Mattel shouts "Digital Revolution" from the Javits Center Rooftops!

As a Toy Designer there is no single event that I look forward to more than the NYC Toy Fair in February. I love mingling with the industry, hearing all about everyone's highs & lows, walking through the endless maze of toy booths, shaking hands with a giant stuffed something at various points and of course: playing with everything companies will let you get your hands on.

I was somewhat surprised to see how many companies were putting out the "same old-same old" type products, but then again: there will always be a market for dolls, cars, plastic figurines & plush toys. The reason is simple: these toys leave room for kids to fill in the blank with their imagination. They truly define the industry in many ways and I wish those companies developing such quality products continued success & prosperity.

That being said: my fascination with the Toy Industry related to 1 thing and 1 thing only: Innovation in play & learning.

At Cieo, we've been working on some exciting web-connected toy concepts & electronic gaming ideas as well. When we started showcasing our products to the industry 2 years ago, there was Webkinz and ... well: Webkinz.

At last years toy fair, we saw the wave of web-connected toys spread slow and steady throughout the industry. Then Disney & Techno Source worked together to develop MAGICAL DISNEY FAIRIES™ PIXIE HOLLOW TOYS and all bets were off.



This year, another Toy Giant is signaling that things are changing in the Toy Industry. Ladies & Gentleman, if you were hoping this digital revolution was a fad, its time to let go of those dreams & start taking notes.

Mattel has introduced 2 new web-connected toys. The first is Xtractor dinosaurs for boys ($19.99) . This product connect to an online world where kids use the "DNA" information they "extracted" from their dinos to design creatures and take them to battle against other kids creations.

For girls, Mattel introduced FAMPS (Feelings, Attitudes, Moods, and Personalities). FAMPS ($16.99 for a starter kit) rely on emotion, mood, and personality to customize their desktop, e-mail, IM, wallpapers, e-cards, etc. This concept is well designed, simple, cute and extremely innovative in that it is the first toy concept that I've ever seen that directly negotiates mood and emotional intelligence during play. The product is dead simple and perhaps lacks in play value, but the table is set for them to expand this line and I believe that they'll do so quite successfully in years to come.

That's right people: YEARS TO COME!
These products aren't going anywhere!