The Walt Disney Company DIS has introduced a line of new high-tech toys called Playmation. For the first time, the company has designed its toys in-house instead of the usual policy of granting licenses to other companies.
The first series in Playmation will be inspired by Marvel’s Avengers. The set will have five toys that include Repulsor, replica of Iron Man’s hand gear, two Power Activators, Captain America and Iron Skull Smart figures. The toys and wearables use smart technology including infrared, wireless technology and motion sensors.
The kit is priced at $119.99 and will be available this October in the United States and Canada. The company’s long-term partner Hasbro Inc. HAS will manufacture Playmation.
Disney also announced that Playmation inspired by Star Wars and Frozen are already in the development stage and are likely to be launched in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Playmation is infusing the best of digital technology into the real world, raising the bar of playtime. According to Disney, Playmation will drag kids out of the house and engage them in physical activity, as most of them are hooked on to gizmos like tablets and phones these days.
Analysts observe that with Playmation, Disney has a high risk-reward strategy. If Playmation is successful, then Disney stands to gain significantly as the company is aiming to develop the toy into more of a gaming environment on the lines of Microsoft Corporation’s MSFT Xbox and Sony Corp’s SNE PlayStation. However, the $120 price tag might prove to be a deterrent Additional accessories are also priced at $15 and even the downloadable so-called missions are chargeable.
However, keeping in mind, the increasing demand for tech-infused toys and given the popularity of Marvel, things may turn out positive for Disney.
At present, Disney carries Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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