New York: Having found this holiday season that they cannot beat iPad, iPhone and iPod, toymakers have lined up a host of playthings that come to life when hooked up to the devices, gadgets that kids love to play with.
Industry insiders call them "AppCessories," and expect a wide array of these items to be on display at the American Toy Fair, which officially kicks off in New York today.
"The manufacturers have realised this is a hot area, and they are all jumping on it," said TimetoPlayMag.com Editor-in-Chief Jim Silver.
The trend comes as companies, scarred by a holiday season when toy sales fell three per cent in the US, look beyond traditional toys to woo tech-savvy kids, many of whom have grown up playing on their parents' smartphones or their own gaming consoles.
"Today's gamer is looking for experiences in games that include the marriage of digital and analogue, face-to-face, and off the board gaming," Hasbro Chief Executive Brian Goldner said.
Hasbro plans to jump on the "AppCessory" bandwagon through its "zAPPed" gaming platform.
When you play with Hasbro's The Game of Life zAPPed, you will still move your car from space to space and select your path to retirement on a game board, but now you spin, get paid, sue other players and make important decisions on your iPad, after downloading a free app. The game will cost about $25 (Dh91.)
But Hasbro is not alone in this arena.
Canada's Spin Master is betting big on an array of iPhone/iPod Touch and Android accessories under the "Appfinity" label.
"Manufacturers have been trying to find a way to marry the tech and the toy world," Spin Master spokesman Harold Chizick said, adding appCessories might just be what they were looking for.
Sceptical
Spin Master hopes its "AppDrive" will appeal to racing enthusiasts by allowing them to use a steering wheel that can hold an iPhone, and play racing games using an app on the iPhone, while "Appfishing" will enhance "virtual fishing" using a rod that can hold an iPhone. Priced at $20 each, they will hit stores in the autumn.
Toymaker WowWee, known for its little robot toys, will unveil its "AppGear" line, which combines physical toys with iOS and Android apps. For example, in Alien Jailbreak, which is an augmented reality shooter game, the player looks through their smartphone and tries to stop aliens from escaping from prison. AppGear products will be sold at about $10 to $20.
Companies such as Discovery Bay and Crayola also hope to offer compelling products in this category.
Rising teen cellphone ownership, growing demand for mobile computing devices and the explosive demand for mobile apps are other factors boosting the trend.
As of September 2009, 75 per cent of American teens age 12-17 had a cellphone, a number that has steadily increased from 45 per ent in November 2004, a study by the Pew Research Centre showed. While the toy industry is betting big on AppCessories, a few parents are sceptical.
Amanda Bergman, a New Jersey-based web editor and mother of two, said she would "probably not" buy toys and games that will come to life with an iPad or iPhone.
Case protects devices
Industry giant Mattel will try to broaden the appeal of its classic brands such as Fisher-Price and Barbie as well as Monster High through its Apptivity line.
One product in this line is Fisher Price's Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case, which is basically a $20 sturdy case that will protect parents' iPhones from "dribbles, drool, and unwanted call-making." The item, which features beads, a mirror and free learning apps, will help babies practise hand-eye coordination, Mattel says.
