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History
Giochi Preziosi an Italian toy company. Founded in 1978 by Enrico Preziosi, the company produces toys and TV series based on their toys. The company started dabbling in video games with the release of the digiBLAST in 2005 as some of the Intellectual Properties of the company were ported to the device. In 2007, the company decided to create their own video game console called My Life. The console consisted of a virtual world where you can dress up your character, play built in mini games and, more importantly, purchase additional accessories for your character in form a physical cartridge called Magic Key. With more than a million consoles sold and across Europe and a distribution deal in the U.S. with Playmate, the console was deemed a success by Giochi Preziosi which started to work on two new consoles. The first one, My Real Life, was an updated version of My Life, which added more mini games and features. While My Life and its upcoming successor My Real Life, were consoles marketed toward girls, Giochi Preziosi wanted to reproduce the same success with a console for the boys ages 6-10. The game would follow the same general principle : a main game with multiple mini-games, infrared communication to interact with your friends and characters customization that could be purchased additionally.
In 2009, the work started on this new Intellectual Property (IP) called BeHero. As Giochi Preziosi was mostly a toy maker and TV producer, any success with this IP could turn the BeHero in a multimedia franchise. As the first release of this IP, it was decided that the game would be a Role-Playing Game (RPG), and that it would be called BeHero: Be Your Legend.
Release
After more than a year of work, the console was finally ready to be launched and it had everything set to be a resounding success. The console, shaped like a Game Boy and the packaging were carefully manicured. Instead of a cartridge like in My Life, Giochi Preziosi choose to use a bar code reader instead. This provided the opportunity to sell booster packs of character customization cards. Not only the cards could be used in the game, but they could also be used on their own in a stand-alone card battler game. These types of trading-card game, such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon Trading Card Game were already immensely popular so by combining video game and a trading card game, Giochi Preziosi was aiming for the start. And with over 800 cards in the set, the company was ensuring a constant stream of revenue.
While the website was put online in July, the official launch happens in October 2010, with a massive launch on social media and the creation of a dedicated discussion forum. The console was available in 2 packages. Both were identical aside the number of included cards. The “basic” package came with 6 cards while the “deluxe” package came with 24 cards. A first issue of dedicated magazine (number zero) was also given for free inside a Bakugan magazine, Gormiti Magazine as well as being distributed for free in toy stores. The next issue, the first real issue, was planned to be released on February 2011.
With Christmas just around the corner and with this new IP Giochi Preziosi was hoping to hit an homerun. The success of the console would open the door to toys, TV series, movies. Sky was the limit.
Demise
The October launch turned out to be a disaster with almost no buzz created around the console. A new TV spot was released on November 26, 2010 to try to boost the sales, but it failed to push the new console on the Christmas list of parents. After a disastrous Christmas, Giochi Preziosi pretty much just gave up on the console. The console was rapidly discounted in toys store and the cards packs were quickly removed from the shelves removing any hope of the console getting traction a little bit down the line. While the website remains accessible, it ceased to be updated. The issue number 1 of the dedicated magazines was scrapped and the book close forever on the BeHero franchise.
One of the main reasons of its demise was that the BeHero: Be Your Legend console was attempting to enter an already saturated marked with a subpart product. The My Life product worked for Giochi Preziosi because it tackled a market segment that was more or less empty. But video game console market was already very competitive. The Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS were already providing way better graphics and gameplay experience with a ton of RPG games available for these systems. Most kids interested in video games already had a handheld console and as the BeHero console was a considerable downgrade, there was no point for anyone to get this.
Games
The game itself is a basic turn-based RPG. After answering a few questions, you are assigned 1 of 6 classes, each with a different ability. The cards, which are required to play, serve as equipment for your character. The rest is pretty standard. You move on an overhead map and try to complete a series of quests. Along the way you will have random enemy encounters which will give your experience point, which in turn will level up your character making him stronger.