February 2011

Buffalo Games Returns to the Oscars

For the second consecutive year, Buffalo Games partnered with producer Suzanne DeLaurentiis, founder of The Cinema City International Film Festival, as a title sponsor for the 2011 Academy Awards Celebrity Gifting Suite.

Prior to the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, held last night, Oscar nominees and celebrities visited the Gifting Suite at Paramount Studios and took home a Buffalo Games party game such as Truth Be Told, Last Word, Likewise, and The T-Shirt Game, or a jigsaw puzzle by artists such as Darrell Bush, The Hautman Brothers, Art Poulin, and William Wegman. Other products in the bags included luxury items from companies such as Deanna Hodges of Macada Clothing and Design, Two Cosmetics, Revitae Skin Care Products, the Men’s Warehouse, and more.

All proceeds from the Gifting Suite will benefit soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq and their families.

New Sid the Science Kid Episodes for Earth Day

Sid the Science Kid will be celebrating Earth Day (April 22) with four new episodes, the week of April 18, on PBS Kids.

New episodes of The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles animated preschool show will explore a different science theme related to the environment. As in every episode, Sid will begin each episode with a question and spend the day finding answers with help from his friends and family.

The episodes include “Where Did The Water Go?” (What happens to water that goes down the drain?) on Monday, April 18; “Clean Air!” (Why does Sid’s dad wear a mask when he paints?) on April 19, repeating on Earth Day; “Reused Robot” (Where does trash go when we throw it away?) on April 20; and “Save The Stump” (Can an old stump be a home for tiny creatures?) on April 21.

Rio Video Game to Release April 12

THQ, Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products will release a fast-paced, party-style video game inspired by Fox’s upcoming animated 3-D movie Rio on April 12. The movie will debut in theaters on April 15.

The video game will be available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, the Wii system, and the Nintendo DS family of hand-held systems.

Report: Toys Most Popular With Kids Ages 3 to 8 in Q4 2010

The NPD Group released the fourth quarter 2010 (October through December) results from its Kids Industry Data Service (KIDS), a monthly, syndicated tracking service that provides users with statistics about purchases made for kids—from birth through age 14.

According to the report, the categories that captured the most dollar share for kids during that period were apparel or accessories with 17 percent, toys or board games with 14 percent, and video game system hardware, and video games or PC game software, with 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Footwear rounded out the top five with 8 percent.

Dave Darinko and Brip Join Uglydoll Family

Pretty Ugly, LLC is introducing two new Uglydoll characters next month, Dave Darinko and Brip.

Dave Darinko is a natural-born leader. He’s the one who runs into the crowd with his arms waving around claiming to know where the cheese is, while most have no clue there’s cheese to begin with. He’s the one you want on your side when you’re about to face the music. And when you do face the music, he’s the guy who knows where the volume knob is. Does that make sense? Anyway, Dave gives you the thumbs up. He knows that you know he knows you know.

Brip works down at the local coffee cake shop. He serves thousands of pies and cakes every day, yet he’s not once taken a bite for himself! Not one taste! So we’re hoping you would be OK with showing him around your much larger world. Brip needs to be shown how wonderful that world really is, and what happens when genius enters the picture. That’s obviously you, right? Hello?

New Product: Eco Eggs

Eco Eggs are new-to-market plastic Easter eggs for egg hunts that are made in the U.S. from corn starch, 100-percent renewable content, and are fully compostable after use. The eggs are available in three box sizes of 10, 28, and 48.

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters Video Game Trailer

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, scheduled for release this summer, is an action-adventure title that will be available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Wii, and Nintendo DS.

Check out the trailer above.

First-Ever Victorious Products Launch at Toy Fair

Nickelodeon Consumer Products announced its first toy lines for Victorious with products from master toy licensee Spin Master as well as Sakar International. The Victorious toy lineup, which debuted at Toy Fair, will feature fashion dolls, role play, play sets, and consumer electronics.

From Spin Master will come the Make it Shine Doll, Tori Doll, Victorious Locker Decorator, and Victorious Microphone, all to be released in October.

Beginning this fall, Sakar will ship more than 20 Victorious-branded electronics and computer accessories, including MP3/4 players, boom boxes, karaoke machines, text messengers, doorbell answering machines, digital cameras, and portable DVD players. Non-electronic merchandise, such as computer sleeves and gaming accessories, will also join the lineup.

For more information on the Victorious lines, click here.

Photo Credit: Nick.com

ThunderCats at Toy Fair

Bandai holds the global master toy license for ThunderCats, and the company showcased its upcoming line of ThunderCats-licensed toys at Toy Fair last week. Bandai’s lineup, to launch this fall, will include detailed ThunderCats four-inch figures, the Deluxe ThunderTank vehicle and four-inch Snarf figure, the highly articulated ThunderCats eight-inch Classic Figures, and the ThunderCats Deluxe Sword of Omens. Check out the video above to view the products.

ThunderCats, a new animated television series from Warner. Bros. Animation (WBA) and Japanese animation studio Studio4°C, will air on Cartoon Network this year.

Green Lantern Toys Showcased at Toy Fair

Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) is gearing up for the June 17 release of Green Lantern with a worldwide licensing program led by DC Entertainment’s master toy licensee, Mattel.

The video above shows some of the company’s Green Lantern products showcased at Toy Fair. Mattel’s multi-category Green Lantern toy line will include basic and deluxe action figures, figure/vehicles, role-play, play sets, games, puzzles, and vehicles.