August 2010

Report: European Toy Sales Increase 5 Percent, U.S. Remains Unchanged

According to The NPD Group, although traditional toy sales in the United States remained unchanged during the first half of this year, revenue growth in Europe’s five largest toy markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK) experienced a 5 percent increase for the first half of 2010.

In the U.S., revenue totaled $7.771 billion from January 2010 to June 2010 compared to $7.748 billion generated during the same time period in 2009. In Europe, the UK experienced 8 percent growth, followed by Spain with 6 percent growth, Germany with 4 percent, France with 3 percent, and Italy with 2 percent, during the first half of 2010.

For the first half of this year, NPD EuroToys noticed that market growth was driven in part by sales of outdoor and sports toys. NPD EuroToys analysts also anticipate continued growth for Toy Story-licensed toys. As of June, Star Wars is the No. 1 license for traditional toys in Europe, and Toy Story is the year’s fastest-growing license.

GUEST BLOG: Co-Founder Marshall Gavin Tells the B. Dazzle Story

by Marshall P. Gavin, co-founder and executive vice president of b. dazzle, Inc.

In today’s tough economy, when mass-market discount import products are an increasing share of the market, b. dazzle, inc. bucks the trend by choosing to manufacture in North America and directs its efforts only to the specialty retail market. The company’s values include quality products that are wholesome, cross-generational, fun, and mind-stimulating; personal service recognizing the importance of every customer; a commitment to the American economy and the small business sector; and a strong commitment to high ethical standards.

In 1993, my wife, Kathie, and I lost our jobs in corporate America within six months of each other. We looked for new employment, but there was a terrible recession in Southern California in the early ’90s, and we were unable to find anything locally. After a few months of no additional prospects, our savings ran out and our home went into foreclosure.

Kathie always had a dream of creating a puzzle based upon patterns she studied in school, specifically ancient Egyptian “heads and tails” tile matching games. Recognizing that we were at a point of losing everything anyway, I suggested to Kathie that it was the perfect time to take the risk of starting a business to produce and distribute her puzzle idea, and we wrote a business plan.

Little Airplane and Spin Master Team for New Property

Little Airplane Productions (President and Founder Josh Selig pictured above) and Spin Master Entertainment, a division of Spin Master, Ltd., will unveil their newest property at this year’s MIPJunior, to be held October 2-3. The series, Suzy Takes the Stage, combines a new animation technique called “Theatre Arts Animation” with traditional stage techniques including trap doors and lighting effects. Little Airplane created Theatre Arts Animation exclusively for the new series.

Suzy Takes the Stage follows Suzy, a girl who acts out her days on the stage through comedy and song. The series will include 52 episodes at 11 minutes each.

Games & Puzzles: 25 Random Things About Me

When people play 25 Random Things About Me, by Winning Moves, they can discover new details about their family and friends, some of which may be surprising. Players try to match fun facts on the game cards with their opponents by guessing yes or no to the cards read aloud. After a match has been made, the player adds a new random thing about him or herself to the list. The first person to complete a list of 25 random things wins.

Check out The Toy Book‘s July/August issue for more games and puzzles!

Electronic Arts’ New Video Game Lets You Create

I got a chance to view Electronic Arts‘ new video game Create at EA’s Holiday Preview event and thought it was one of the company’s more innovative titles. In Create, players are placed in various floating landscapes that can be altered with hundreds of items collected throughout the course of the game.

The developer I spoke with said Create is about two things: solving puzzles and creating worlds. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of puzzles scattered throughout the floating landmasses that act as canvases for creation. The game’s puzzles ask users to capture or transport various objects to designated points while deflecting rockets and other hazards. In this regard, the game feels like a combination of Capcom’s Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure and 5th Cell’s Scribblenauts in that puzzles have multiple ways of being completed, although the actual completion steps are passive (you don’t control the action so much as you create the setup. For example, a player can place a convertible car under some cannon balls, push play, and watch the balls fall into the car as it speeds away). Read More…

Littlest Pet Shop Bundle Coming to Toys “R” Us

In anticipation of the Littlest Pet Shop’s (LPS) newest Nintendo DS game, Electronic Arts (EA) has partnered with Toys “R” Us for a special bundle. The LPS starter pack includes a copy of the new video game, Littlest Pet Shop 3: Biggest Stars, as well as two exclusive LPS toys. Gamers can also expect access to LPS Online features.

The bundle is available exclusively at Toys “R” Us stores beginning October 5 and retails for $34.99. For a preview of the Nintendo DS game, read about EA’s Holiday Preview.

Voting Begins For 2011 Toy Industry Hall of Fame

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is accepting votes for the 2011 Toy Industry Hall of Fame, to take place in conjunction with the Toy of the Year Awards during Toy Fair Week in New York City. Voting started yesterday and will run until August 27, with the winners awarded on February 12.

Living nominees include:
•Fashion Institute of Technology Toy Design Department Chair Judith Ellis
•Former Radica Games, Ltd. CEO Patrick Feely
•Funrise Toys, Ltd. Founder and CEO Arnie Rubin
•Director Steven Spielberg
•Hasbro, Inc., Chairman Alfred Verrecchia

Posthumous nominees include:
•Russ Berrie, Inc., Founder Russell Berrie
•Duncan Yo-Yo Founder Donald Duncan
•Briarpatch, Inc., Co-founder Martine Redman

Two New Crib Standards Adopted By CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved two revisions regarding cribs to its safety procedures. The revisions, ASTM F1169 for full-sized cribs and ASTM F406 for non full-sized cribs, will be implemented by the end of the year as part of a previous plan.

Added to ASTM F1169 is language addressing entrapment caused by attachments in full-sized cribs, some standards that are currently in place in other juvenile products but not within ASTM F1169, requirements for mattress supports, changes to crib side configuration, and revisions to the vertical mattress impact test.

ASTM F406 eliminates the drop side requirement, but adds requirements outlined in 16CFR1509. The standard also includes a warning related to “items added to the top of play yard,” as well as new requirements addressing movable sides that are outlined in ASTM F1169. Read More…

Giveaway: Tech Deck Releases 100 Autographed Fingerboards

We have a giveaway!

Spin Master, Ltd.’s Tech Deck brand has hooked up with some of the biggest stars in skateboarding for a collection of autographed fingerboards. Skateboarding stars such as Tony Hawk, Ryan Sheckler, and Chris Haslam have personally signed around 100 Tech Deck board packages that are being randomly distributed to mass-market retailers across the nation. The packages can be identified by a special holographic Tech Deck sticker affixed to the front.

Learning Curve’s Dinosaur Train Rolls Into Retailers

RC2‘s Learning Curve has announced the launch of its Dinosaur Train-licensed products. The highlight of the announcement is the Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures, which uses the company’s Smart Talk Technology. Figures can interact with one another as well as emit around 40 dinosaur sounds, facts, and phrases from the CGI-animated, PBS Kids program.

Other toys include Dinosaur and Train 2-packs, a collectible figure and toy train combo, and Lights and Sounds Dinosaur Train, a train set that can be expanded with other Dinosaur Train sets.