August 2010

New Board Game Asks You to “Keep It Real”

Psychotherapist Leslie Robinson plans to demonstrate her new board game, Keep It Real, at select Border’s bookstores in New York City this month. Robinson says she created the game to entice people to interact outside the realm of mobile phones, computer screens, and television sets.

In the game, players round the game board collecting tokens for answering questions such as, “Do you believe in ‘an eye for an eye,’ or turning the other cheek, and why?,” and “If you could choose, would you rather be a man or a woman, and why?” The first person to reach the center with the most tokens wins.

“Keep It Real” is suitable for players ages 14 and up and can be played with as many as 12 and as few as two people. A list of Robinson’s appearances in New York City is available after the jump. Read More…

Appeals Court Upholds Mattel Decision in Infringement Lawsuit

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, led by judges Dennis Shedd, G. Steven Agee, and Clyde Hamilton, have upheld a trial court judgment ordering Super Duper Publications to destroy all of its goods that advertise or contain the name “Say” and “And Say.”

Super Duper is a publisher of educational materials for children with autism and other communication disorders. Since its establishment in 1987, the company has developed 15 lines of “Say” products such as Fold And Say articulation and language books, Fish and Say speech and language floor games, and See it Say it flip books for children with apraxia.

The trial court ruled that Super Duper infringed upon Mattel’s See ‘N Say and The Farmer Says toys.

“MissMatched” Socks in Doll Form

LittleMissMatched recently told The Toy Book about a new line of sock dolls that will debut September 1. The dolls feature colorful patterns and themes from the retailer that first started selling socks and then moved to bedding, furniture, and toys.

Each doll ranges from 14 to 19 inches high and contains 100 percent polyester fiber stuffing. The four dolls announced include twin monkey dolls with knit hats, an even more mismatched and colorful sock monkey, and a mod-print giraffe. Check out LittleMissMatched.com for further product release information.

Rainbow Secures Global Rights to Huntik

Rainbow SpA has been granted the global rights to Huntik, Secrets & Seekers. Huntik (52 episodes) is a fantastical series featuring an elaborate world of magic, discovery, mythology, adventure, and teamwork. In the show, Seekers battle the evil “Organization” with the help of their Titans. Licensees on board include Panini, Tridimensional, Stamatis, Dino Bikes, Blues Clothing, Brummel, and Assos in major categories such as toys, 3-D figurines, vehicles, apparel, footwear, sticker books, and more.

The series has been sold to more than 30 countries including the U.S., U.K., and Australia. In Italy, the series achieved a 12 percent audience share on Rai; in the Netherlands, an average 20 percent audience share; on RTL2 Germany a high of 33 percent in the 6-13 age range; and on Panda TV Portugal, a peak of 39 percent.

First Transformers Convention, in Shanghai, Comes to a Close

Hasbro, Inc.‘s Transformers Cybertron Con ends today in Shanghai, China. Part of the Shanghai World Expo, Hasbro took over part of the East Asia Exhibition Hall to give Asian fans their first official Transformers convention.

Attendees could walk through a historama of Transformers content, from the Generation 1 robots to the current Hunt for the Decepticons promotion. Exhibits included a 23-foot tall Bumblebee model; animation clips and production stills, some of which have never been seen by the public; a graffiti wall; fan contests; drawing classes; a demonstration of Activision‘s new Transformers video game; and more.

Information about the convention can be found here.

TIF Summer Toy Drive to End August 31

There is still a month left to donate to the Toy Industry Foundation’s Summer Toy Drive. To date, TIF has reached a third of its goal and has collected more than 100,000 toys for children in need. The foundation’s goal is to collect 300,000 toys for The Toy Bank by August 31.

Donations to The Toy Bank service a variety of programs including Play Comforts, an organization that partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Military Services to help children with a parent deployed overseas; My Stuff Bags Foundation, which helps to comfort abused and neglected children entering crisis and foster care; and Play Heals, which services young patients at Ronald McDonald Houses.

Lego Universe Trading Card Game On the Way

The Lego Group has granted licensing rights to Dire Wolf Digital to create a new trading card game. The game, based on the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) Lego Universe, will release in 2011 and will feature both physical cards and digital properties for Macintosh, PC, and mobile devices.

Lego Universe launches October 26.

Toy Battle of the Ages: Slinky vs. Etch A Sketch

Advertising agency Team Detroit has created a campaign for a battle between two classic toys: the Slinky and the Etch A Sketch. The Slinky vs. Etch A Sketch contest asks fans to vote for their favorite toy on SlinkyVsEtchASketch.com. At the website, participants can upload fan videos, while student groups, teams, and other organizations vie for a cash prize by demonstrating their love for the toys.

Prizes include $5,000 for the top video produced for each toy, as well as a daily Slinky and Etch A Sketch giveaway. Other prizes range between $500 and $3,000.

The contest runs through October 31 and is sponsored by Ohio Art and POOF-Slinky. Slinky celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, while Etch A Sketch celebrates its 50th.

JAKKS Pacific Expands Its Spy Net Lineup

Expanding its line of spy toys, JAKKS Pacific announced yesterday a list of products available at retailers now. The Spy Net line allows children to dive into espionage with items such as infrared binoculars and an audio-recording pen.

Newly announced toys include the Spy Net Video Watch, which includes a 1.4-inch TFT screen and the ability to record up to 20 minutes of video or three hours of audio. The watch can be connected to a computer, and files can be uploaded to a website that acts as a portal for lie detection tests, augmented reality features, mini games, and more.

Other products include the Snake Cam, an attachment for the Video Watch that allows kids to peek around corners and under doors; Night Vision Infrared Stealth Binoculars; and Recording Pen. All products are suitable for mini spies ages 8 and up and are available at select retailers now. The expanded line will hit Toys “R” Us stores nationwide later this month.

K’NEX Launches K’NEXpert Search Competition

K’NEX Brands recently launched the K’NEXpert search, asking children to create a creative and original model using K’NEX parts. A winner from each age group (5-6, 7-8, and 9-12) will receive a $10,000 savings bond for college. The three winners will also receive a trip to the K’NEX headquarters, near Philadelphia, Pa., for the K’NEXpert Awards Ceremony, and $250 worth of K’NEX building sets.

Seven finalists will receive a $1,000 savings bond, $250 of K’NEX building sets, and their own photo gallery page on knex.com. All semi-finalists and finalists will receive discounts on online purchases for a year, K’NEX gear and a K’NEX birthday gift.

The contest will run from now through September 10 with winners announced in October. Children can enter by printing out the entry form from the K’NEX website and mailing it in. Submissions must include a photo of the creation and a one-minute video or one-page summary describing how the child came up with the idea, how long the design took to build, and how many K’NEX pieces were used. The K’NEXpert Search is open to U.S. and Canadian residents, and there is no purchase necessary.