MEGAMOSHI! The newest license from Mega Bloks: Moshi Monsters!

Mega Bloks has been on a roll with some of the best new licensed building brick products anywhere.  Building on the success they've enjoyed with the HALO and other lines, we're seeing more and more great collaborations with popular game and entertainment franchises from the Mega Brands company.



HALO is a staple now - there are fan communities and builders around the world enjoying the ability to build and create with figures, vehicles and terrain from the popular game franchise. And Need for Speed is amazing - from the most popular racing game you can build, customize and race your own supercar. Power Rangers Samurai is a breakout hit too. And now...Moshi Monsters joins the Mega Bloks family with adorable Moshi style!

These new sets not only let you build and customize actual areas from the game, but they even come with codes to unlock online gaming items. They work together and with other Mega Bloks and building brick sets for unlimited creative potential.





 

Real Toys from Virtual Worlds - most kids now have one or more!

[caption id="attachment_1626" align="alignleft" width="71" caption="Club Penguin"][/caption]

Gone are the days when television and movies were the keys to creating popular toys - now kids want what to play with real versions of the characters they encounter first on the computer. Whether it's Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin, the newest Skylanders series or another, 55% of kids in the UK are reported to own at least one real life toy based on a video game's virtual world, according to Gamasutra. Based on popularity at ToyWiz.com, we'd expect a similar result for kids in the US as well.

[caption id="attachment_1627" align="alignleft" width="110" caption="Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure"][/caption]

The options range from toys that are simply real world representations of in-game characters, like the very popular Angry Birds, to toys that actually "plug in" and come to life on the computer to be played and saved. Many of the toys like Webkinz, Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters also offer in-game items or bonuses based on codes that come with the toys. That makes these a double-treat for players: a real toy and a virtual one that they can use online.

For the uninitiated, here's a quick look at some of the hottest game-and-toy offerings currently available:

• Angry Birds:
  The most popular game in the world has it's own line of plush, offline games and magnets, keychains and more. With over 500,000,000 downloads of the game, it's a sure bet that kids who like games have tried this one.


• Club Penguin:
  A Disney offering, "CP" has the quality and adorable eye-appeal you'd expect from the leader in family-friendly entertainment. It is a role-playing game, where you interact as a penguin in a beautiful snowy world. The Club Penguin toys offer coin codes to use in exchange for unique in-game items.


• Moshi Monsters:
  Combining the fun of an online game and the popularity of virtual pets, Moshi Monsters lets you adopt a monster and solve puzzles to buy items like food, clothing and decorations for it. It's popularity has grown quickly, and now the real world toys released this year are in great demand. These include trading cards, plush and figures with codes for in-game items.


• Skylanders:
  Available for all gaming platforms, Skylanders is a unique new gaming experience. For this one, the figures are a must - they are placed on the "portal" and come to life in-game. These toys actually save the character's progression, and can even be taken to a friend's house to play together on the same console.


• Poptropica: Developed by the Family Education Network, Poptropica lets players travel, play games, compete and communicate together to complete islands. The codes in Poptropica toys give players unique costumes to wear in the game too.


• Webkinz: Incredibly popular stuffed animals (plush) that all have access to the "Webkinz World" website. These range from common housepets to wild or fantasy animals. The code on each Webkin allows that pet to be adopted in the virtual world, where your stuffed animal gets to come to life.

[caption id="attachment_1630" align="alignleft" width="63" caption="Sonic the Hedgehog"][/caption]

Not only are these toys hot, we have seen merchandise for pretty much every game on the market. From Assassin's Creed to World of Warcraft, and classic-to-modern versions of Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, there is no end to the now-complete tie in of computer gaming and toys.

 

So what do you think of these? Do you or your family own any toys that tie in to video games? Would you buy an item that came with a bonus for online use?

ToyWiz Hot Toy Watchlist

 

	By popular request: introducing the holiday hot toy availability watchlist! Every year we get last-minute calls from parents and families in search of "must have" gifts that are sold out everywhere, and we don't want to let you down! So this year we're keeping a tally of the biggest sellers to let you know what's in stock and to alert when there's a danger of a pre-holiday sellout. Coming out of "Black Friday" weekend and into "Cyber Monday," here's where we stand on some of the fastest-moving toys:
	Xia Xia Pets Selling as fast as we expected, so we're well-stocked. But the late shopper's challenge will be finding specific characters, shells or playsets at the last minute. While we feel confident in our ability to offer Xia Xia, some items are already unavailable at other retailers and may sell out. So if you need a specific item on the list, it might pay to grab it early.
	Air Swimmers 3 of the 4 available models are in stock, but an early sell out on the infrared clownfish was surprising. We do still have an RC clownfish though, and we are trying to keep all of these in stock for immediate shipping.
	Fijit Friends It's the year's hottest electronic toy, and one that everyone will marvel over at gift time. They're selling briskly and it's hard to say if the pace will remain steady or if we'll see a spike in demand at the last minute.
	FyrFlyz Definitely a FAST mover this year! We stocked up, but it seems like everyone tacks at least one of these onto an order. They're a great value, and inexpensive enough for exchanges between children, stocking stuffers and prizes.
	Beyblade Metal Fusion Why TWO bars that are so different? Well honestly - we're the best source for the most Beyblade tops, stadiums and accessories anywhere. We'll have a massive selection, we won't run out and we won't let you down even at the last minute. But that top bar in the red? That's got to be for the latest Japanese imports from Takara/Tomy that are already flying out the door. If you need a gift for a serious blader, these premium tops are going very fast. Due to time restraints on imports, restocking before the holidays is unlikely, so these are a RED ZONE order if you need them!
	Cars 2 We have a massive selection of Disney/Pixar Cars 2, including die cast vehicles. We're in the green for this category because we always stock these very well, but as with everything at the holidays, if you need a specific item, it might pay to check out the status early. Some items are already sold out, but we have all the best in stock and ready to ship.