Toys; Games | Page 3

Marketing

King of Kitsch: Meet the Company Behind Big Mouth Billy Bass and a Dozen Other Novelty Items From Your Childhood

Gemmy Industries' chief executive explains how the company continues to crank out the cheesy magic year after year.

By Laura Entis

Thought Leaders

4 Startup Founders Under 30 to Keep an Eye On

They're young and already changing the status quo. Discover and follow these four young entrepreneurs as they rise up.

By Matthew Toren

Marketing

Hello Kitty Bombshell: Kitty Is Not a Cat

Talk about a pivot. Sanrio received a boatload of publicity yesterday with the revelation that Hello Kitty is not, in fact, a cat.

By Kate Taylor

Business News

The Hidden Opportunity: Toys That Bridge the Gender Gap

As large corporations miss the clamoring for products that appeal to both girls and boys, forward-thinking entrepreneurs have the chance to fill the void.

By Peter Gasca

Building a Business

Vote Now to Help Us Pick Our ‘Emerging Entrepreneur of 2014’

Our finalists have created everything from the world's first Twitter-based advertising agency to a toy startup that purports to be the 'Netflix for Legos.'

By Geoff Weiss

Tech

Hasbro to Let Fans Design 3-D Printed My Little Pony Art

Hasbro and the online marketplace Shapeways said their team-up marks the first time that a major global company has opened up its intellectual property for fan-made products.

By Geoff Weiss

Building a Business

A Netflix for Legos – Building a Startup Brick by Brick

Toy rental is the latest entrant to the sharing economy. Pley shares its strategy for navigating this emerging – and fickle – industry.

By Neil Parmar

Building a Business

A Peek at the Startups in Disney’s First-Ever Accelerator Program

Running the gamut from products for children to houses of high-tech, each winner will receive $120,000 in investment capital and mentoring from top Disney execs.

By Geoff Weiss

Building a Business

Lego to Release a ‘Female Scientist’ Mini-Figure Set

That's right: female Lego figurines will soon do more than shop and go to the beach.

By Laura Entis

Business News

‘Frozen’ Gives Licensed Toy Sales a Boost

Licensed toys from Disney and Pixar are a bright spot in the overall toy category, which saw a 1-percent sales decline in 2013.

By Krystina Gustafson

Thought Leaders

Remembering Hobie Alter, the Surfing Visionary Who Invented a Sport and a Culture

Alter, who passed away on Saturday at age 80, was a self-taught engineer who invented the polyurethane foam surfboard.

By Geoff Weiss

Building a Business

With New Acquisition, Toy Maker Mattel to Take on Lego

Mattel's purchase of MEGA Brands illustrates the importance of low-tech toys in a high-tech world.

By Linda Lacina

Human Resources

Maker of Video Game ‘BioShock’ to Shed All But 15 Employees

Creator Ken Levine's decision to cut the studio down to a 'smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor' comes as something of a shock.

By Laura Entis

Thought Leaders

POLL: Would You Buy Entrepreneur Barbie, or Is She Hardly a Good Example?

Barbie is now an entrepreneur. But what business is she running? Would you invest?

By Kate Taylor

Thought Leaders

Introducing Entrepreneur Barbie

At Toy Fair this week, Mattel announced its iconic doll is becoming her own boss.

By Linda Lacina

Business News

How Lego Came Back From the Brink of Bankruptcy

With its new 'The Lego Movie' out in theaters, a look at how the company skirted financial breakdown.

By Richard Feloni

Business News

15 Fun Gadgets to Give to Anyone This Holiday Season

With throwback know-how as well as some of the newest technologies, these gadgets have something for everyone, from tinkerers to tipplers.

By John Patrick Pullen

Building a Business

In New Lawsuit, Beastie Boys Say GoldieBlox Acted ‘Despicably With Oppression, Fraud and Malice’

The legal battle continues over the toy maker's use of 'Girls' in a video that went viral.

By Benjamin Kabin

Building a Business

Tips on How to Make Your Supply Chain More Environmentally Friendly

A look at how Green Toys brought sustainability into business production.

By Catherine Clifford

Marketing

5 Tips for Transforming Your Hobby Into a Business From the ‘Toy Hunter’

What the reality show about toy collecting can teach you about turning your passion into a profitable business.

By Carol Tice

Tech

Orbotix: Where Mobile Apps and the Toy Industry Collide

A startup that invented the world's first smartphone-controlled ball and that's just the beginning.

By John Patrick Pullen