Many toy experts are predicting the new Furby to be one of the hot Christmas toys 2013. This year it seems that toy manufacturers are trying to bring toys that were hot years ago back from the dead. Many parents grew up with the original Furby that was released in 1998. Furby has been included on many hot holiday toy lists including Toysrus, Walmart, Target , and Kmart.
Furby has a bigger personality than ever before. One of the most obvious areas where we can see the influence of technology is his eyes. Hasbro has made Furby’s eyes out of LCD screens. This allows Hasbro to animate him and give him more personality. He feels more like a cartoon than a toy. There is not a whole lot you can do with your Furby but he is a lot more interactive than before. He’s got a number of sensors on his body that helps him respond when you touch, tickle, or shake him around. You can even pull his tail. Everything you do to your Furby is supposed to affect how he behaves. In this sense, Furby has a much bigger brain this time around.
This time Furby incorporates new technology. He now features his own iOS app. With the iPad, it is now easier than ever before to communicate with Furby. When you download the app it coverts what Furby is saying in his own native language to English. The app features a Furbish to English dictionary. It also allows you to feed Furby various treats. A lot of parents that grew up with Furby are going to love this new version. Parents are a lot more comfortable buying toys that they are already familiar with. Hasbro is definitely trying to build off the nostalgia factor. We aren’t sure who loves Furby more- kids or parents.
Like Furby, toy makers are trying to take toys that were popular years ago and give them a modern facelift. A lot of the toys from the 1980s are making a big comeback in 2012. Even the Cabbage Patch dolls are back this year. Spiderman toys and other superhero action figures are also going to be a huge hit with kids thanks to the new movies released this year.
Legos are incredibly popular with boys. This year the best selling Lego sets actually target girls. We are talking about the new Lego Friends sets for girls. One of the most popular sets is Olivia's House. Nobody would have guessed that the line would be so popular. Part of its success can be attributed to the excellent marketing that Lego did to promote the product.
A lot of kids today are growing out of toys earlier than usual because of the iPhone and iPad. This is a real big threat to the toy industry. Toys like Furby appeal to a wider audience.
The toy industry might not see much growth this year, but there is no doubt that parents are going to buy toys for their kids for Christmas.
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