is now available on Android and is launching a national TV commercial with renowned animator J.J. Sedelmaier (Beavis and Butt-head, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Saturday TV Funhouse on Saturday Night Live). These things combined mark the start of War Dragons’ second phase of growth, which will significantly increase the game’s global player base.
War Dragons has been steadily climbing Apple’s top-grossing charts since launching last April. The game has also built an incredible community in its first year with more than 183 million battles fought and 13 million dragons bred. With the Android launch, War Dragons will have cross-platform capabilities, allowing players to form alliances or attack anyone, whether they’re on iOS or Android.
“War Dragons’ first year was all about refining the game to make it as kickass as possible. We’ve drastically improved everything from the art to the multiplayer components, and it really shows,” said Harlan Crystal, Pocket Gems’ founder and product lead on War Dragons. “As we enter our next phase of growth, we wanted something different for our first big TV spot and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”
The commercial, titled Dragon Days, takes viewers back to a simpler time when dragons and humans co-existed peacefully… and then burns it all to the ground. The tongue-in-cheek spot seamlessly contrasts the cheesy morning cartoon style of the ‘90s with War Dragons’ rich 3D graphics. Renowned animator, J.J. Sedelmaier, was chosen as the project’s creative director due to his sharp sense of humor and visionary comedic work. The commercial will begin airing nationally this month.
"Who wouldn't jump at the chance to contrast the children's programming we all grew up watching with the intensity of the gaming realm?! On top of that, this was a wonderful chance to combine two animation techniques that have been fighting each other for decades anyway," said Sedelmaier.
The creative agency, Wexley School for Girls, brought its considerable talent to the commercial with Ian Cohen serving as chief creative director. For the animation and production duties, acclaimed creative studio Fellow LA was brought onto the project. Tying it all together thematically, the commercial’s distinctive song was penned by GRAMMY Award winners Adam Schlesinger and Steven Gold.