October 2013

Chicago Toy & Game Group Unveils Keynote Speakers for Its 2013 Toy & Game Innovation Conference

The seventh annual Toy & Game Innovation Conference (T&GCon), designed by Chicago Toy & Game Group, will feature three keynote speakers to headline the sessions on November 21 and 22. Adi Golad, founder of Goliath Games, Dan Klitsner, founder of KID Group, and Philip Sheppard, acclaimed film and event composer, will each address conference attendees with inspiration and motivation. Sheppard will present Thursday morning and Golad and Klitsner on Friday. The two-day event will cover informational topics, including prototype presentation, global trends, sales distribution, and the changing nature of the play-scape.

T&GCon will take place at Chicago’s Navy Pier and bring together people in the toy and game industry. The conference offers invaluable opportunities for attendees to interface with one another directly to pool resources, leverage business leads, and generate exposure for games and toy inventions.

Warner Bros. Interactive Launches New Batman: Arkham Origins Games

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have released Batman: Arkham Origins. Developed by WB Games Montréal, the game is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license, and introduces an original prequel storyline in which a young, unrefined Batman faces the defining moment of his early career, and sets his path to becoming the famous Dark Knight.

Batman: Arkham Origins, in which Batman is hunted by eight of the deadliest assassins from the DC Comics Universe, is available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Windows PC. New to the franchise is a multiplayer mode, developed by Splash Damage, which allows friends and foes to engage in online play that blends traditional Arkham gameplay with those of third-person shooter mechanics.

Also available now is Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, a companion game developed by Armature Studio, which brings core Batman Arkham pillars to the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS handheld formats. It allows players to continue the storyline of the console game.

Players looking to extend their gameplay experience can buy the Batman: Arkham Origins Season Pass, comprised of five of the game’s upcoming downloadable content packs. The Season Pass is available on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft, Nintendo eShop, and Steam.

COMMENTARY: Ease Your Walking Dead #zombiebrain with Licensed Products

Along with more than 8 million other Americans, I’ve taken to spending my Sunday nights biting my nails watching Rick, Carl, Daryl, and Michonne slice through zombie skulls on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Needless to say, thoughts of the zombie apocalypse have now pretty much overrun my life. I’m dubbing this obsession #zombiebrain. If, like me, you or someone you love suffers from #zombiebrain, here are some awesome toys and games to feed your addiction.

Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition, from USAopoly brings everyone’s favorite board game into the world of the (un)dead. Based on The Walking Dead comic from Robert Kirkman, the game challenges players to fight for their own property and avoid zombies at all costs. Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition delivers classic Monopoly wheeling and dealing game play—but this time, players must fight for their survival. Everything about the game screams “WALKERS!” Properties correspond with the series landmarks, such as the prison cells, the Greene Family farm house, and Woodbury, while game tokens resemble key items from the series such as Rick’s sheriff hat, a bucket of body parts, the telephone, Dale’s R.V. (RIP Dale!), the Katana (aka Michonne’s awesome sword), and Lucille (aka a ridiculously effective baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire). Instead of using money to purchase property, players must trade essential supplies, such as food, ammo, and fuel to gain more territory on the board or to place a guard tower or wall (instead of the standard houses and hotels) to secure their safe haven from Walker attacks. The game is recommended for two to six players ages 13 and up and is now available at comic book specialty shops. Read More…

Disney Consumer Products, Marvel Entertainment Reveal Creativity Studio Stylus and App for iPad

MarvelApp Disney Consumer Products and Marvel Entertainment has launched the Marvel Creativity Studio Stylus and App, created by eKids, exclusively for iPad. The app delivers a creative space for kids to learn to draw, color, and animate their favorite Marvel Super Heroes and villains from Avengers Assemble, The Ultimate Spider-Man, and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., while the stylus adds special and enhanced play value.

App and Stylus features include:

Professionally illustrated coloring pages, where you can add your own flare with drawing tools and an extensive color pallet
Use of the stylus to unlock special tools including the “Reveal” tool to color the page like a pro
An interactive grid system that includes specialty drawing aids such as side-by-side drawing canvas, trace lines, and unique “Drawing Scope”
The abililty to build and animate action scenes with character stickers, sound effects, speech bubbles, and backgrounds
Create-your-own custom stickers and add them to animated scenes

In addition to the launch of the Marvel Creativity Studio Stylus and App, the Disney Creativity Studio app has received a content refresh with more drawing tools to use, so kids can now create drawings of other Disney characters including Disney Junior’s Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake and the Never Land Pirates, as well as Monsters University and Disney Princess characters.

The Stylus, which includes unlimited access to all content and future updates, is available at mass retailers. A deluxe version with a limited-edition zippered carry case is available exclusively at Apple Retail Stores and from the Apple Online Store. The Marvel Creativity Studio app is free and may be found at www.appstore.com/MarvelCreativityStudio. The Disney Creativity Studio App is also free from the App Store or at www.AppStore.com/DisneyCreativityStudio.

EA Releases The Sims 3 Into the Future, Plans The Sims 4 for 2014

The Sims 3 Into the Future Expansion Pack, from Electronic Arts Inc. for PC and Mac, is now available at retailers across North America and on origin.com. This time, Sims have broken through the space and time continuum to meet their descendants, play with technologies of tomorrow, and change the destiny of their entire world. Set against the backdrop of the new world of Oasis Landing, Sims discover new adventures when they travel back and forth between the future and present worlds. Players, meanwhile, have the option of blazing a trail towards Utopia, or charting a Dystopian course and leading the Sims into a state of desolation.

In related news, The Sims 4 will ship worldwide next fall. The new game brings new ways to play with life, powerful new creative tools, Sims with enhanced emotion and intelligence, and more. Pre-orders are available at www.TheSims.com/TheSims4, and those who pre-order will receive the limited edition, which comes with The Sims 4 Life of the Party digital content.

Nintendo Teams Up with Snowboarder Jamie Anderson for Road to Sochi 100 Day Countdown

Nintendo has partnered with the U.S. Olympic Committee to kick off its nationwide Road to Sochi Tour in Times Square in New York City on October 29 with a 100 Day Countdown event, celebrating 100 days until the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The event will take up three blocks in Times Square and will include athlete demonstrations on a ski and snowboard ramp, as well as an ice rink for curling, figure skating, speedskating, and ice hockey.

Nintendo will also be there with hands-on demos for its new game, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, which launches for Wii U on November 15. The game features characters from the Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog universes competing together in 24 winter events, including the new event snowboard slopestyle, which is making its Olympic Winter Games debut in Sochi.

Jamie Anderson, slopestyle snowboarder and six-time X Games medalist, will be at the event to help promote Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. He may meet with visitors in a designated area. In addition, the Mario and Sonic costumed characters will make appearances to take photos with attendees.

USAopoly, Diamond Comics Release Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition

Exclusively from Skybound, Robert Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics, and Diamond Comic Distributor, Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Editiongame is now available to purchase in comic book specialty shops. Based off The Walking Dead comic from Kirkman, the game put a post-apocalyptic spin on the traditional Monopoly, giving fans the opportunity to live out the comic by fighting for their own property, and avoiding zombies with each players turn.

Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition delivers a classic Monopoly game play. Players fight for, and then must fortify the prime real estate and resources that will sustain their lives. The game takes over the characteristic of The Walking Dead as the properties all correspond with the series landmarks such as the prison cells, Greene Family farm house, Woodbury, and more locations, while game tokens resemble key items from the series such as Rick’s sheriff hat, bucket of body parts, the telephone, and the R.V.

Instead of using money to purchase property, players must trade in essential supplies, such as food, ammo, and fuel, to gain more territory on the board or to place a guard tower or wall instead of the standard houses and hotels, to secure their properties from invading zombies. This game features six collectible tokens and optional speed play.

Additional The Walking Dead merchandise, including comics, apparel, toys and, collectibles, can also be purchased at comic book stores or through Diamond’s Previews catalog.

Kidzbop.com Launches #SafeTextOrNoText Anti-Bullying Campaign

Kids everywhere can voice their opposition and bring further awareness to the issue by using the #SafeTextOrNoText hashtag when creating videos, photos, fan pages, and other user-generated content on KidzBop.com. Members that sign the ongoing Bully-Free Zone petition will be directed to a Bullying Prevention Tip Sheet customized by DoSomething.org.

#SafeTextOrNoText is named after the Safe Text functionality that filters out inappropriate content when members are posting online. This campaign is one of many KidzBop.com initiatives to foster a safe and fun digital environment for kids across the country.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Opens New Store at FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue

BABW_NewCircleLogo Build-A-Bear Workshop has announced plans to open a shop within the FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue flagship store. Opening in early November, the new location is the first Build-A-Bear Workshop store-within-a-store in the U.S.

While visiting the store, guests can participate in the hands-on Build-A-Bear Workshop stuffed animal-making experience, which has been enhanced with digital technology. The company worked with Microsoft, Samsung, and other leading technology companies to create the store design, which includes:

A touchscreen storefront display that allows guests to interact with the brand by playing and exploring the latest Build-A-Bear Workshop furry friend collections.
An interactive Love Me station that enables guests to customize their stuffed animals by giving personality traits to the red satin heart, which is added to their animal at the Stuff Me station.
A Hear Me station where popular music and special sounds can be added. Guests can also record their own voice to further personalize their stuffed animal.
The Fluff Me station where customers can play with a sensory effects digital bath tub with virtual bubbles.
The Name Me station, which allows guests to reveal the personality traits and customized features that were added to their stuffed animal throughout the bear-making process. At Name Me, guests also create a one-of-a-kind birth certificate.

Kaboom! Secures Branded Retail Space Across Canada

kaboom! Entertainment has secured dedicated retail space across all of Canada’s 125 Target branches for its Treehouse Presents releases. The exclusive spaces will launch November 5 and will host releases coming through the Treehouse Presents DVD label, jointly created by Corus and Phase 4 Films.

Brands, including Octonauts, My Big Big Friend, Franklin & Friends, Toopy & Binoo, Chuggington, and The Bernstain Bears will be included in Target’s first line of exclusive Movie Night packaging, and kaboom! will be creating downloadable activities, recipes, and games for each release.