The Toy Book caught up with FoxMind CEO David Capon about the company’s evolution, new product launches, and the staying power of core values.
Toy Book: FoxMind started as a small company 20 years ago and is now a significant player in the games aisle. How has the company evolved?
David Capon: When I founded the company, I wanted to combine business, creativity, and doing good. The idea behind FoxMind is to contribute to the development of different skills while also having “smarter fun.” Today, this idea is still our compass for each game that we develop. As our product line evolved, we introduced family and strategy games. The market has reacted positively to our efforts, rewarding us with numerous nominations and awards. This recognition allowed us to successfully expand our distribution worldwide.
TB: At its core, FoxMind makes sure to incorporate educational topics or skill development in each game it publishes. Why is this tenet so important for the company?
DC: It’s in the FoxMind DNA. Humans need different skills to survive and thrive. Reasoning, verbal and nonverbal communication, spatial logic, and emotional acuity are all skills that we need. They provide us with a sense of well-being when we are good at them. This is why we get pleasure from solving a Sudoku or a Wordle challenge. It is a visceral pleasure.
TB: How has game development evolved for the company over time?
DC: While the core of what makes a good game hasn’t changed, we have experienced many changes in regard to implementing technology that allows us to accelerate the time to market and be more efficient. In many respects, we operate like a book publisher or a film producer: We aim to capture the audience through the theme of the game and its mechanics.
TB: The Pop It! and Go Pop! lines are a runaway hit worldwide. What are the factors to which you attribute its success and what do you think will maintain its popularity?
DC: The success of Pop It! and Go Pop! was a long time in the making. It enjoyed a push during the global pandemic that resulted in millions of families confined to their homes, the increase in popularity of social media channels such as TikTok, and the anxiety associated with the lockdowns, which the Pop It! products help to relieve.
Another factor that we attribute to the success of the Pop It! and Go Pop! lines is that our products are made of the best silicone, and as a result, offer the best tactile experience.
I believe that in the long run, Pop It! and Go Pop! will be able to sustain their popularity, in part because we are always coming out with new ways to play with these products. We just launched a line of collectibles called Pop It! Pets, plus we have Pop It! Pro, the Go Pop! Rulio ruler, and Loopio collectible bracelets. But, going back to the original reason for why we have produced the first Pop It! product: You can play a quick and smart logic game called Last One Lost with a friend. I think that one day every person will know how to play Last One Lost the same way they know how to play tic-tac-toe. My preferred version of the game is the hexagonal version called Hexo.
TB: One of FoxMind’s big product launches this year is Match Madness. How has the response at retail been so far?
DC: Match Madness has proven to be a favorite in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, France, Scandinavian countries, Germany, and Israel. The success of the game led to Target and Barnes & Noble listing it for their stores in 2022. It is a quintessential FoxMind game as it can be explained in seconds, is smart and challenging, can be played by 1-4 players, and is a great family and party game.
This article was originally published in the September 2022 Fall Toy Preview edition of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue!
