15 posts and columns on toys

Activision CEO Hirshberg Says His Call of Duty Is to Take Creative Risks

in Commerce on February 10 at 12:11 pm PT

Activision, as the maker of first-person shooter Call of Duty, took a risk bringing a children’s game to market. But Skylanders: Spryo’s Adventure has been totally worth it.
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Exclusive: Pinterest Closes New $27M Round With Andreessen Horowitz Valuing Start-Up at $200M

in Commerce on October 7, 2011 at 11:45 am PT

That’ll buy a lot of digital pushpins.
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Toys Blend With Videogames Even More With Activision’s Skylanders

in Commerce on October 7, 2011 at 6:30 am PT

Activision is preparing to launch a new videogame that blends virtual worlds with physical toys. The launch mimics other recent debuts, including one by Disney that links toys and Apple’s iPad.
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Rovio Branding Exec Suddenly Flies the Coop

in Commerce on October 2, 2011 at 12:15 pm PT

Rovio, the Finnish company that has been massively successful at building out a brand around its hit videogame title, Angry Birds, has lost its top branding executive.
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Here Comes a Bunch of Plush Toys for Other Mobile Games (Thanks, Rovio!)

in Commerce on September 26, 2011 at 6:00 am PT

Rovio’s Angry Birds expanded from mobile games to selling a stuffed toy collection and even into movies. Now, other mobile games are trying to replicate its money-making branding model.
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News Byte

Amazon’s Diapers.com Subsidiary Spawns New Toy Site

in Commerce on September 20, 2011 at 5:00 am PT

Quidsi, parent company of Diapers.com, Soap.com, BeautyBar.com and Wag.com, is launching a toy-focused vertical today called YoYo.com. The store, which will have about as many toys as a big-box retailer, is part of the company’s strategy to offer niches that sell everyday items with a unified checkout system. YoYo will have 20,000 toys, books and video games at launch, and will have free shipping for orders of $49 or more; or $39, if an order spans more than one site.

Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters Roar to Life Through Toys “R” Us Deal

in Commerce on June 13, 2011 at 7:01 pm PT

Mind Candy CEO Michael Acton Smith chated last week at E3 about how he believes he can leverage the company’s gaming roots to build a Facebook alternative for kids while also creating an entertainment brand worth billions.
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Holiday Shopping Drives Record-Breaking E-Commerce Spending to $43.3 Billion in Q4

in Commerce on February 4, 2011 at 12:29 pm PT

Online retail spending reached a record-breaking $43.4 billion in the fourth quarter, fueled by strong holiday spending, comScore reports.

Shocker: Top Online Purchases of 2010 Don't Involve Justin Bieber!

in Commerce on December 29, 2010 at 6:01 am PT

Justin Bieber’s fans must have been satisfied with watching him for free. Because his domination of the music and social charts certainly did not translate into dollars spent on Amazon or eBay.

Google Tries to Ride Angry Birds’ Coattails

in Mobile on December 3, 2010 at 1:27 pm PT

Google is hoping to use the Angry Birds to show the power of mobile advertising. A YouTube video has Rovio’s “Mighty Eagle” Peter Vesterbacka talking about how great things are going. Apparently the company expects its ad-based versions of Angry Birds will soon be bringing in about $1 million per month.

Insider Pushes Ma Bell Beyond Just Phones

in News, December 16, 2009 at 9:35 am PT

EA Announces "The Sims: Will Wright" Expansion Pack

in News, April 8, 2009 at 1:24 pm PT

EA Announces “The Sims: Will Wright” Expansion Pack

in News, April 8, 2009 at 1:24 pm PT

LeapFrog Q4 Results Fall Far Short of Estimates

in News, March 2, 2009 at 2:41 pm PT