Tag Archives: playmation

The Most Exciting thing about Disney’s Playmations Might be the Stock Photos

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Yesterday, Disney announced their next toy breakthrough, Playmation, tech infused toys and playsets that’ll feature themes of Marvel characters, Disney characters, Frozen, Star Wars, and more.

The “next step in play” seems like something we’ve seen before, playsets, and other items, infused with tech, that also allows active play. That part isn’t new, it can be traced back to the home laser tag games, and absolutely earlier. The exact details of what this all means hasn’t quite been revealed, but it looks interesting, and potentially it should be fun.

What really stood out to me wasn’t the announcement itself, but the stock photos that were released by Disney’s partner in this Hasbro. The photos featured three children playing with the Avengers set release which is first up. What’s new is that one of the three children was a girl. In fact, 5 of the 9 photos that were part of Hasbro’s press release feature the young girl. And look, there’s also a Black Widow figure coming out too!

Is this Disney, and Hasbro, finally admitting that girls also like toys based on super heroes?

Disney, Marvel, and Hasbro have all come under fire for acting as if women aren’t interested in toys based on super heroes. Black Widow was absent from the Avengers: Age of Ultron toys, with her motorcycle scene set replacing her with Captain America, though she has been including in other sets including the Marvel Legends line of toys and Marvel Infinite series of toys. There’s also been outrage over a lack of some clothing options for women as well, and the absence of Black Widow on much of the boys clothes as well.

It’s possible this may be the strange continuation of featuring girls and female characters in sets not based on movies, or, this may be Disney and Hasbro acknowledging that girls due enjoy toys based on super heroes. It’s not just boys who act out being Iron Man, Spider-Man, and more, girls due it too, and those toys make it easier for them to do so.

You can see the photos below.

Disney’s Playmation is the Next Step in Play, Featuring Disney, Marvel, & Star Wars

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Playmation_KeynotePack_whitebkgDisney Consumer Products has introduced the world to Playmation – the next step in the evolution of play, where digital gets physical and imagination becomes real. The groundbreaking system of toys and wearables uses smart technology to inspire kids to run around and use their imaginations, as they become the hero or heroine of stories from across The Walt Disney Company.

Dreamed up by a team of technologists, Imagineers and storytellers from across The Walt Disney Company, Playmation is the culmination of extensive research into the world of play. In the release Disney cited a report that parents want their kids to be active and have nostalgia for the way they used to play. Add that on top that while children like being active, they also want toys infused with technology.

Playmation also marks a new chapter in Disney Consumer Products’ long-term partnership with Hasbro. DCP and Hasbro collaborated on physical product design and manufacturing of Playmation. Hasbro’s record of innovation and consumer insights make them the perfect partner to ensure that Playmation is a truly ground-breaking play experience.

Playmation Marvel’s Avengers is the first in a series of systems in development around Walt Disney Company franchises, and will hit shelves this October. At launch, the Playmation Marvel’s Avengers Starter Pack will include five connected toys: one piece of Avenger Gear (Repulsor), two Power Activators and two Smart Figures – a Super Hero (Captain America) and a Super Villain (Iron Skull). Getting started is easy, strap the high-tech Repulsor Gear onto your arm (it fits adults, too!) and listen closely to JARVIS as he takes you through the tutorial on how to control your new Gear, inspired by Iron Man technology. Other Playmation Marvel’s Avengers connected toys that work with the Starter Pack will also be available separately for purchase at launch, with more on the way.

Also available at launch, is the AvengersNet app where you can register your Avenger Gear to see progress, explore additional locations and characters, and get access to new missions. New recruits to the Avengers can fight Marvel Super Villains including Ultron, Iron Skull, Loki, or join fellow Avengers Super Heroes like Black Widow, Falcon and more as they battle to save the Earth by running, jumping, ducking and dodging – whatever each challenge requires.

Playmation Marvel’s Avengers uses familiar technologies including smart toys, wearables, wireless technology, motion sensors and more, but applies them in ways that are completely new to create an experience that’s never been possible before. The Repulsor Gear connects with the Power Activators and Smart Figures to take you on a variety of adventures through locations around the Marvel Universe, from the Avengers Lab in New York to the jungles of Wakanda. Playmation is purposely not tethered to an Internet connection so players can run around and explore each adventure from anywhere they want – a bedroom, living room or yard. With multiplayer modes, recruits can sync their Avenger Gear to tackle missions and combat arenas together, or face off in competitive play.

The Playmation Marvel’s Avengers Starter Pack will have a suggested retail price of $119.99 and will launch in October 2015 in the United States and Canada at mass and specialty retailers, select Disney Store locations and DisneyStore.com, and will be available for pre-order starting July 7.

Star Wars and Disney Frozen systems are currently in development for 2016 and 2017, respectively. Each will use a range of technologies to create a system based on the different ways that kids play and experience their favorite stories and characters from that franchise.