Toys R Kids: High-Tech Playmates

Wired News: NEW YORK — Picture an Elmo or Winnie the Pooh plush doll that knows a child’s name and favorite food, and tells stories and sings songs incorporating such personal details. Or a new version of Furby that recognizes voices and reacts with emotions from surprise to dismay, and responds to specific words a child says.
These electronic toys, which make a child’s play more interactive and personal, are among the products manufacturers are betting on to help them reclaim sales lost since 2003 to grown-up gadgets like iPod music players.
“Kids tend to remember experiences that are personalized,” said Reyne Rice, a toy trend specialist for the Toy Industry Association, the industry trade group.
While these high-tech offerings account for only a small number of the products being unveiled at this year’s industry expo, the American International Toy Fair, which officially begins Sunday, they represent the “wow factor” — the kind of product that draws parents into stores, said Chris Byrne, a New York-based independent toy consultant.
Toys R Kids: High-Tech Playmates [Wired News]