Is Hasbro planning to buy Mattel?

This might not seem to be the right space to talk about this a few years back but with gadgets and even connected toys taking up more and more of the attention of children, this doesn’t seem too off tangent. A new report from the Wall Street Journal claims Hasbro recently made an offer to purchase Mattel. It wasn’t said how receptive Mattel was to the idea or how much Hasbro offered but the move would put two hot properties side by side: My Little Pony and Hot Wheels. A merger of the two companies might help both sides. Hasbro, who has been taking advantage of the popularity of its Disney-themed toys as well as licenses from TV and movie deals, can help out Mattel, who is trying to turn around years of failed toy lines.

The acquisition will also give Hasbro access to Mattel’s manufacturing facilities. The former gave up its own facilities a while back. On top of that, Mattel could contribute to building up Hasbro’s tech-driven toys, which they need to develop more of now as they compete with top tech companies for the younger audience. Of course, this might raise concerns about how this could violate US antitrust law but whether this will draw as big a scrutiny and opposition as telecom mergers is something we can’t say yet. Both parties refuse to comment about the rumours.

Source: Engadget

J.J. Abrams calls out ‘Star Wars’ merchandise makers for lack of Rey merch

Hasbro has been on the receiving end of criticism as the company failed to include main protagonist Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) in the Star Wars edition of Monopoly, just one of the many merchandise released to promote Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film’s director J.J. Abrams isn’t happy about this. “It seems preposterous and wrong that the main character of the movie is not well-represented in what is clearly a huge piece of the Star Wars world, in terms of merchandising,” Abrams told reporters on Saturday after a Television Critics Association panel for his new Hulu series 11.22.63.

Hasbro has released a statement earlier this week though that they plan to rectify the situation. "We love the passion fans have for Rey, and are happy to announce that we will be making a running change to include her in the Monopoly: Star Wars game later this year,” they said in the statement. Hasbro said she wasn’t included to avoid revealing a key plot line.

Source: Mashable

Hasbro outs robot kitty for the elderly

Hasbro has a new line of life-like robotic companions designed to keep elderly company. The first pet/creature out of the Joy For All line is a robot kitty that purrs and meows rather realistically. It has soft fur made for petting and it exhibits cat-like motions. It has sensors that allow it to interact with the owner. For example, if you pet the cheek, it will nuzzle into your hand. If you stop interacting with the cat, it will “fall asleep” and be woken up when you touch it again. Perhaps this will help preserve the four 1.5v alkaline batteries it runs on. The robot kitty comes in Silver, Creamy White, and Orange Tabby colors. It retails at US$99.99.

Maybe you think it’s a bit silly and weird to have a robotic pet. But this can help provide a companion for those who need it and can’t have any living pets around them. Plus, it cuts down on the other hassles of pet ownership, such as food and care costs and messy litter boxes. Well, you do have batteries to spend on, if you wanted to point that out. It might be geared towards the seniors but this is probably something even kids will enjoy playing with.

Source: SlashGear