Looking to fly around the room? Want to practice mind control?
Toys that allow you to do both were on display at Hong Kong’s annual Toys and Games Fair this week.
It’s Asia’s largest toy industry event, attracting more than 2,000 toymakers, and is where buyers spot many of the year’s must-have toys that end up under Christmas trees the world over.
And some in the industry are looking forward to a bumper year, with the prospect of bigger families in China potentially boosting sales.
Virtual reality
2016 looks to be a breakout year for playthings that incorporate virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
From drones that give a first-person flying experience through VR headsets to archaeology kits that come not only with replica dinosaur skeletons, but also animated beasts.
And instead of competing with mobile screens, more manufacturers are embracing them, making mobile apps an integral part of their new products, with at least 41 exhibitors showing them this year.
For example, fans of “Batman” could soon find themselves training for battle in their favorite character just by using their minds.
Brain wave control is the killer feature of a game based on the upcoming movie, “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Its Hong Kong-based developer, Soap Studio, has other ‘Batman’ licensed products up its sleeves as well, from a collectible levitating ‘Batwing’ model to a series of the superhero’s holographic busts.
More kids, higher profits?
With China officially moving to a two-child policy, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council is bullish about the prospects of the Chinese market.
“There has already been an 80% surge of baby product exports from Hong Kong to mainland China in the first eleven months of 2015 compared with 2014,” says Sophia Chong, the council’s assistant director.
She expects Chinese parents to spend 75 billion yuan (11.4 billion US dollars) extra for their newborns. But some exhibitors, including Yang Xiaofang, an exhibitor from China’s Guangdong province,said they weren’t banking on a baby boom to boost sales.
“Before, you could already have a second child if you wanted to, provided you knew the right way,” explains Yang.
