November 2008 New Specialty Toys — Interactive

From the #1 most respected name in language learning, Berlitz Interactive provides three easy ways to learn a new language: on your PC, in your car, or on the go.  Inside, the best-selling Berlitz Guaranteed all-audio course provide the foundations of conversation and everyday language.  Add to that the acclaimed Berlitz Word Traveler™ game, currently available only as in-flight entertainment on major international airlines, including Lufthansa, China Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.  For the first time ever this language learning game will be available as a consumer CD-ROM inside this Berlitz Interactive program.

Including everything you need to create your own unique models of our world, this kit features a globe stand and a CD with a variety of map projections that can be printed out on adhesive inkjet paper (included) to be cut and placed on the globe.  A 64 page, full-color project book offers comprehensive instructions and information about how maps are made and additional globe-related projects, including how to make “origami globes.”  The book also tells the story of how our world was made and takes you on an entertaining voyage around the planet.

Each player receives a card that lists three secret challenges to be carried out during the play period in front of other players without getting caught. With family or during a party, players then try to expose other players in order to win. The small box takes up little counter space and is easy to take along. Launch date: March 2008.

This fluffy white horse comes with a special code kids can use to access Webkinz World online.
— Kathy Mabry, owner of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., told TDmonthly that Webkinz continue to be a top seller for her store. She reported sales of hundreds every month in early fall 2008.
— “Ganz’s Webkinz — they're still selling well here,” said Linda Laramy, owner of Cracker Jacks in Easton, Md., when asked about best-selling items for tweens. “They’re still very popular.”
— Webkinz was on the top-10 best-seller list at Pun’s Toy Store in Bryn Mawr, Pa., in October 2008. “Although not the sellers they were before, they still present the greatest play value in our industry,” Owner Joe Berardoni, Sr., said.

This striped character comes with an Internet access code that gives kids the freedom to explore Webkinz World online with the virtual equivalent of the plush pet. The tiger’s special item in the virtual world is a rock ledge bed.
— “Webkinz are still selling,” Owner Randy Austin of The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., told TDmonthly in summer 2008.
— “We move probably 100 to 150 per month,” William Meredith, owner of Learning Express in Cary, N.C., told TDmonthly in August 2008.
— Twenty percent of 64 retailers named Webkinz as their top-selling collectible toy in summer 2008.
Six of 63 retailers named Webkinz as their overall best seller in September 2008.

KooKeys offers a line of plush animals with online, interactive digital counterparts known as the Virtual Koo. Each plush KooKey comes with a special key that unlocks the online world for children to explore, interact, play, and learn.

This fashionable poodle is one in a line of plush pets featuring interactive computer play. Using a special code specific to the pet, kids can log onto the Webkinz website, meet the pet’s online counterpart, and build special rooms with points gained from answering trivia questions. Online, this pet’s special item is the Poofy Poodle Chair, and its special food is Licorice Canepés.
— Terry Myers, owner of Kaledioscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly in July 2008 that her store sells about 350 Webkinz per month.
— “[We sell] about 100 per month,” said Donna, owner of The Perfect Present in Suwanee, Ga., who also named Webkinz as a best-selling gift item for girls.
— Eleven percent of 66 retailers polled in summer 2008 cited Webkinz as their top-selling girl gift.

Available in Horse, Pink Poodle and Monkey designs, these 14" puppets have wooden feet that make a clip-clop sound while they dance, and they are easy for small hands to control. The no-tangle marionettes have removable strings that can be lifted from the handle and replaced after untangling. New styles will be available in 2009. Launch date: 2008.
Display Ideas: The company offers a mechanical, plug-in display (see video) that accommodates three puppets and can be placed in a window to attract shoppers.

A cross-platform MMO game, Freaky Creatures allows players to build the ultimate, customizable creatures and then battle them against friends. The Freaky Creatures experience begins with a starter pack that includes 2 action figures and a 1 gigabyte reusable flash as the key to the Freaky Creatures universe with a random assortment of 50 parts, 20 powers and 4 lair objects that allows players to create more than 3 billion visual combinations. Booster packs add more to the customization. Once customized, players can enter the online world and interact with other players.
— Freaky Creatures bills itself as “the first player-customized, cross platform gaming universe you can take on the go.” Do such grandiose claims match the product itself? In short, no, but this does not mean Freaky Creatures should be ignored. Each starter pack contains two of the titular creatures rendered in action figure form along with a flash drive that unlocks a MMOG with exploration, character customization, and a simple battle system. Reviewers report the figures are nicely detailed and painted, especially for their size. KidsTechReview.com proclaimed the game “surprisingly well done.” Jacqueline Rupp of Common Sense Media recommended the toy for children ages 10 and up (not the advertised 8+), praising the online component for delivering fun game play while avoiding violence and adult content. With irresistibly grotesque figures and a solid online game experience, Freaky Creatures has genuine appeal. It’s not for everyone, but it can be used to reach older boys who spurn tamer and more traditional toys.

Tell The Tale Thumball has 32 Multi-colored panels, and is 4 inches in diameter. Each panel contains a story and an author, encouraging participants to retell familiar fairy tales, fables and modern classics to develop sequencing skills and oral expression. Inspires dramatic play, improvisation and cooperative team building. An ideal companion to Parts of A Story Thumball.

Parts of a Story Thumball has 12 Multi-colored panels, and is 4 inches in diameter. It helps teach key elements of stories including plot, setting, characters, conflict etc. Improves verbal expression and organization of thoughts. A Book Report on a ball that increases motivation and participation.