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the Bloom Report: July 10 - 17, 2020

the Bloom Report

Toy Industry's #1 News Summary Worldwide

July 10 - 17, 2020



Welcome to your Friday briefing of the week's news!

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Most everyone I speak, zoom, email, text, gchat, WhatsApp, Google hangout, linkedin message, tweet, fb, etc., have asked me if I have been working harder than ever before because they feel they have been. The answer, of course, is yes. We are all reinventing and adjusting in this pandemic which takes more work. In addition, is it possible we are all craving and missing in-person meetings that we are over-compensating with every type of digital communication available and pushing ourselves to reach out to more people because we miss them?

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In case you missed the last issues...

After 22 years, the Bloom Report has a new look and steward. It is our honor to carry on Philip Bloom’s legacy and continue this essential news source for the industry. If you would like to reach Phil, his new email is: philip.bloom100@verizon.net We'd appreciate your feedback and welcome advertisements so we can continue this service for free. Phil summarized this endeavor well when he said, "Not only does the Bloom Report give you all the news you need to know...we give you all the news you didn't know you needed to know!"

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Onward & Upward,

Mary Couzin


Person of the Week: Person of the Week! Alex Tongue, Founder and CEO, Vango Toys




Today’s Millennials and Gen-Z’ers are driving higher interest in entrepreneurship, according to a recent article in Forbes, with over 50% of the working population now believing that there are actually good opportunities out there to start companies. Alex Tongue is very much part of that trend. As the 27-year-old Founder and CEO of the new Vango Toys, the freedom and reward of starting his own company led this Millennial to launch his business in 2019. His first product, The #UpsideDownChallenge Game, hits retail this month. The premise: players are asked to perform seemingly simple tasks, like write their name, connect dots or give a high five, but while wearing a special pair of goggles that literally flips your vision upside down. Alex brought his game to the October Fall Toy Preview in 2019. Retailers paid close attention to the quirky and unusual game that seemingly everyone at the show wanted to play, culminating in the news that Target was ‘game’ for a 2020 launch and Vango Toys was off and running! (Read More...)



Financial & Legal News . . .

US Toy sales up 16% during first six months of 2020. NPD data shows soaring US toy sales during Q1 and 2, a result of the coronavirus lockdowns and good weather. The NPD Group has announced that US toy sales are up +16% for the first half of 2020, as lockdowns, home-schooling and hot weather fuelled demand for at-home entertainment and education.

“It was a breakthrough quarter for gaming” says Satya Nadella on Microsoft’s $1.3bn boost. The figures are in for Microsoft’s pandemic Q4, ending June 30th, and gaming saw a huge boost as the lockdown continued to affect many major economies. Gaming revenue increased by 64 per cent year-on-year, a boost of $1.3bn. That growth came largely from Xbox content and services, thanks to what Microsoft described...

49% of games businesses report an increase in revenue during COVID-19 crisis. Ukie has today released their ‘Playing On’ report, which demonstrates the games industry’s resilience in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, although it highlights some concerns about the mid to long term impacts of the crisis on the industry. One of the most encouraging findings of the report is that 45 per cent of games businesses have been...

Facebook’s top advertiser Disney cuts ad spending, WSJ says. Walt Disney Co., the No. 1 advertiser on Facebook Inc., has “dramatically slashed” spending on the platform, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The move comes as a growing list of companies, including Coca-Cola Co. and Verizon Communications Inc., halted spending on the platform amid criticism of the social media...

Investors are bracing for the virus’s second wave. Here’s how we know. Over the past five trading days, the cruise stocks are down 14%, while Boeing has fallen more than 3%. What’s more, Walmart and Zoom Video Communications shares were up 1.4% and 3.5%, respectively, in Monday trading. That pair, two stocks that outperformed during the lockdowns earlier in the year, are up 2.7% and 5.4%, respectively over...

Video game sales surged 26% in June. Total spending on video games surged to $1.2 billion in the U.S. last month, a 26% surge when compared to last June. The increase across hardware, games, and accessories accounted for the biggest June month since 2019. Overall, the entire industry is up 19% year-to-date.



Trends, Market Research Reports . . .

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Financial & Brokerage News . . .

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Financial Reporting . . .

Mattel posts second-quarter sales declines in all toy categories, despite virus-fueled industry boost. Sales of Barbie rose 7% in the quarter, but the dolls category as a whole fell 5%. Other categories saw steeper, double-digit sales declines. Overall, the company’s sales were still better than feared. Shares of Mattel jumped more than 4% after the closing bell.

Nintendo has 3.8 million shares in Bandai Namco worth $186 million. Nintendo's latest 2020 annual report shows a number of substantial investments into partner companies, but it's biggest is Bandai Namco who has developed a number of Switch games. Nintendo currently owns over 3.8 million shares of Bandai Namco worth roughly $186 million.

Ubisoft results sees €75m pandemic boost, announces $60 next-gen games, and speaks on recent allegations. Ubisoft’s Q1 results saw it hit record net bookings of €410m, way in excess of the €335m that it was predicting. It’s clear that the lion’s share of this is the result of the pandemic lockdown, with the company noting record-high levels of engagement and number of players over a single quarter.

Warface creator My Games announces 46% per cent Q2 growth – Warface on Switch hits 2.5m users. My Games, best known for its Warface franchise, has announced impressive growth in revenue for Q2, up by 46 per cent year on year to $152m. The company stated that it reached 700m registered users globally in the 3 month period.

Idw Media Holdings sells division, retires debt. IDW Media Holdings is selling one of its divisions and will retire debt in the process, the company announced. The holding company has agreed to sell brochure distribution and marketing company CTM Media Group Inc. to IDW Chairman and largest shareholder Howard Jonas in exchange for $3.75 million of the $5.0 million IDW owes Jonas.

Diamond companies received $5-$10m+ in PPP loans. A loan for Diamond Comic Distributors in the range of $5-$10 million was approved on April 10; while a loan for Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles in the range of $150,000-$350,000 was approved on May 1. A loan to sister company Rosebud Entertainment for $350,000 - $1 million, was approved on April 30.


Future Financial Reporting...

Electronic Arts Q1 prediction estimates. Electronic arts (EA) is due to announce its 2020 Q1 results July 30. Here are the market estimates for what they might be.

Zynga to Discuss Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results on August 5, 2020 at approximately 1:05 p.m. PT At this time, Zynga will post management’s Q2 2020 Quarterly Earnings Letter, which includes Zynga’s second quarter 2020 results and outlook for the future …

Spin Master Corp. to Report Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results on August 5, 2020. Ronnen Harary, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Mark Segal, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call for the investment community on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.

Mattel, Inc. today announced that it plans to release its second quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, July 23, 2020, at approximately 4:05 p.m. Eastern time. Following this, Mattel will host a conference call and webcast at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Hasbro, Inc. announced that it will webcast its second quarter 2020 earnings conference call on Monday, July 27, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. ET, following the release of Hasbro's financial results. The webcast and the accompanying presentation slides will be available to investors and the media on Hasbro's Investor Relations home page at https://investor.hasbro.com.





Stories & Comments . . .

How toy Woolworths Daleks created a key Doctor Who sequence. Doctor Who is known for doing a lot with a little, with the smash-hit sci-fi series regularly offering world-beating special effects, prosthetics and set building despite working with a relatively small TV budget. Instead of full-size Daleks, they’d use small models – and instead of making the models themselves, they’d just buy toy Daleks already available in shops.

“It’s more important than ever for leaders to include more diverse employees at all levels” – Amiqus on making change where it matters. Building a culture of inclusion where everyone feels that their voice is heard and valued will make a difference to the future growth of a company and the retention of their talent. And when making decisions, it’s more important than ever for leaders to include more diverse...

2020 'SPIEL DES JAHRES' WINNERS ANNOUNCED! 'Game of the Year', 'Enthusiast Game of the Year', and 'Children's Game of the Year'. The coveted Spiel des Jahres or the Game of the Year went to Pictures published by PD-Verlag and Rio Grande Games, and designed by Daniela Stohr and Christian Stohr. The Kennerspiel des Jahres or Enthusiast Game of the Year went to the space-travelling game The Crew. It was...

Amazon de-anonymizing third party sellers. The Wild West may get a little tamer. Amazon will begin displaying business name and address for all third part sellers in the U.S. on September 1, the company told its sellers earlier this month. The change may help tame some of the more destructive elements of Amazon’s third part marketplace.

How can the industry stamp out abusive behavior within their businesses and communities? Like other industries where immense power and prestige accrues in the hands of relatively few individuals, the gaming industry has a problem with abuse in its ranks. Much of the video games industry is relationship and influence driven, and those in control can use their money, visibility, and influence to abuse.

New ‘Clone Wars’ toy could hint at a special cameo in the Obi-Wan Kenobi ‘Star Wars’ live-action series. With the success of The Mandalorian and Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, television future path for Star Wars. This lead to the development of upcoming shows about Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Naturally many rumors came up about the Obi-Wan’s series. And a new toy release might hint...

Indie hobby stores celebrate ‘rare win’ in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 launch turnaround. Independent retailers and hobby stores are celebrating a ‘rare win’ over Games Workshop. The company spent an embattled week at the outrage of a community who believed themselves “to be overlooked” by the British miniatures brand and its latest big box Warhammer launch, in favor of the online discounters and...

Aurora World donates truckloads of plush to Kids Wish Network. Aurora World is continuing its support of Kids Wish Network. The maker of quality plush toys for kids and collectors is donating “truckloads of extraordinary plush toys” to Kids Wish programs that support kids with life-threatening conditions or those who are struggling with life-altering situations.

Microsoft removes 12 month Xbox Live subscriptions, may be preparing to drop the paywall entirely. Microsoft has removed the ability to purchase 12 month Xbox Live subscriptions, prompting speculation that it is preparing to drop the paywall for the service entirely. Both the single and three-month tiers remain, but the 12 month option has been removed from every territory in which the yearly subscription was available.

Amazon Prime Day in India starts on August 6. NEW DELHI:E-commerce giant Amazon on Tuesday announced that its annual shopping festival Prime Day will start in India on August 6 and will run for 48 hours, offering members two full days to make use of the exclusive deals.

Last year, the sales holiday was conducted in mid-July, but the pandemic this year has disrupted its schedule.

Secret Morse code tune sees game removed in China. A popular mobile game has been taken offline in mainland China for "rectification work". Netizens discovered its musical director had written a song containing Morse code with a hidden Hong Kong pro-democracy message. The piece, Telegraph 1344 7609 2575, was actually posted on his page in March, but after netizens discovered it contained in Morse code...

Despite gov't approval, Google rejects Attentat 1942 from Google Play Store in Germany. Attentat 1942 developer Charles Games says that Google has blocked the release of its historical game on the Google Play Store in Germany, Russia, Austria, and France over Attentat 1942's in-game use of Nazis. “How we're supposed to make an historically-accurate game about WW2 horrors without Nazis?” Toy bomb injures 5 children in northwest Pakistan. A bomb resembling a toy injured at least five children on Tuesday in Pakistan's northwest tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said. The bomb exploded when the children were playing with it in South Waziristan district. 'Toy' bombs were airdropped in neighbouring Afghanistan by Soviet forces during the 1980s civil war in the country.

More Resignations, but No Sign Yet of a Change in Gaming Culture. Since dozens of women spoke up about harassment in gaming last month, prominent industry figures have resigned. But has anything really changed? The stream of reports of sexual harassment and assault in the gaming industry that began in June has continued unabated, as more women — and some men — have come forward with accusations...

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Remembering the toy industry's past . . .

Electric Puff Ball from Hasbro (1962). Released in 1962 by Hasbro, the Electric Puff Ball game blended marksmanship and air currents into a two-player game of skill. “A thrilling electrical game for the entire family.”

‘90s-toys-millennials-loved-to-play-with. 30 toys from the '90s that you or someone you know definitely had when you were a kid. This post will give you back the sweet and pure mems of playing with them.

1,700-year-old board game found in Norwegian burial mound. The grave turned out to be a cremation patch containing 3 ceramic pots, a bronze pin, burnt glass and 18 gaming pieces and an elongated dice. The dice is of a very rare type, exclusive for Roman Iron Age (AD 1 - 400).

Robert The Doll: the true story behind ‘Child’s Play’ and Chucky. The real events that helped inspire what would become the story for Child’s Play begin with the tale of Robert the Doll. While Chucky was just one of many mass-produced “Good Guy” dolls, Robert the Doll was a one-of-a-kind toy first owned and named by Florida painter Robert Eugene Otto in 1903.

1,200 year-old glass boardgame piece found on Lindisfarne[GT1] . A rare, glass gaming piece has been discovered during an archaeological dig on Lindisfarne. The tiny Northumbrian island’s wealthy early medieval monastery was infamously raided by Vikings in AD 793, heralding the start of the Viking Age in Britain.



Worldwide Licensing News . . .

Trinity & Beyond premieres toy line from Bonkers Toys. Trinity & Beyond has been on a rocket ship of growth reaching over 2.6 billion lifetime views on YouTube and continuing to accelerate. The channel is a huge hit with kids ages 3-8 and is family-friendly “reality TV” for little girls. The Trinity & Beyond toy line from Bonkers Toys in partnership with Semaphore Licensing will premiere at Target, Walmart, Amazon, and...

Insight Editions expands successful Wizarding World film tie-in publishing program for Harry Potter fans in fall 2220. Insight Editions in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, is pleased to announce new additions to its catalog of Wizarding World film–inspired titles. These include new novelty and collectible formats …

The Hachette Children’s Group lands publishing rights for the hit pre-school series Tinpo. 1888 has partnered with one of the UK’s leading children’s publishers, the Hachette Children’s Group, to adapt the CGI animated television series Tinpo into a wide range of book and activity formats. The agreement will see the launch of a new range of picture books, annuals, story books, activity books, and novelty books featuring the characters and stories from the popular children’s series.

Barbie launches health and beauty partnership with GlamGlow. The health and beauty specialist, GlamGlow has teamed up with Mattel to unveil a new, limited edition with the fashion doll icon, Barbie, and the toy brand’s own GlamGlow beauty collection. The new collection has been developed to celebrate self-confidence through self-care skin health, and features Barbie themed spins on popular lines in the GlamGlow range.

Discovery dives into ‘Shark Week’ with 2020 licensing program airing Aug. 9 – Aug. 16 with a lineup of original shark-themed programming. The accompanying consumer products program for the event series includes new and returning partners across apparel and accessories, toys and publishing categories.

Boy's Toys: Why did watchmaker IWC release a Hot Wheels racing car set? The new IWC Racing-themed Hot Wheels set features a miniature replica of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. But how did this collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and Mattel toy car brand come about? The set features an astonishing 1:64 scale replica of IWC’s Mercedes-Benz 300SL race car, driven by F1 legend David Coulthard.

Dark Horse Comics teams with Studio71 Games to launch The Umbrella Academy card game. For everyone who enjoys a bit of pop culture nerdery, Dark Horse Comics is looking to provide your latest fix with the launch of a new battling card game based on the hit comic series-turned Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy. The news arrives as season two of The Umbrella Academy readies to land on Netflix this July 31.

Spacetoon to develop consumer product programme for YouTube’s The Moshaya Family across MENA. Spacetoon, one of the MENA region’s largest family content providers, has signed a new partnership with The Moshaya Family – the top rated family friendly content creator in the Arab world – to roll out a consumer products and digital media programme that will encompass a new animated series. Through the agreement, Spacetoon will work to transform the hit YouTube channel into a lifestyle franchise across a variety of consumer products including toys.

Playmonster And My Singing Monsters Team Up With Carl’s Jr. And Hardee’s For Exclusive Star Pals Toys. PlayMonster and My Singing Monsters are partnering with Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s for a special limited-time promotion this summer. The Big on Fun toy company will be collaborating to provide four exclusive My Singing Monsters toys to the fast-food restaurants’ beloved kids meal, known as the Star Pals™.

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People . . .

Tim Kilpin - I’m a very proud elf. Every Christmas morning... Make magic for kids. I’m a very proud elf. Every Christmas morning that I’ve been in this business, after the presents have been opened, and too many cookies have been eaten, I sneak outside. And I listen. Kids all over the world will be playing with the toys we all created. Magic is happening. And time stands still.

Naomi Brugnatelli - Don’t be Intimidated by Presenting to the “BIG GUYS”. I have the privilege of being the Sr. Inventor Relations brand representative for Mattel Games. I’m constantly on the hunt for new innovative game ideas. Some would say that I’m the gatekeeper between the inventor community and the Mattel Games team. I like to think that first and foremost, I am an inventor advocate.

Diana S. Ferguson Appointed to Mattel Board of Directors. Ferguson Will Serve on the Company’s Audit Committee and Assume the Role of Audit Committee Chair. Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today that Diana S. Ferguson, Chief Financial Officer of Cleveland Avenue LLC, has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors effective July 21, 2020.

NEW PRESIDENT, PUBLISHER, EVP AT IDW PUBLISHING. In the wake of the departure of IDW Publishing President, Publisher, and CCO Chris Ryall yesterday, IDW has promoted a number of executives to new positions. Jerry Bennington is the company’s new President, Jud Meyers is the company’s new Publisher, and Rebekah Cahalin is now General Manager and EVP of Operations for both IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment.

TOM HUDSON TALKS MARVIN’S MAGIC ON THE ‘POWER KID PODCAST’. In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Tom Hudson, managing director of Marvin’s Magic. Launched in 1987 as a pioneer in the retail entertainment and product demonstration space. For more than three decades, Marvin’s Magic products have entertained budding magicians, pop stars...

Cloudco Entertainment welcomes Ian Lambur as EVP, Content Strategy & Co-Productions. Longtime industry veteran Ian Lambur has joined Cloudco Entertainment as Executive Vice-President of Content Strategy and Co-Productions. Cloudco Entertainment is home of venerated brands such as The Care Bears™, Holly Hobbie™ and Madballs™.

Edx Education’s Heather Welch: “Educational toys are going to hit a stride like never before”. ToyNews talks exclusively to Heather Welch, global brand lead for Edx Education, about the rising demand for educational toys the world over. Additionally, just how the company plans to respond to the call as we begin to emerge from the world’s lockdown measures.

Starling Games staffers form Quillsilver Studio. Two former Starling Games staffers and a third creative have formed Quillsilver Studio, a new development house offering publishing services for tabletop games. The three founders are former Starlling Brand manager Brenna Noonan, former Starling Creative Director Dann May, and Greg May.

Collector Spotlight: Ben Meier. “I collect Transformers. I have about 4,800 sets – meaning gift sets and multi-packs that shipped in the same package – as well as individual figures, bringing the total to about 6,000 unique items. If it was released to the US retail market, I have it. My collection also includes exclusive Japanese and European releases and other types of transforming toy robots, such as Tonka GoBots . . .

David Snow - Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, Sugarpuffs, DJ Koco and More! I am the co owner of The Fantastic Factory with my partner Steve Evans, we design create and manufacture games and gifts. My role is co inventing, marketing, finance, sales, contract work, forward planning, tea making and firefighting. Steve does all the nice bits, but he does it very well.

Actor Keanu Reeves is turning his hand to comics with a new 12-issue series for BOOM! Studios: BRZRKR, which he will co-author with writer Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, DeptH, Grass Kings). The creative team will also include artist Alessandro Vitti, colorist Bill Crabtree, and letterer Clem Robins, and Rafael Grampá will draw the cover for the first issue. Vitti and Mark Brooks will create variant covers....



Companies . . .

Amazon Officially Pushes Back Prime Day For ‘Later This Year’. Amazon has confirmed that its annual Prime Day sales event will be postponed this year, as the coronavirus pandemic has placed additional strain on the retail giant and its partners. Amazon in a statement did not specify when Prime Day would occur but assured it would still be happening this year, adding “members all around the world will...

PLAYMONSTER’S MY SINGING MONSTERS HEAD TO HARDEE’S, CARL’S JR. Beginning July 22, characters from the mobile game enjoyed by more than 100 million players worldwide will be found in Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Star Pals Kids Meals. PlayMonster collaborated with CKE Restaurants on four exclusive My Singing Monsters toys, including Monster Dominoes, Stackers, a Monster Maze, and an Island Theater Set.

Nickelodeon builds new family center in China. Nickelodeon Playtime will feature play areas for SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as Nick-branded retail and café areas. Other companies that have built immersive play destinations for the kids TV brands recently include: Mattel and Hasbro.

Little People MOTU, LOTR sets from Fisher-Price. Fisher-Price continues its foray into pop-culture collectibles with two new Little People sets: Masters of the Universe and The Lord of the Rings. The figures are styled to look like popular characters from each media franchise. All are made entirely of plastic and measure just under 3-inches tall.

Genius Brands International Provides Business Updates. Following a slate of recent Company news regarding the launch of the Kartoon Channel!, the creation of Stan Lee Universe – anchored by a global deal with Archie Comics – and the appointment of Michael Uslan as Head of Development for Stan Lee Universe, Genius Brands announces more important business updates.

Tactic Games to grow UK indies and garden center business with Inside Out Toys. Tactic Games UK has partnered with Inside Out Toys in a distribution deal to grow the Tactic brand here in the UK and strengthen relationships with independent toy, gift, and garden centers. Effective August 1st, Inside Out Toys will focus on promoting a selection of Tactic’s made-in-Finland card, trivia and party games, as well as some of its popular outdoor and travel games.

Hasbro My Little Pony X Dungeons & Dragons crossover figures available for pre-order! The highly anticipated My Little Pony X Dungeons & Dragons crossover collection set is now available for pre-order at multiple retailers! Cutie Marks & Dragons features five exclusive 4.5-inch Pony figures with soft outfit accessories, each inspired by an iconic D&D character class.

Ubisoft’s toxic culture problems allegedly span more than a decade of abuse. Ubisoft is again under fire for allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct, and endemic problems of sexism and racism across the company. In a report published today, Bloomberg extensively details inappropriate behavior by top executives and managers, particularly around chief creative officer Serge Hascoët.

Zimpli Kids adds to it bath time play range with new Baff Bombz launch. Zimpli Kids has devised yet another way of coaxing children towards bath time with the launch of its new Baff Bombz range of bath bombs arriving on the scene in the form of the Rainbow and Rocket lines.he Baff Bombz come debossed with the Zimpli Kids logo, taking on the shape of a whTite cloud and rocket shaped bath bombs that...

Small toys could be big business for Youku, china’s answer to YouTube. China's answer to YouTube has taken the country's collectible toy trend to the next level, launching a live-streamed variety show where celebrities hype and sell them. Alibaba-backed Youku debuted "The Luckiest Guy" on Tuesday, with the company boasting that it sold 10,000 collectible toys in just one minute, and made 400,000 yuan ($57,187) in ...

Ultra Pro unveils 'Teferi Bundle' for 'Magic: the Gathering'. Ultra PRO has unveiled the Teferi Bundle, a Planeswalker-themed accessory set for Magic: The Gathering, for release into retail in October. It Includes Teferi-Themed Playmat, Deck Box, Life Pad, and More. Now, Magic players can express their affection for this popular Planeswalker with Ultra PRO's latest bundle. The Teferi Bundle comes with ...

Hasbro Ghostbusters “Tully’s Terrible Night” Plasma Series Action Figure Revealed! Hasbro is calling on the Ghostbusters with the reveal of an all-new product in their line of Plasma Series figures – the Tully’s Terrible Night two-pack, which comes with a frightened Louis Tully from the first Ghostbusters film, and a Terror Dog! Tully’s Terrible Night will be available on HasbroPulse.com in September – stay tuned for more news ...

Mercenary company rides into 'a Song Of Ice & Fire Tabletop Miniatures Game'. CMON will release Bloody Mummer Zorse Riders, a new miniature set for A Song of Ice & Fire Tabletop Miniatures Game, coming to retailers on July 24. The Bloody Mummers are flamboyantly dressed horsemen that intentionally wear bright clothing to bring attention to themselves on the battlefield.

Kid Trax revs up fall releases. The ride-on toys bring big fun with a little something for any kid. The Real Rigs Recycling Truck will retail for $199 at Target, Amazon, and kidtraxtoys.com and is made for kids who are 18-36 months old. The six-volt recycling truck features more than 100 voice lines, sound effects, songs, and expressions. Kids can learn about the value of recycling through its nine accessories that can be sorted and...

GoldieBlox prepares for rapid growth with new exec team and focus on consumer products. The toy firm turned media and entertainment powerhouse, GoldieBlox has made a suite of new appointments to its leadership team as the company prepares for rapid growth in the coming years, including further moves into the consumer products sector, led by its new EVP of operations and partnerships, Tim Erickson.

Spin Master ‘encouraged by the revival of brick and mortars’ as it details post-lockdown plans. The global toy company has struck a note of optimism for the course of the rest of the year, having outlined its plans to support its retail partners with stock, promotional plans and TV support for its most popular lines. The company has been ‘encouraged’ by the revival of the high street and the brick and mortar retailer...

Spin Master Games announces that it is releasing a board game based on The Titanic movie in which players must evacuate the sinking ship. Although Titanic came out 23 years ago now, Spin Master Games seems to think it's still marketable, and it's probably right about that. Titanic: The Game promises to invoke those old memories of watching Titanic through fun and engaging gameplay that fans can experience together.

League of Legends esports is getting a big rebrand in an attempt to become more global. There are 12 different professional League of Legends leagues spread across the world, which can make it hard for even the most diehard fans to keep track of everything. Developer Riot Games is rolling out a partial solution today: a complete rebrand with the aim of tying together the action from all over the globe.

Hasbro reveals new Star Wars, Marvel Legends figures. Hasbro is starting the week strong with tons of new figure and figure set reveals across its Hasbro Pulse brands. In addition to the GI Joe Special Missions: Cobra Island collection that is heading to Target, the company debuted new figures for its Star Wars The Black Series, Star Wars: The Vintage Collection, and Marvel Legends lines.

Experiential production outfit Gamepath launches to the UK with immersive Monopoly deal. Gamepath, a new company dedicated to developing and staging experiential and live gameplay productions in partnership with leading global entertainment brands has launched into the UK. The new outfit will make its UK debut with the launch of an immersive Monopoly experience in collaboration with Hasbro.

Character Options merges fashion dolls and cosmetics with Shimmer N Sparkle InstaGlam. Character Options is readying for one of its major launches of the season with the arrival of the InstaGlam girls, a range of stylish make-up compacts wrapped up in their own collectable doll. The range has been established under the Shimmer N Sparkle fashion brand and witnesses the meeting of the worlds of fashion doll play and cosmetics.

Pokémon debuts new board game with Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy. The Pokémon Company International has announced the Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy, the first-ever board game adaptation of the Pokémon TCG, one of the most beloved and best-selling trading card games in the world. Providing everything a “Trainer” needs to master the basics of the Pokémon TCG …

Wonder Woman – WW84 – Minico from @IronStudios. Ready to launch its mystical bond of truth, Iron Studios presents, in its Toy Art line from Mini Co, its stylized Wonder Woman version of WW84, inspired by its newest cinematic version. Themyscira Amazon demigod Princess Diana, known in the world9 of men as Wonder Woman, returns to theaters in 2020 once again played by Israeli actress and model Gal Gadot …

Wizkids expands 'Fantasy Realms'. The fantasy hand-building card game Fantasy Realms will get an expansion when WizKids releases The Cursed Hoard in January. Launched in 2017, Fantasy Realms challenges players to create the most powerful hand by drawing and discarding cards depicting fantasy elements.

LEGO opens its first Saudi Arabian store. The brickmaker is launching a retail location and e-commerce site in the Middle Eastern hub, and has a new program to teach kids about online safety. The new outlet, located in Jeddah’s Red Sea Mall, is part of the Danish brick maker’s strategic plan to plug into the local culture.

Thames and Kosmos takes Kennerspiel des Jahres Award win for The Crew – The Quest for Planet Nine. Thames and Kosmos’ popular science-fiction tabletop card game, The Crew – The Quest for Planet Nine has taken home the coveted Kennerspiel des Jahres Award 2020. Both The Crew and Kosmos’ My City were nominated for the award last month. The Crew garnered rave reviews since its debut at Essen 2019. Zuru’s global marketing director Renee Lee: “We are investing more in the UK market and globally than ever before”. For the international toy maker, Zuru, sales pick up came in the form of an outdoor category that nearly doubled its numbers sold in a variety of different markets. For families compelled to bring the entertainment into their gardens, sales were led by its popular Bunch O Balloons... HASBRO INTRODUCES THE G.I. JOE RETRO COLLECTION. The relaunch of Hasbro‘s iconic G.I. Joe franchise continues. On the latest edition of Hasbro Pulse’s Fan First Friday, the company revealed a new addition to its rapidly expanding G.I. Joe Classified Series of 6-inch scale action figures: Snake Supreme Cobra Commander. The new version of the Cobra leader is the third variant of the character in the... Robot Interacts With Pediatric Patients At UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Robin the robot is helping to ease the loneliness and anxiety of patients during the pandemic. ​ Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Relative To Our Industry . . . What will Halloween look like? “Everyone is speculating how Halloween will be celebrated this year in light of COVID, since Halloween is such a social holiday,” acknowledges Disguise’sTara Hefter. With the holiday falling on a Saturday, there typically would be “a lift in sales especially with décor and adult costumes knowing that people are throwing parties on a weekend.” But that’s far from a given this year. Mattel banks on keeping kids busy during the pandemic. Mattel pivoted during the pandemic, said Khaled Samirah, an analyst with Euromonitor, playing to the moment at hand with marketing that uses the phrase “play is never canceled.” The company filled its blog with do-it-yourself activities built around their brands that parents can use to educate their kids while they play. 49% of games businesses report an increase in revenue during COVID-19 crisis. 80 per cent of respondents said they have no plans to reduce head-counts in response to the crisis, and 63 per cent of businesses are reporting no risk of closure within the next 6 months. In fact, nearly a quarter of games businesses reported that they were continuing to recruit as the crisis unfolded. Walmart will close stores on Thanksgiving to thank associates who 'stepped up' during coronavirus. Walmart announced that it plans to keep all stores closed on Thanksgiving Day as a nod of appreciation for workers who "stepped up" during the coronavirus outbreak. The changes will affect Walmart and Sam's Club stores and mark a turn from the company's typical tradition of kickstarting Black Friday sales a day early. GDC Summer State of the Industry: 33% of devs had a game delayed due to COVID-19. the Game Developers Conference released the results of a special State of the Industry: Work From Home Edition Survey examining how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted game developers worldwide. This special edition of the long-running survey compiles responses from over 2,500 game industry professionals, and the results... Tonies donates its storytelling Tonieboxes to UK nurseries and preschools kept open during coronavirus lockdown. The children’s storytelling box, Tonies has gifted pre-schools and nurseries that were kept open during the UK’s lockdown a selection of Tonieboxes in a show of gratitude to the support they have offered to key worker parents over the past months. During the pandemic, Tonies donated 50 children’s... ​ ​

Toy Safety and Counterfeit Related Articles . . . AMAZON DE-ANONYMIZING THIRD PARTY SELLERS The Wild West May Get a Little Tamer. Amazon will begin displaying business name and address for all third party sellers in the U.S. on September 1, the company told its sellers earlier this month. The change may help tame some of the more destructive elements of Amazon’s third party marketplace. Manhattan Toy recalls ‘Manhattan Ball’ activity toys sold exclusively at Target. The Manhattan Toy Company has recalled about 22,100 of its “Manhattan Ball” teething toys sold exclusively at Target due to a choking hazard. The toy’s plastic tubes can detach from the center ball and release the small silicone teethers threaded on the tubes, posing a threat. Putty and slime with dangerous chemical recalled after being sold in Nuneaton shop. Parents are being urged to take dangerous slime and putty that was being sold in Nuneaton off their children. The products have been found to contain high levels of a dangerous chemical. Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service discovered high levels of Boron in two toy putty products on sale in the town. The LEGO Group launches online safety and digital citizenship campaign. A new initiative from the LEGO Group will seek to help families have conversations about staying safe online and being a good ‘digital citizen’. Small Builds for Big Conversations is a new campaign from the LEGO Group that aims to help parents discuss the online world with their children … Press Releases . . . OjO MAKES A SPLASH ON KICKSTARTER WITH NEXT-BIG-THING: UNDERWATER MISSIONS GAME. Starfish, Squids & Sharks? Oh My! From The Kitchen Table, Kids Take A Dive Under The Sea Where Friendly Creatures Lurk and Hidden Treasures Await! Eight-year-olds will soon become wise to all things in marine biology thanks to a new board game from OjO, makers of edutaining STREAM games. Pre-orders for the Underwater Missions Game (available at a 25% discount) are now being taken on their Kickstarter campaign page! This offer ends at 6am EST this Saturday (July 25th) – you don’t want to miss it! YouTube Mega Stars Trinity and Beyond Debut Signature Toy Line via Major US Retailers. Trinity and Beyond, part of the Semaphore Licensing Solutions' portfolio of new media stars, will premiere their new toy line online and in-stores with leading retailers including Target, Walmart and Amazon ​ News from Associations, Trade Shows, Awards and Festivals . . . (ASTRA, Hong Kong, LIMA, Spielwarenmesse, TA and more) THE TOY INSIDER’S SWEET SUITE @ HOME DRAWS HUNDREDS OF ATTENDEES. More than 600 members of the press and influencers logged into the daytime portion of the Toy Insider’s Sweet Suite @ Home virtual event, including The TODAY Show, The Ellen Show, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News Radio, BuzzFeed, Yahoo Finance, Associated Press, Blooomberg, Parents magazine, Good Housekeeping, and so many more. MadeForMums has launched its search for the top Christmas toys for 2020. The UK product review platform MadeForMums has opened entries for its search for the top Christmas toys for 2020. Winners of the awards be receive the MadeForMums Toy Xmas Toy 2020 accolade. SDCC: Comic-Con@Home presents ‘Transforming Together Time: Family Gaming and the Future of Play’. Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is going virtual with the debut of Comic-Con@Home. A full programming schedule is bringing the usual panel presentations to audiences around the world. The toy and game industries will be represented on 23rd July morning during a panel titled “Transforming Together Time: Family Gaming and the Future of Play.” (Note from Publisher: I'll be part of the State of the Industry panel, hope you tune in! -Mary) Brand Licensing Europe transitions to all-virtual event. Running from 6th-29th October 2020, the Festival of Licensing will be the most inclusive global licensing event to date. After much deliberation and consultation with customers, attendees and industry partners, it has been announced that Brand Licensing Europe 2020 will transition to an all-virtual event. In place of the traditional trade show, Breaking news: Changes to the Toymaster board announced. Ciaran Fitzpatrick, who is stepping down as chairman, has announced his successor, alongside other changes to the Toymaster board. Chris Blatcher has been announced as Toymaster’s new chairman. Changes to the board of Toymaster, the independent buying group, have been announced this morning. Fence Club cancels all remaining 2020 functions. The popular December Christmas Ball is among the Fence Club events cancelled, although it is hoped that the Toy Fair Party can go ahead. The Fence Club committee has continued to meet virtually through Zoom throughout the period of lockdown, culminating in an extraordinary committee meeting, which was held last week. Licensing International heralds its German event, Day of Licensing a virtual success. Licensing International has heralded its Day of Licensing – its premier German licensing event usually held in Cologne – as a virtual success, having transposed the conference to an online only event last week. Over 600 registered visitors attended the virtual show – a change of pace from its usual gathering in Cologne due to... Prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that conferences and exhibitions will be permitted in England from 1st October. As part of his most recent update to the public on 17th July, the prime minister said the decision would ‘depend on data’ and that local authorities would have powers to close events if they considered there to be a high risk to the public.

Top Stories from Trade Magazines Worldwide this Week . . . ​ Adventure Media & Events (US)

​ aNb Media's (US)

​ Toyworld (UK)

​ TOYS Magazine (Germany)

  • Top articles for this week to be posted Monday, July 20th

​ Toy & Hobby (Australia)

​ Tabletop Wire (US)

  • Portland’s ‘Guardian Games’ Expands with Acquisition of ‘Rainy Day Games’

  • Jim Henson Company, Toy Vault Renew Licensing Partnership

  • Asmodee Acquire Long-time Partner Libellud

  • Tyeera Casares and Danny Quach Join Ravensburger North America

  • Tabletop Wire Podcast 12: Dan Yarrington – Tabletop Tycoon

  • Ann Viaene Joins Cartamundi as First Chief Marketing Officer

  • Amazon Does Away With Seller Anonymity in US Marketplace

  • 9th Level Games Launch Hosted Online Play Service

  • Certified Guaranty Company Launches Trading Card Division

  • CMON Retains Mazars Singapore to Conduct Independent Investigation Over Reporting Delays

  • Tabletop Wire Podcast 11: Chris Whitpan – Renegade Game Studio


Video of the Week

Wendy and Henry Harris from Random Games advise that games have to be fun! Spring Challenge has closed, now accepting entries for Young Inventor Fall Challenge. We Love Kid Inventors!

Thank you for being a reader of the Bloom Report. — Mary and Graeme Founding Editor and Publisher (1998-2020, Retired): Philip Bloom Publisher: Mary Couzin, Chicago Toy & Game Group, Inc. Managing Editor: Graeme Thomson Assistant Editor: Patrick Fisher



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