Codemasters Targets Casual Market With Bella Sara

Officials from UK publisher and developer Codemasters have announced that the company has secured the video game rights to the Bella Sara series of girls’ trading cards. Codemasters now plans to publish Bella Sara video games on the Nintendo DS and PC, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2008. The trading card system is popular with girls aged between five and twelve years old, with over 40 million trading cards sold worldwide since its debut in 2007. Each card features a fantasy illustration of a horse along with an inspirational message for young girls. A unique code also activates a virtual horse on the Bella Sara website, which has 2 million registered users from 240 countries. The acquisition of the license is part of Codemasters’ continued efforts to expand its business into the casual market, with the company previously having acquired the license to the Dragonology and Wizardology range of children’s books. "As the leading card and online property for young girls, Bella Sara is a proven success and the perfect addition to Codemasters' casual entertainment category," said Leon Sanders, brand manager of casual entertainment for Codemasters. "Signing Bella Sara extends our portfolio to the young female gaming market and, with the immensely popular online world of Bella Sara, the property brings an established computer-friendly audience that already understands its unique, creative playing experience," he added.