Do you have an idea for a new toy or game? A favorite toy or game from childhood you’d love to see updated?
If so, you may be in luck.
In “Got an Idea for a Toy? Toymakers Want to Hear From You.,” Isaac Aronow writes about how Lego, Mattel, Wizards of the Coast and other toy and game companies are now going directly to consumers for pitches.
The article begins:
Near the end of 2022, Lucas Bolt, an environmental artist and Lego enthusiast in Amsterdam, was working on a design for a Lego set the company had crowdsourced to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game.
“I spent two very intense weeks working on it, every night, every weekend, all the time that I had,” he said.
Mr. Bolt was hoping to create the design for Lego Ideas, a program the toymaker started in 2008 to solicit ideas online directly from fans. Typically, designers post their concept on the platform, and if a design gets 10,000 votes, the company considers it for production. This case was different, though: It was the first time the company had given fans a concept to work with.
Mr. Bolt had been designing his own sets for a few years, primarily for his followers on Instagram, but this was the first time something he had produced had gained real traction. A panel of judges selected his set and four others for a shortlist, and in a vote fans chose his set as their favorite.
Lego Ideas is part of a growing strategy among companies that are creating divisions devoted to going directly to consumers for ideas. Lego takes a more personal approach, allowing fans to submit designs, while other companies poll consumers about what they would like to see or speak to inventors about their latest projects. These initiatives are finding particular success within niche groups of collectors and other highly dedicated fans.
But it’s not just Lego. The article continues, with details about Mattel, the company behind Barbie, and more:
As it turns out, Mattel does want to know what consumers think of Barbie, but it is taking a niche approach through its Mattel Creations website, where it runs crowdfunding campaigns tailored to its fan base for Barbie, Hot Wheels and other brands.
“The wealth of information, which we generate from our fans, is priceless,” said Sanjay Luthra, managing director of Mattel’s global direct-to-consumer portfolio.
Feeding into consumer obsession is a big part of Mattel’s product development strategy, said Mr. Luthra, who added that Mattel was constantly checking what fans were saying on social media to get product ideas. For example, Weird Barbie, which the toymaker sold on the Mattel Creations website after seeing the enormous response to the “Barbie” movie on social media, was the highest-selling doll ever on the platform, he said.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
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What were your favorite toys and games as a child? How many of those are still on the market in some form today?
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What classic toys, whether from your own childhood or earlier, do you think should be updated for today’s children? And how so? For instance, are there new versions of dolls or stuffed animals you can imagine? Of board games or video games? Of toy vehicles? Of building or play sets?
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If you could create a toy or game from scratch, what would you make? Even if you don’t have the full concept, tell us whatever you can about it. What kind of toy would it be? For what ages would it be appropriate? Why would it be fun?
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This article begins with a story about Lucas Bolt, an environmental artist in Amsterdam and a Lego enthusiast, who created a design for a Lego set to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the board game Dungeons & Dragons. Do you have a crossover idea like that, too? That is, can you think of a TV show, movie, book or any other kind of pop culture phenomenon that could become a toy or game — or Lego set?
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The article points out that Spin Master, a Toronto-based toy company, has been soliciting toy inventors for ideas since its inception in 1994. Would you want “toy inventor” to be your job? Why or why not?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.