Re-Inventing Hotwheels

garzpacho writes "BusinessWeek has an interview with Gary Swisher, Mattel's Vice-President of Wheel Design, who talks about the challenges of designing new toys for today's tech-savvy kids. In addition to discussing 'the challenge of stewarding an old-school brand like HotWheels in our tech-driven age, the emerging technologies that will affect the toy industry, and Mattel's Web strategy,' he also talks about the effect that video games have had on toy design, and argues that exciting the imagination is the most important role that a toy can fill."

Memories

[alphax45]

I still remember being a kid and setting up huge tracks that went all the way from the 2nd floor to the basement. I had a ton of track :) Good times.

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[account_deleted]

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Re:Technology COULD Limit Imagination

[MustardMan]

Have you ever seen www.stikfas.com? These are some of the coolest toys I've ever seen - buy a couple of kits and you can create crazy battles between normal guys, or crazy battles between crazy six armed beasts. I've completely replaced my retro action figure shelf decorations with stikfas. I wish they had toys like these when I was a kid, I would have been ALL OVER that shit.

Re:Why does everything need to be tech based?

[inKubus]

Specialty toy stores (such as the place in my sig) have all kinds of good stuff that works. The problem is that your Mattel stuff is for the "big box" retailer market (Walmart, etc) and is designed for the masses. It's pretty much made to be disposible, just like everything else in the store. If you go to a quality local purveyor or on the internet, you can find high quality toys that cost a little more but last longer, offer more fun value, etc.

My favorite items now are the 300(100,60)in one electronic kits and the slot cars. They still sell model trains and all kinds of cool steam engines and stuff out there. Just look. If you're only going as far as your local walmart, Toys'r'a'multibillion'dollar'business, or KB, you are only getting to see the crap made in china for pennies and not the quality stuff from europe, etc.

Of course, I am a toy fanatic. The kids have to go outside, no console for them EVER.

Re:Why does everything need to be tech based?

[JohnFluxx]

I appreciate that you want to join in, but please check your facts first.

There is no evidence at all that Socrates said that at all. Probably some joker made it up in the 1950's then attributed it to Socrates.

Besides, there's no way Socrates would speak like that. This was 2500 years ago.

What Socrates did say however, on a similar line, is:

. . .
A boy must hold his tongue among his elders.
. . .
Greed was abhorred, it was taboo to snatch
Radish tops, aniseed, or parsley before your elders,
Or to nibble kickshaws and giggle and twine one's feet.
. . .
So, you shall learn to hate the Agora,
And shun the baths and feel ashamed of smut;
. . .
And to get up and give your seat to your elders,
And not to behave towards your parents rudely
. . .

John