DEL.ICIO.USCox News Service
Published on: 02/19/08
NEW YORK — High-tech playthings remain the darlings of the toy industry this year, from a flock of new robotic dinosaurs to a joking, leg-crossing Elmo and a Spider-Man toy that really climbs walls.
But with many consumers strapped for cash and toy prices expected to rise, companies at the American International Toy Fair in Manhattan this week also aim to give parents more bang for their toy-buying bucks in 2008.
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| Matthew Newman, 4, tries to 'feed' a leaf to 'Kota the Triceratops' while sitting atop Playskool's new baby dinosaur. The toy reacts to touch and sound with realistic noises and movements and will retail for about $300. | ||
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"You're seeing a lot of innovation at lower prices," said Chris Byrne, an independent toy industry analyst. "Toys are kind of the last area to go when you pull back on spending, but parents are looking at things a lot more critically."
Byrne said major manufacturers have fewer high-end items costing $100 or more this year. He said they are focusing more on their core business of "goofy, collectible, plush" toys.
At the showroom of industry leader Mattel Inc., the first exhibit is for the 40-year-old Hot Wheels brand. To celebrate that anniversary, Mattel next month is rolling out tiny cars designed by automakers including Ford, Honda and Lotus. The price: $2 each.
Hot Wheels Turbo Driver, costing $21 in the fall, adds a high-tech twist by allowing kids to plug car-like cartridges into a controller that connects to a computer. Players can then go online to customize and race their cars.
Mattel also is throwing a new candidate into the election season with a new edition of Barbie for President, a $15 doll coming in June.
"The bulk of toys are really pretty affordable," said Neil Friedman, president of the Mattel brands division. He said most Mattel toys cost less than $20.
Upcoming products from No. 2 Hasbro Inc. include an overhaul of the $15 mystery board game Clue, a $40 amusement park play set marking the 25th anniversary of My Little Pony, and the Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25, a $40 toy with a belt that feeds a continuous supply of soft-dart ammunition.
This year is important for the toy industry after some recent bumps.
After a wave of recalls involving Chinese-made toys, toy makers and sellers are working to tighten safety standards.
Toy makers face continuing competition from hot consumer electronics items like the Apple iPod and Nintendo Wii.
Toy prices also are expected to inch up this year because of the rising cost of energy, plastic and labor in China.
Despite these concerns, toy makers know there are consumers out there undeterred by price tags when it comes to the most advanced toys.
As part of a 2008 dinosaur theme across the industry, Hasbro's Playskool brand has its upcoming $300 Kota the Triceratops, a robotic creature more than 3 feet long that responds to touch and sound. It doesn't walk, but little kids can sit on its bouncy back while it plays jungle noises.
Hasbro, which helped define the pricey toy trend of recent years with its $300 Butterscotch pony, now has the $180 Biscuit, a barking, tail-wagging, touch-sensitive golden retriever that responds to spoken commands such as "sit," "give me a paw" and "do you want a treat?"
Targeting parents familiar with smashed portable DVD players, Mattel's Fisher-Price brand this summer is selling the $180 Kid-Tough Portable DVD Player for preschoolers. The oversized player has a built-in screen, a kick stand, two big handles and is designed to survive being dropped repeatedly.
"Technology has just infused itself into every aisle of the toy store," said Reyne Rice, a toy trend specialist for the Toy Industry Association.
Rice said parents this year are also looking to balance all that technology with toys that teach science and discovery or get kids active.
Many upcoming toys blend the appeal of technology with prices under $100.
Jakks Pacific Inc. is turning the heads of industry experts with its EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles,. Due this fall, it is an extension of Jakks' popular Bionic Eye toy. For about $80, kids can use the goggles' infrared technology to see about 20 feet in the dark.
Hasbro's $50 Remote Control Wallcrawler Spider-Man uses vacuum-powered suction cups to climb up and down smooth surfaces.
Fisher-Price is betting a new generation of Elmo will be this year's holiday season blockbuster. The plush Elmo Live, due out in October for $60, moves his mouth to speak and sing songs, bobs his head, waves his arms, sits and stands and, of course, responds to tickles.
SOME TOY TRENDS FOR 2008
TECH, TECH, TECH
The Fisher-Price Computer Cool School, a keyboard and electronic writing pad, connects to a Windows PC with a USB cable to help preschoolers learn subjects including reading, math, science and music. (May; $59.99)
LeapFrog's Tag Reading System is a high-tech pen with a camera in the tip that reads aloud the text from specially printed books. Parents can go online to download audio for more books or to monitor a child's reading progress. (Summer; $49.99 plus $13.99 for books)
FEEL THE BEAT
Hasbro's U-Dance system seeks to challenge the popular dance gaming systems that use pressure-sensitive floor mats. U-Dance players attach plastic "motion tags" to their shoes, and the game mirrors their feet on a screen with virtual footprints as they try to match dance moves or play other games. (Fall; $74.99)
DINOSAURS ATTACK
Wild Planet's Skeleflex building system lets kids build creatures with bone-shaped ball-and-socket pieces and will come with various sets for building aliens and dinosaurs. (Fall; $9.99 to $39.99)
Mattel's D-Rex, described as the "ultimate pet for boys," is a pint-sized robotic tyrannosaurus that comes when called, wags its tail, responds to care and feeding and defends kids' rooms from prying adults. (Fall; $150)
MOVIE MADNESS
Toy makers are counting on a boost from movie tie-ins this year, with upcoming debuts including "Batman: The Dark Knight," "Speed Racer," "Iron Man," and the animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
For the new Indiana Jones film, Hasbro has coming in May a Sound FX Whip ($20) and a Taters of the Lost Ark Potato Head ($15) complete with a leather jacket, whip and fedora. Putting the hat on the toy plays the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" theme music.
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