Physical and digital worlds merge in toy industry скачать в хорошем качестве

Physical and digital worlds merge in toy industry

(28 Jan 2020) LEAD IN: The physical and digital are merging in the toy world. Manufacturers are using apps and augmented reality to add an extra layer to the toys children play with. STORY-LINE: A real catapult, but a target that only exists in the digital world. This is tori, a system by Bandai Namco which combines physical toys with app-based gaming. As technology becomes more sophisticated, manufacturers are finding new ways to use it in their products. And there is clear demand from their young customers. According to market research company Kids Insights, even in the 3 to 6 year-olds category, 10 percent of girls and 12 percent of boys in the UK list electronic and digital toys as their favourite things to play with. Jerome Dureau, Innovation Project Manager at Bandai Namco, says toys like tori are more popular than ever. "Connected play, meaning binding physical play with digital play, is booming," he says. "With the new technologies that we are having, we are able now to provide a fluid experience through the physical world and the digital world in a new way and an intuitive way." Technological advancements allow toy developers to be more accurate and mimic real-life actions better in the digital world. The new generation of tech games don't lag, so have become more playable. Even the traditional toy railway set has had an update. The Brio Smart Tech train is still very much about physical play - the engine drives around a track, just like its older, low-tech forbearers. But it's hooked up to special gates or tunnels which children can move around the set themselves and send signals to the train to change what it does. The engine might reverse, make a noise or even break down, depending on which gate the child selects. And of course, it comes with an app. The simple control panel allows users to make changes to the sounds the toy emits, or to drive it back and forwards. But Brio says the the tech is just one part of the whole experience. "I don't think we're changing the traditional. We're basically evolving it, making it to something else," says Daniel Mauritzson, Senior Product Designer, Brio. "So it should still be very haptic play, still physical play. Even though we have connectivity in part of this concept, that's mainly just to, you know, adjust or change some sounds, again to make the engine yours." The rise in digital toys is not just about advancements in technology - it's also linked to affordability. Kids Insights surveys more than 100,000 children every year in three different continents. The market intelligence company says it's easier than ever for children to get access to the devices they need to play these games. "A few years ago to go buy a console, you could be a few hundred pounds, it's becoming more expensive now. But with mobile gaming, those barriers to entry aren't there," says  Nick Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of Kids Insights. "So we've actually seen a decrease in console ownership with children. Where we've seen an increase, though, is the amount of time that children, both boys and girls, starting at a younger age in terms of spending time gaming through mobile devices." Toy manufacturers have always looked to new technology to give them the next big craze. Pac-Man, a revolution when it was first unveiled, turns 40 this year. And the iconic character is still used in toys today, with a Tamagotchi recently released to mark the big anniversary. But digital toys still only make up a small slice of the market. Lego is no longer just about building with bricks. But Lego has no plans to do away with the traditional Lego bricks. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...