It sounds like science fiction but the toy industry is right now looking in to how toys can be physical connected with kids. This means that kids don’t need to use their hands ore even their eyes to play with this future toys. Why are the toy industries doing this? Kids are more open for new things (they want to be more extreme than their parents ware at their age). Toys are BIG money so they have resources for research. Traditional toy manufactures need to fill the gap between “old traditional toys” and “computer games.” Kids are the wildest and fastest target group on earth when it comes to BUZZ around a new product.

Evolution and Revolution is connected

Lets look at an idea how it could look at an introduction of the toys. Lets say Harry Potter is going to release a new movie. Lets start with invited 500 kids in the 200 biggest cities in the world for the premier night. They al sit down together with some reporters that like to share the experience with the rest of the world. When they enter the cinema, they do get a new toy that connect to their brain. The movie starts but there is nothing on the cinema screen (everything is coming from the new toy machine direct into the kids senses). It will be a total illusion. Kids don’t then watch Harry Potter, they a part of the story and can choose to be Harry ore somebody else in the story. If they like to see the film as a game they can choose level of interaction with the movie. This means that you can be a part of the cinema. I guess the problem with mobiles phones sounds in the cinema is gone…
This kind of research is being done right now (secret sources). I wont go in to all the complicated issues when it comes to the ethical part of doing this toy machines. It is a dangerous road, where fantasy and reality can be mixed up for the kids. But at the same time some evolution theories are pointing out that homo sapiens wont develop if we don’t get mixed with a computer ore some other animals (think parents prefer computers).

Today’s toys are anti-creative

When I was a kid I did not always had al the toys needed to play whatever felt to play for the moment. Then I used cheers as cars and other stuff around in the house. I believe this is one of the reasons for why I developed my fantasy and are today working with workshops and make CEOs play on new markets. The toys that we did use back in the days where more of a box that you could get out of the box with (a build what you like concept). But if you go to a toy store today you will find a lot of boxes locked in “build this x model only” concept, with a total fantasy free handbook how to build it. This kids are growing into work life some of them will need a handbook ore maybe a lot of creative workshops to get business moving.

Today products are only tomorrow’s museum

If the new toys hit the market with a build in connection to kids brains then tomorrow’s workplace is going to be an interesting and creative business place. It would also make today’s computers, mobiles and other product to belong to a museum. I guess for most of us it would be the same situation as the grand old lady I was talking to at the train yesterday: “I could not believe that the television was real when I fist heard of it. Real moving pictures in our home.”
When will Harry Potter release this kind of “brain connect” movie? How will computers and mobiles etc work then? Is this marketer’s dream, when they can build top of mind brands inside our heads? What do you think of the ethical issues of this new toys future? What do you think of the lady on the train? What were your favorite toys? Did you toys develop you creative thinking as a kid? MacDonald’s are spreading more toys than anyone on the earth, how will they mix the commercial needs with the ethical issues do you think?