COMMENTARY: Construction Toys Shine Bright

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

9000One of the most classic toy categories is construction toys. These toys successfully compete in a market full of apps and tablets in their simplest form, without any gadgets or technology. Lego, Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoy - they’re all names that kids and parents know and love. But just because construction toys don’t need technology in order to hold their own on the shelves doesn’t mean companies aren’t trying to incorporate it, making construction toys an even more interactive play experience.

One of the most popular trends I’m seeing lately is the addition of LED lights to construction sets, turning creations into a flashy toy that you can display. Some companies have built their entire brand around this concept, such as Lite Brix and Laser Pegs. These building sets allow kids to construct creatures, characters, and vehicles that they can plug in and light up with LED lights. With this sort of creative toy, kids can make their own night lights, room decorations, or just fun creations to show their friends and family. [Read more...]

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Hasbro Releases Kre-O Star Trek Line, Stop Motion Digital Short

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Hasbro, Inc.‘s new Kre-O Star Trek line is now available at retail locations. Hasbro also released a stop motion animated short featuring Kre-O building sets and Kreon figures based on the iconic Star Trek film franchise. Fans can watch the video, with a new stand-alone Star Trek storyline, now on the official Kre-O YouTube channel. The digital short will make its television broadcast premiere May 13 at 7:30 p.m. EST on Cartoon Network.

The Kre-O Star Trek stop motion digital short animation was produced through film director J.J. Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, with special effects for the piece created by Kelvin Optical, one of the visual effects teams also working on the soon-to-be released Star Trek Into Darkness from Paramount Pictures.

The Kre-O Star Trek line, under license from CBS Consumer Products, is based on the upcoming film Star Trek Into Darkness, in theaters on May 17, and features a variety of intergalactic space vehicles from the movie. Also featured in the line are 18 collectible Kreon figures based on iconic Star Trek characters, to be released throughout this year. The new Kre-O Star Trek line marks the unveiling of Lighttech, a light-up feature within every Kre-O Star Trek building set that allows kids and fans to bring the fantasy world of Star Trek to the next level.

The flagship item of the line, the Kre-O Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise building set allows kids and fans the chance to build an 18-inch long star ship toy with light-up warp engines, a bridge play area and five Kreon Star Trek characters, including favorites such as Captain Kirk and Spock. A total of 11 individual Kre-O Star Trek building sets will be available this year ranging in size from 32 to 432 pieces, including four micro-build ships and one set available exclusively at Toys “R” Us.

The full line of Kre-O Star Trek building sets and Kreon figures available now from Hasbro include the following: U.S.S. Enterprise Building Set, Klingon Bird-of-Prey Building Set, Spock’s Volcano Mission Building Set, Transporter Trouble Building Set, Micro-Build Ships Assortment, Space Dive Building Set, and Kreon Figure Packs. 

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Round 2 To Release New Star Trek Enterprise Kit

November 30, 2012 By

Round 2 will release their latest model kit based on the classic Star Trek TV series this December. The USS Enterprise space ship is a 32-inch model that features windows, an interior bridge, a shuttle bay, accurate decal sheets, and parts in accurate colored plastics. The space ship is based on the original filming model and was reproduced in 1:350 scale. Accessories include LED lighting, photo-etched parts, alternate version parts, and weathering decals to customize the ship. The 1701-USS Enterprise will be available at hobby stores nationwide and www.autoworldstore.com.

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Hasbro’s Comic-Con Preview Night Party

October 12, 2012 By

Hasbro held its exclusive Preview Night Party for New York Comic-Con on Wednesday. Complete with loads of Marvel, My Little Pony, Kre-O G.I. Joe, and Angry Star Wars Angry Birds displays and presentations, and Avengers-themed cocktails, Hasbro kicked off Comic-Con with a bang.

Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star Package

The star of the event was no doubt the Star Wars edition of the wildly-popular Angry Birds line set to launch in the beginning of November. There were new toys based on the  bird-slinging, tower-toppling Angry Birds property, including the AT-AT Attack Battle Game. The line features new products based on a variety of existing Hasbro properties, including the Jenga brand and the recently relaunched Koosh brand, to introduce new play experiences featuring iconic Star Wars characters re-imagined as high-flying Angry Birds and villainous pigs.

Also highlighted was the great reveal of the Star Trek Kre-O set, a product set to release next year to coincide with the release of the new Star Trek movie. The set comes with a light-up U.S.S. Enterprise ship  and two character figures, such as Captain Kirk or Spock, pointed ears and all.

The new extensive Kre-O G.I. Joe line was also featured–including figures and play sets based on the property. The line of G.I. Joe toys will be available exclusively at Toys “R” Us starting in February. These play sets and characters play out the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra story and will feature Kreon figures based on popular characters from both the heroic G.I. Joe team like Duke and Snake Eyes as well as the villainous Cobra organization like Firefly and Storm Shadow.

Kre-O G.I. Joe Cobra Armored Assault

Hasbro also showcased the My Little Pony brand, as well as their holiday favorites, including Marvel Avengers and Star Wars action figures and, of course, Marvel role play products.

The Toy Book’s Reyne Rice and Ali Mierzejewski as Spider-Man and Captain America

The Toy Book’s Reyne Rice as The Hulk

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KRE-O Unveils Star Trek, Transformers Building Sets at Comic-Con

July 10, 2012 By

The KRE-O brand from Hasbro, Inc., will showcase new figures at Comic-Con International, boldly going where no one has gone before. Based on the upcoming Star Trek sequel from Paramount Pictures, the KRE-O Star Trek line, under license from CBS Consumer Products, features a variety of vehicles from the movie along with Kreon figures based on Star Trek characters. Beginning on July 11, Preview Night, fans will be able to see the KRE-O Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise set and Kirk, Spock, and Bones Kreon figures at the Hasbro Comic-Con Booth No. 3213.

Hasbro has teamed up with J.J. Abrams, director of the upcoming Star Trek sequel, to create a KRE-O Star Trek stop motion digital short. The short, produced by Bad Robot, features icons of the Star Trek saga in a stand-alone storyline and will premiere at a later date in partnership with Paramount Pictures. The teaser trailer for the KRE-O Star Trek digital short will be featured along with the upcoming U.S.S. Enterprise building set and Kreon figures in the Hasbro booth. In anticipation of the convention, Hasbro is unveiling a first-look image of the KRE-O Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise set and the teaser trailer. Fans can view the teaser trailer now exclusively on the KRE-O brand Youtube channel.

Star Trek will mark the third major entertainment property to be featured in the KRE-O line from Hasbro. The company introduced the KRE-O brand last year with building sets featuring the Transformers characters, and this year they introduced the KRE-O Battleship line. New KRE-O Battleship and KRE-O Transformers sets will be on display in the Hasbro booth, including new KRE-O Transformers expressions: KRE-O Transformers Microchangers and KRE-O Transformers Microchangers Combiners. Fans will get a chance to snap a photo with KRE-O character statues including Transformers Bumblebee, a Battleship Alien, and Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, all with their Kreon expressions. Fans will also be eligible to receive a special edition KRE-O Battleship Battle-Boat building set sample pack, which will be distributed throughout the show while supplies last.

This post was originally written by Sierra McCleary-Harris and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

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Mattel to Release New Series of Star Trek Die-Cast Models

June 15, 2012 By

Mattel, under license from CBS Consumer Products, will create a line of die-cast models inspired by the iconic Star Trek franchise in anticipation of the upcoming Star Trek movie next year.

The detailed miniatures will include the U.S.S. Enterprise, and will hit retail May next year. This deal is similar to the agreement the companies reached for the 2009 theatrical reboot. The next Star Trek movie arrives in theaters on May 17 next year.

This post was originally written by Loren Moreno and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

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New Star Trek PADD iPad App

July 12, 2011 By

Star Trek has gone mobile with CBS Interactive‘s launch of the Star Trek PADD app for the iPad. Fans of Star Trek will now be able to download a replica of the LCARS interface to their iPads for an official Star Trek database of extensive information covering aliens, ships, places, people, and technologies, as well as an episode guide to the series.

Developed by ArcTouch, the Star Trek PADD (Personal Access Display Device) app is based on the fictional computer operating system depicted in the television series, complete with a recognizable computer voice and sound effects from the show. The app is now available on the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

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Star Trek Franchise Expands

June 7, 2011 By

For the first time ever, gamers will be able to play the roles of Captain Kirk and Spock in the latest Star Trek video game, Star Trek . Cooperative role-playing allows players to work together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.

The original story line is being written by BAFTA award winner Marianne Krawczyk (God of War), in collaboration with the writer/producers of the new Star Trek films, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Digital Extremes is heading the development of Star Trek, and Paramount Digital Entertainment will be publishing the game. Fans in Los Angeles will be able to catch a sneak preview of the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (June 7 – 9).

[Read more...]

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Leaked Email Details Possible Plans for a New Hasbro Film

August 23, 2010 By

Masslive.com is reporting that a leaked Paramount Pictures email reveals possible plans for a fantasy family film set at a Hasbro workshop. The email, obtained by thewrap.com, details around 33 upcoming and proposed projects, including more installments of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. “The Hasbro Factory,” as it is called in the email, is described as a “Night at the Museum in a toy factory idea.” According to masslive.com, a Paramount spokesman said the email obtained by thewrap.com is not an official document and that not all of the information is accurate.

Photo Credit: thewrap.com

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CBS Announces Plethora of TV Products From Comic-Con

July 22, 2010 By

Yesterday at Comic-Con in San Diego, CBS Consumer Products and its affiliates announced a slew of new products based on the Star Trek brand.

Hallmark will release a lineup of Christmas 2010 ornaments based on the Star Trek property, including Captain Kirk, Spock, Kirk vs. Spock/“Amok Time,” and the U.S.S. Enterprise from the 2009 movie. Hallmark is also giving a sneak peak at its holiday 2011 prototypes.

IDW‘s lineup of new graphic novels and comic books will include those based on Star Trek, while Rocket World has announced the release of limited-edition Starfleet I.W.G. figurines that feature Original Series accessories. Rubie’s will release a new series of The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Star Trek costumes including a Gorn mask and  Spock romper, and to promote its Starfleet Academy young adult books, due out in December, Simon and Schuster is handing out postcards for advanced reader copies.

In Twilight Zone news, Bif Bang Pow revealed four new eight-inch action figures depicting the Gremlin, Masked Man, Kanamit, and Devil. Eight more bobble heads and figurines are expected to be announced later during Comic-Con.

Photo Credit: TrekMovie.com

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