June 2010

DanceDanceRevolution for Wii Announced with New Upgrades

Konami Entertainment has announced the release of an all-new DanceDanceRevolution for Wii, to be released this fall.

The version for Wii will build on traditional game play while introducing new elements, most prominently the new Choreography Style mode. The new mode will allow users to move with the model dancer on screen using their body, mat controller, Wii Remote, and Nunchuk simultaneously. The game will also incorporate traditional Wii play style with the use of the Wii Balance Board. The game included a new multiplayer mode that allows up to four players to become ultimate dancers by using their upper body to follow the on-screen dance moves.

DanceDanceRevolution originally debuted in arcades in 1998 and has previously been available on the Xbox 360 gaming system and PlayStation.

Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure Video Game by 2K Play

In celebration of Dora the Explorer’s 10th anniversary, 2K Play is releasing Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure. The Nintendo DS video game will be timed with the Nick Jr. prime time television event airing this August.

The game will feature Dora and Boots as they adventure through Wizzle World to get to Dora’s birthday celebration.

Players can participate in adventures such as floating in a giant bubble across Sea Snake Lake, riding a magical unicorn over the rainbow, and playing the drums in the enchanted Dancing Forest.

GUEST BLOG: Ryan Conti Reports from the Sweets & Snacks Expo

by Ryan Conti

As I stepped inside the Sweets & Snacks Expo 2010 (formerly known as the All Candy Expo), I was greeted by a 10-foot-tall Lindt chocolate bunny and served attitude by a towering Garfield. Excitedly, I entered a place that the gluttonous Augustus Gloop would envy; delicious smells wafted throughout Chicago’s McCormick Place, and the worlds of candy and business met head on.

Eyes wide open and eager on my quest for the ultimate candy/toy integration, I spent the first half of day one scouring the aisles, making a concerted effort to see every booth. And what I saw, concerned me. Where was the creativity? Where was the fun? Where was that “it” product that would makes us all salivate?

PBS KIDS GO! Launches Cyberchase Summer Challenge

PBS KIDS GO! will launch the eighth season of Cyberchase, a math-centric geared toward school-aged children, on June 25 with the premiere of the Cyberchase Summer Challenge. The initiative will feature eight weeks of new and encore episodes, with interactive content and nationwide outreach events designed to address the important of science, technology, engineering, and math.

The summer challenge will feature five new episodes that will air on Fridays from June 25 through July 23, followed by three encore episodes airing July 30 through August 13. There will also be a series of eight weekly online math-based challenges every Friday from June 25 to August 13, available at Cyberchase Online. Children can collect points and earn online rewards by completing challenges. All of the summer episodes will also be available for streaming at Cyberchase Online and on the PBS KIDS GO! video player starting on their premiere dates. Episodes will also be available for free download on the Cyberchase teachers and parents site.

I Can Do That! Secures Chuggington License

Through a partnership with Ludorum, I Can Do That! Games has secured game rights to the Chuggington brand. The deal marks the fourth preschool license for the game company. The company will release its first Chuggington game next spring.

Ludorum expects to launch a comprehensive Chuggington consumer products program for preschoolers next year. The program will span multiple categories, including games, toys, books, and DVDs.

A Dungeons & Dragons Game For Children

Susan J. Morris has released The Heroes of Hesiod: A Monster Slayers Adventure, aimed as a more engaging way to develop reading, math, cooperation, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Based on the novel Monster Slayers by Lukas Ritter (as well as being the companion guide to the New York Times best-selling book, A Practical Guide to Monsters), Morris’ pamphlet breaks down the fundamentals of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise for those ages 6 and up.

Published by Wizards of the Coast Books for Young Readers (WOTC), The Heroes of Hesiod combines action-adventure game play and subvert education to expand the world of Dungeons & Dragons to young players. Ritter’s book is available now. Morris’ The Heroes of Hesoid can be downloaded free from the WOTC website here.

Toys “R” Us Introduces New Way to Save This Holiday Season

In anticipation of the holiday season, Toys “R” Us (TRU), Inc., announced today its Christmas Savers Club program, which can help members start saving for holiday gifts. After adding as little as $1 during registration, members of the free program receive a card that acts as a pseudo-savings account for future Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us purchases.

Funds added to the card, which has a cap of $2,500 each, can also earn a one-time, 3-percent bonus if added to the card before Oct. 16. With this bonus, a card with the maximum amount of funds can be awarded an additional $75. The card may be used after the holiday season; however, the 3-percent bonus is only granted once. Lost cards can be replaced if either the card number or deposit receipts are available. The initial registration packet includes a pouch for storing receipts.

ASTRA Expects Record-Breaking Numbers for its 2010 Marketplace & Academy

Although the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is still making its final counts, the organization expects to announce that its 2010 Marketplace & Academy had a record-breaking crowd. Early indications, says ASTRA, signal that this year’s crowd was 25 to 30 percent larger than last year.

The event, held June 13-16 in Providence, R.I., is the year’s largest gathering of the specialty toy industry. Next year’s ASTRA Marketplace & Academy will be held in June in Anaheim, Calif. Specific dates will be announced later.

Video: Wayne Newton Sings Phineas and Ferb Song at Licensing Expo

Video Caption: “Wayne Newton performs a Vegas-style musical number to celebrate the success of Disney’s animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Newton sang an updated version of the ‘Perry the Platypus Theme Song.’ The surprise production occurred as a special grand finale to the end of a private Disney event in Las Vegas for the 2010 Licensing International Expo.”

Hidden City Signs Deal for Bella Sara Plush Toys in France

Hidden City Entertainment, Inc., has brokered a deal with licensing agent Francoise Bouvet of M.J.A. Licensing. The deal, for France, will allow Gipsy S.A.S. to produce a range of Bella Sara-branded plush toys, including the brand’s namesake horse, Bella. Each plush toy will include a secret code, that when activated at BellaSara.com, will unlock a digital object. The first round of plush toys is set to launch this fall in France.