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Relatable Taps Social Media Gaming Duo Games4Two for Trio of New Titles

Relatable, formerly known as What Do You Meme? has partnered with a popular social media gaming couple on three new games.

Games4Two is comprised of Chris and Aly James, a couple with a passion for board and tabletop games. The duo commands millions of followers on both TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Tower Stack relies on familiar game mechanics and play patterns. | Source: Relatable

The first of the new games is Shoot the Moon, a retro favorite that involves manipulating a metal ball into different planetary holes for varying points. The next game, Tower Stack, requires players to balance geometrical shapes on a swaying base. The last game in the trio is Kollide; in it, players must race to put all their magnets in the playing field first without letting them touch.

With gameplay from the ’40s, Shoot the Moon is has throwback appeal. | Source: Relatable

“Collaborating with Chris and Aly is a fantastic opportunity for us to push the boundaries of gaming,” says Tom Emelo, Chief Strategy Officer at Relatable. “Their unique and creative approach, coupled with their strong connection to their audience, makes them the perfect fit for our vision of creating trend-driven products that appeal to our audiences.”

All three games are available now on Amazon and Target. Visit the Relatable website to learn more.

Hilco Sweets Introduces Emily Edmondson as New Executive Vice President

Candy and novelties manufacturer Hilco Sweets hired Emily Edmondson as Executive Vice President. In this executive team role, her priorities will be managing the company’s accounts as well as its national and regional sales teams. With more than 15 years of sales experience, she began her career in confections at Galerie Candy. Over time, she worked with brokers and customers across various sectors and was named the 2022 Woman of Influence for the National Confectioners Association. Prior to this new role, Edmondson acted as the Value Team Lead for Crayola.

Regarding this new opportunity, Edmondson says, “I’m thrilled to join Hilco Sweets and bring my experience to its distinctive line of novelty candy, and I look forward to working with some of the most renowned and exciting brands.”

Lou DiMarco, President of Hilco Sweets, also shares his thoughts on the decision, saying, “Emily is an industry expert with an outstanding reputation, customer knowledge, and trade knowledge. With a deep understanding of market dynamics across diverse sectors, Emily brings a unique blend of experience, innovative mindset, and strategic vision to drive success and growth to Hilco.”

Mattel Introduces ‘Wicked’ Doll Line Ahead of Film Release

Mattel has released a line of fashion dolls inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming film, Wicked.

The new collection celebrates the movie’s heroines, Glinda and Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Deluxe fashion dolls of the leads feature Glinda wearing her signature pink ball gown, and Elphaba wearing a purple dress and sheer black cape ($39.99 each).

The doll line’s release comes about two months prior to the film’s release. | Source: Mattel

The singing dolls in the collection highlight other memorable moments from the Wizard of Oz prequel. Donning evening wear, kids can hear Glinda sing “Popular” and Elphaba sing “Defying Gravity.” The set of the fashion dolls ($24.99 each), meanwhile, features Glinda and Elphaba dressed up for a party.

The Nessarose doll comes with a manual wheelchair rendered in gold. | Source: Mattel

Mattel’s Wicked collection also includes a Nessarose doll, played by the actress Marissa Bode in the film. The Nessarose doll is poseable and comes with an ornate, golden wheelchair ($24.99).

The film hits theaters Nov. 22. To view Mattel’s full Wicked fashion doll collection, visit the company website.

LEGO Launches Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Set

The LEGO Group’s latest Ideas set is designed for kidult fans of a Tim Burton classic.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beloved Disney movie, rewatched by fans for both Christmas and Halloween. Now, it’s getting its own LEGO set just in time for the fall season. One of the latest additions to the Ideas line is a full set of buildable, display-worthy dioramas inspired by the Tim Burton film.

This new LEGO Ideas set features three locations from the movie. | Source: LEGO

The LEGO Ideas Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas set is 2,193 pieces and features three models of different locations found in the film: Spiral Hill, Jack Skellington’s house, and the Halloween Town Hall. The set also includes eight characters as minifigures: Jack Skellington, Sally, Santa Claus, Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Zero the dog, as well as a two-faced brick-built figure of The Mayor.

UK-based Simon Scott designed the new set for the LEGO Ideas platform, where it got the 10,000 votes it needed to be made. LEGO Ideas invites fans of the brand to submit their own LEGO builds, all with hopes of seeing them turned into actual sets from the company. The platform has produced a number of licensed sets, including the upcoming Twilight: Cullen House set, a set inspired by the movie Jaws, and more.

The LEGO Ideas Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas set will launch for LEGO Insiders on Sept. 3 and everyone else on Sept. 6 in the LEGO store as well as major retailers. The set retails for $199.99.

Mattel Teases New ‘Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem’ Video Game

Mattel, in collaboration with publisher GameMill Entertainment and developer 3D Clouds, has previewed the upcoming licensed video game, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem.

The Hot Wheels video game will feature fan-favorite monster trucks like Bone Shaker, Tiger Shark, Race Ace, and Bigfoot, as players can execute stunts in a series of vibrant arenas. Kids can play solo or local multiplayer.

The licensed project joins a growing roster of Hot Wheels video games. | Source: Mattel

Gameplay variations like Career, Stunt, Destruction, and Boss Mode each give kids different ways to test their skills. The game will hit multiple consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.

“Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem brings to market an unmatched level of action and excitement,” says Erika Winterholler, Head of Business Development, Digital Gaming at Mattel. “Our partners at GameMill are well suited to deliver an authentic Hot Wheels Monster Trucks
experience, bringing these iconic vehicles to players to enjoy together on all major gaming platforms.”

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem releases Oct. 18. Learn more about the Mattel brand on the Hot Wheels website.

Circana Reveals Global Toy Sales Performance for First Half of 2024

2024 is halfway done, and consumer behavior advisor Circana is taking the opportunity to reflect on sales in the past half year.

Circana reports on sales performance in a number of areas, with the toy industry being no exception. The organization’s recent toy sales performance figures reveal clear winners across global markets, with Pokémon coming out on top as the top-selling toy property globally for the fourth year running.

Pokémon was the top-selling toy property for the first half of 2024. | Source: Circana

Circana’s reporting includes 12 global markets: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States. Across all 12, the report reveals a 1% dollar sales decline from January through June. Even with a slight decline, four of the 11 total toy categories tracked saw a sales increase, including building sets with a 20% sales growth; explorative and other toys at 5% growth; and plush and vehicles each growing 1%.

After a difficult year in 2023, when inflation began taking a heavy toll on consumer spending, Circana is pleased to report that toy sales have stabilized in the first half of 2024, in terms of both value and units sold, as average prices hold steady with last year.

Frédérique Tutt, Global Toys Industry Advisor at Circana

Licensed toys represented 32% of the market and saw a sales increase of 6% compared with 2023. Pokémon has maintained its position as one of the top licensed brands; it’s the top-selling property in the U.S., Belgium, Canada, France, and Italy. Following Pokémon are Squishmallows, Star Wars, Marvel Universe, and Hot Wheels.

Several properties are also inching closer to the upper ranks, including LEGO Icons, the NBA sports license, the Miniverse line from MGA Entertainment, and Bluey.

For a deep dive into this year’s toy industry sales numbers, check out the LA Fall Toy Preview issue of The Toy Book, available Sept. 9. Subscribe today to get it in print!

U.S. Toy Sales Stabilize, Circana Reports

Circana has revealed that, according to its Retail Tracking Service, U.S. toy industry sales stabilized in the first half of the year.

Declines have slowed in toy industry sales. | Source: Circana

From January through June, toy industry dollar sales held steady compared to the same period last year, when the market was down 8%. The bigger picture shows that toy sales remain 38% ahead of 2019 levels. According to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service data, three of 11 toys supercategories grew during this period. Building sets were strong frontrunners, with units sold growing and dollar sales up 25%. This was primarily driven by LEGO Icons and the appeal to adults.

Following building sets, the explorative and other toys supercategory followed, with 9% growth due to the popularity of the NBA and BFL trading cards. The vehicles supercategory was driven by Monster Jam and contributed to the dollar growth as well. Two additional supercategories that grew in terms of unit sold were plush and outdoor and sports toys. Of the top 10 toy properties based on dollar sales, four — including Barbie, LEGO Icons, NFL, and NBA —posted growth.

The top 10 selling toys of the first half of the year included Squishmallows and LEGOs. | Source: Circana

The overall top-selling toys during the period appear to be Jazwares’ Squishmallows — which dominated the list of the top 10 selling toys — and products from Zuru, Mattel, The LEGO Group, and The Pokémon International Co.

“With toy sales beginning to stabilize in 2024, the tide is turning for the industry as we are moving from a state of correction to one of consistency,” Juli Lennett, Vice President and U.S. Toys Industry Advisor at Circana, says. “However, it’s important to note that there are no guarantees for smooth sailing through the second half of the year. While inflation has begun to cool, the unemployment rate, record consumer debt, student loan repayments, and fluctuating consumer confidence should be monitored closely as a proxy for how the consumer is feeling and might shift their spending.”

For a deep dive into this year’s U.S. toy industry sales numbers, check out the LA Fall Toy Preview issue of The Toy Book, available Sept. 9. Subscribe today to get it in print!

Crawligator Expands Accessibility, Consumer Potential with HSA/FSA Eligibility

Crawligator, the product intended to aide and make productive the time babies spend on their stomachs, is now HSA/FSA eligible.

HSA stands for health care savings account and FSA for flexible spending account. Both are accounts attached to health care insurance plans; Crawligator’s approval by the IRS means that possessors of an HSA or FSA can use those funds to purchase the product, in additions to other baby-related necessities like breast pumps and sunscreen.

The eligibility opens up the potential buying power of more consumers to get their hands on Crawligators, as they can now use HSA/FSA debit cards to purchase the mobility toys.

The majority of baby products focus on the supine position, in which a baby is lying or facing upwards. The Crawligator, which was a Toy of the Year finalist in 2023, fosters the skills needed to reach an underrated milestone, crawling.

The Crawligator is available on Amazon and at other retailers for an MSRP of $89.99. Visit the company website for more information on the HSA/FSA eligible products.

CRAWLIGATOR

Babies can rest comfortably on their tummies atop this alligator-themed toy, then use their arms and legs to move forward in a crawling motion. Available in seven colors.

Product Facts

MSRP:
$89.99

Age:
4 MOS+

Manufacturer:
KIDDY CRAWLER

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Skybound Tabletop, Cartel Entertainment Partner for ‘Creepshow’ Game

Skybound Tabletop, the company behind games like Boo-ty Call and Trial by Trolley, has secured a licensing agreement with Cartel Entertainment. The company will launch Creepshow: The Suspense Building Game, based on the comic book anthology from Skybound, which was inspired by the Creepshow TV series.

Fans can play with cards featuring detailed artwork. | Source: Skybound Tabletop

In Creepshow: The Suspense Building Game, players become Creeps and create twisted tales. During the story-building game, they will use strategy to make chains of story cards, and fill them with Suspense. Then, when tension is high, they can bet on the amount of Suspense to score big. Players will need to strategize and be aware of sabotage and deception.

The game comes with 54 story cards, nine ending cards, 34 double-sided point tokens, and five reference cards. It also features artwork from designers who worked on the Skybound’s Creepshow comic book anthology.

The tabletop game will be available this fall for $19.99.

‘Toys for Kidults’ Prominently Featured at Spielwarenmesse

At this year’s Spielwarenmesse, media attention exploded around toys for “kidults,” or adults who enjoy purchasing toys for themselves. Since 1949, the Spielwarenmesse has been held in Nuremberg, Germany, and is one of the largest international trade events for the toy industry. Well-established companies and startups alike attend the fair to share new products and observe what toys are currently trending globally.

This year, the event hosted a trend area called “Life’s a Playground — Toys for Kidults,” which became a popular attraction for the press and attendees and received worldwide media promotion. Due to the attention paid to this topic, the Spielwarenmesse plans to keep a permanent section near Entrance Mitte for Toys for Kidults, highlighting products that appeal to the demographic, starting next year. The “Toys for Kidults” interactive experience aims to include activations like a photo spot and various live activities to allow attendees to test out exhibitors’ games and toys geared towards kidults.

The event offers both big-name brands and startup companies alike the opportunity to showcase their newest products. | Source: Spielwarenmesse eG

Market research institutes like the BrandTrends Group and Circana are observing an increase in interest in products like tabletop games, collectible toys, and creative fantasy products. The former has done an international study that showed 67% of people from the ages of 18-65 have expressed interest in buying toys and collectibles for themselves at least once or twice a year. Post-Spielwarenmesse, it’s becoming more apparent that the kidult target group has massive sales opportunities and merchandising potential.

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CRAWLIGATOR

Product Facts

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