Companies and Brands​

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Mattel and Aardman bring back Pingu. Mattel and British studio Aardman Animations have teamed up to say “Noot Noot!” to a revival of the toyco’s quirky Pingu franchise about a young emperor penguin and his Antarctic family. This revival is looking to capitalize on growing social media interest in the Pingu brand that has been bubbling up over the past few years. 

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The Oatmeal and Exploding Kittens reveal a 'Horrible Therapist': New party game. The new card game, by co-creator of Exploding Kittens Matthew Inman, is based on The Oatmeal's random NSFW Comic Generator of the same name. The game is a fill-in-the-blank comedy game where players assemble therapy treatments for various questions using cards with cartoons on them.

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Yoto, the screen-free audio player for children, is expanding beyond licensing deals with kids brands to give indie creators a storytelling space for the first time. With its new Creators pilot program, Yoto will produce physical cards for its smart speaker containing creators’ music, stories and audio content, and sell them through its website. The company is kicking off this initiative with 32 new cards from 24 creators...

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Toy company Zuru enters haircare market with new consumer goods venture, Zuru Edge. The brand has launched Monday Haircare, a haircare range that is now available in Clicks stores across South Africa. This marks a milestone for Zuru’s move beyond toys into the world of everyday consumer products, applying the same innovative approach. Glenn Ambrose, country manager at Zuru, explains that Zuru's decision...

LEGO Ideas reveals new The Botanical Garden set. Botanical enthusiasts and Lego fans alike can immerse themselves in a Victorian-style botanical garden. This 3,792-piece set allows builders to explore a meticulously crafted glasshouse with three atria, each filled with intricate details and over 35 plant species. 

Toys ‘R' Us to open first standalone store in Chicago area at suburban mall. The holiday shopping season is right around the corner, and children of the '80s and '90s in the Chicago area will get the opportunity to relive some memories as an iconic toy chain is opening their first standalone store at a suburban mall. Toys "R" Us, which originally went bankrupt in 2018 prior to a revival in 2021, has primarily operated...

Kaloo highlights Tendresse doll collection for Christmas. The charming Tendresse doll collection is designed to comfort little ones and look stunning in any nursery, as well as encourage imaginative play for young children. Each doll has its own individual style, outfit and personality and includes a delicate ribbon necktie and the softest arms and legs for easy gripping. 

Hess Toy Truck lights up the Holidays with 60th anniversary edition. A holiday tradition continues with an all-new, 3-in-1 set. As the jingle says, “The Hess Toy Truck is back and better than ever” for its 60th anniversary. This year’s edition features an action-packed emergency response trio: a Fire Truck, Fire Chief car, and a Rescue Motorcycle, each loaded with lights, sounds, motors, and more, all powered by...

Nintendo introduces Icecat’s QR-Code Shopping Assistant, becoming the first brand to implement this Icecat technology. This cutting-edge tool is designed to improve in-store customer experiences by providing immediate access to detailed product information via a simple smartphone scan. This helps shoppers make informed purchasing decisions seamlessly and instantly.

Good juju: Super Impulse revives Zumbies line. Zumbies is a zombie-themed line of collectible toys that was originally released in 2012 and is now back from the dead! Zumbies are described as a “collection of six adorably undead yarn dolls” and each character has a unique backstory and a mission to turn misfortunes of the past into positive vibes for the current times. Zumbies are the perfect Halloween collectible…

Asmodee will release Fromage, a new board game from Road to Infamy, into retail on November 22, 2024. In this game, players assume the roles of early 20th century cheesemakers in France. They will be tasked with making, aging, and selling artisanal cheeses throughout the country in an attempt to become the best creamery. 

Plush where everyone fits in! Los Angeles-based toy company Yoonique LLC today revealed the first two series from its debut plush line Pluzzles, rolling out nationally on retail shelves this November. Pluzzles are a new, innovative, and creative approach to plush – each piece is as loveable and huggable as the next, and connects together with other Pluzzles to form a larger vibrant collection.

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Rebel Studio reveals 'Dungeon Legends' for U.S. retail: New cooperative card-based game. In this standalone game, by Przemek Wojtkowiak, players once again enter the Chronicles of Avel setting to tackle a dungeon crawl. Players will assume the roles of heroic characters, each with unique abilities, who go out and accomplish objectives to halt the progress of the monsters attacking their magical kingdom.

Matagot heads back to 'Mission: Red Planet'. Mission: Red Planet was originally released in 2005 by Asmodee.  The game had last seen a new edition in 2015 via Fantasy Flight Games. The upcoming Matagot version features new illustrations by Derek Stenning, who is a video game veteran that has worked for Nintendo, Microsoft, and others. 

Games Workshop reveals four 'Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team' sets. . Each set revolves around a specific Kill Team faction and provides enough miniatures to build a single Kill team.  The Space Marines set, Phobos Strike Team, features 10 miniatures that allows players options to build their marines into specialist units such as the Saboteur, Helix Adept, and Marksman. 

Wizards of the Coast teases new 'Magic: The Gathering' 'Marvel' set. Spidey gets his own set.  Alongside the announcement about the Secret x Marvel sets WotC also teased the friendly neighborhood webslinger's entrance into Magic. The first Marvel set of 2025 will, in fact, be all about Spidey.

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Renegade unveils two new 'Heroscape' Terrain expansions: 'Snow Fields of Vahalla' and 'The Swamps of Vahalla'. The Snow Fields of Valhalla adds wintery terrain pieces to games of Heroscape. It features snow-covered hexes and evergreen trees to help players build out frosty battlefields. The Swamps of Vahalla takes the battle to the mired marshes.

New 'Pokemon TCG' Premium Collection revealed. The new boxed set gives players a chance to team up with Teal Mask Ogerpon ex to do battle. The boxed set contains two promo cards, one featuring Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and one featuring Teal Mask Ogerpon. It also comes with a special foil Ogre's Mask Trainer card, 65 Ogerpon card sleeves, and a magnetic card protector with a display case.

Renegade will release 'Risk 2210 A.D.' expansion. Frontline offers players a compilation of modules that were originally offered as tournament prizes for the Risk Frontline Program.  The expansion comes with four modules, (which take place on the newly terraformed planet of Mars) that have not been available in 20 years: Mars, Tech Commander, Factions, and Invasion of the Giant Amoeba.

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Wizards of the Coast forms new Commander Panel for 'Magic: The Gathering'. Wizards of the Coast has formed a new Commander Panel for Magic: The Gathering, the company announced. This group of players, fans, designers, and community members will provide feedback on the Commander format to WotC in order to craft a more stable environment. 

Ravensburger’s Oh My Pigeons! has flying visit to London. London’s public had a surprise this week when human-sized pigeons made ‘flying’ visits all over the city. Bringing to life action from Ravensburger’s Oh My Pigeons social party game, the feathered friends had commuters and tourists ‘flocking’ to enjoy selfies with the oversized avians. 

Maestro Media will release 'Sally Face: Strange Nightmares (Deluxe Ed.)' into U.S. retail. Maestra Media will release Sally Face: Strange Nightmares (Deluxe Ed.), a new Tabletop game, into U.S. retail on November 15, 2024. This game is based on an indie horror video game of published by Portable Moose. 

PMI Kids’ World introduces Pudgy Penguins to Walgreens stores. PMI Kids’ World has expanded the reach of its Pudgy Penguins brand — the plush penguins are now available in select Walgreens locations. The expansion follows the introduction of Pudgy Penguins to Walmart and Target locations.

Clixo joins Marvin’s Magic’s distribution catalogue. Marvin’s Distribution, a trading division of Marvin’s Magic, has signed a multi-year, exclusive agreement with Clixo, the award winning flexible, connectable ‘click and construct’ magnetic STEM range. The agreement will see the two companies partner to build the Clixo brand in the UK and Ireland. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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