Toy makers focus on online play at Toy Fair
New York (AP) — Here's a look at a few of the trends and toys that are garnering attention at the toy industry's annual American International Toy Fair, which began its four-day run Sunday.
Capturing Kids Online:
Toy makers are continuing to try to grab kids attention online by linking physical dolls and toys with interactive Web sites. Mattel Inc. is making one of the most high-profile attempts with an older, revamped Dora the Explorer, a "tweenage" Dora.
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Plugging the doll into the computer allow users to unlock and online world and also customize their doll. The doll's hair length and eye color can be changed online, resulting in changes to the physical doll. It debuts in the fall and will retail for $59.99.
Mattel is focusing on bringing many of its brands online through a new digital network. Another toy is called Xtractaurs which features dinosaur action figures that kids can link to a computer and create hybrid online dinosaurs that battle each other. The starter kit retails for $19.99 and is available in the fall.
Jakks Pacific Inc., meanwhile, is offering plush toys for the 10th anniversary of Neopets, a virtual world geared toward children. The toys come with an online code that can be redeemed for virtual items and points. The toys are $7.99 and $14.99.
And Ty Inc. is offering Beanie Babies 2.0 for the second year, retailing at $4.99, that link up to a Web site and virtual world called Beanie Land.
New Technology
Technology made popular by the iPhone and Nintendo Wii is making it into the toy aisle. Techno Source's Rubik's Touch Cube uses a technology similar to the iPhone's touch screen. The cube's squares light up and change color with the touch of a finger.
Jakks Pacific is introducing a new video game line called TV Games Motion which plugs directly into a TV and uses a controller with accelerometer technology similar to the Wii. Users can jump and move around the controller and characters replicate their movements in the games. Star Wars: Cone Wars, Toy Story and other themed games are planned and will retail for $29.99.
Affordable Innovation
Toy makers at the show are keeping a close watch on price points this year following a tough 2008 holiday season, but that doesn't mean the "wow" factor is missing in toys. Mattel is offering Hot Wheels Color Shifters that change color in warm and cold water and are only $2.99 each. A play set that includes dunk tanks and a spray gun is $22.99.
Mega Brands Inc., meanwhile, is introducing Battle Strikers, a battling tops game uses a magnetic launcher for the tops and adds the innovation of magnetic finger controller. The line will debut in the fall and starter packs start at $14.99.
"You can actually control it instead of just watching the top," said Jim Silver, an analyst at Timetoplaymag.com. "That's one of the cool innovations I've seen here."