POPULARITY
In this episode, we break down Parkland’s $9.1B proposed acquisition by Sunoco and why the timing is controversial. We also cover earnings from Loblaws, TMX Group, McDonald’s, Riocan, and Spin Master. From strong retail leasing spreads to e-commerce growth and tariff headwinds, we dig into how each company is navigating the current economic environment—and what investors should watch going forward. Tickers of stocks discussed: X.TO, MCD, L.TO, REI-UN.TO, TOY, PKI.TO Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Finchat.io for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Esta semana hablamos de los nuevos coleccionables de Superman de las marcas: SpinMaster, Funko, Mcfarlane y más. Quédate conmigo, por favor, y conoce los detalles. No te pierdas todas las noticias del mundo del coleccionismo y entretenimiento, ¡Sólo aquÍ! 💻 ¿Quieres tener tu propia página web? Házle como yo desde WebEmpresa. El sitio oficial de hospedaje de Querido Diario Colectivo. Si necesitas un hosting para iniciar tu sitio web o cambiar el que ya tienes. Checa los planes y paquetes que ofrece WebEmpresa, por que están padrísimos. Contrata HOY mismo y te daré un exclusivo 50% de Descuento en tu primera contratación. https://clientes.webempresa.com/america/gestion/aff.php?aff=1795 De antemano muchas gracias por tu tiempo. ▶️ ¿Prefieres escuchar el programa en Youtube? Házlo desde aquí: https://www.youtube.com/c/QueridoDiarioColectivo 🎓✏️ ¿Quieres crear tu sitio web, pero no sabes cómo? ¿Necesitas ayuda? Checa el curso que preparé para ti: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHiVnEpvoSw0t0ucYKMtjtfNZ2VQWBCTA 📲 ¡Recuerda que ya puedes seguirnos en nuestro Canal Oficial de WhastApp! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac4fCR3wtb78Eflxh3w
Behind every “yes” in the toy industry, there's a mountain of “no's,” countless hours of hustle, and more trial and error than most people expect. At one point, he came close to walking away from it all—until a single line from an episode of Bluey reminded him that making games was exactly what he was meant to do.In this episode Making It In The Toy Industry, I'm joined by the incredibly talented Jeremy Posner, owner of Shenanigans Toys and Games, the inventor behind hit games like Beagle or Bagel, Bears in Barrels, and Piggy Piggy. He's been named to the Mojo Nation 100 SIX times, won Game Innovator of the Year at the TAGIEs, and has worked with some of the biggest names in the toy industry like Hasbro, Mattel, and Spin Master. But here's the plot twist: it took Jeremy EIGHT years to meet his royalty goals. And that's after winning major awards and getting meetings with big companies right out the gate.You're gonna hear why just licensing a game doesn't mean you've made it, what really makes a game “sellable” to toy companies, and why most ideas just don't cut it. Jeremy also explained the real deal with royalties or advances, and how long it actually takes to see a check. He even shared how he trained his brain to be more creative (yes, that's a thing!).Dreaming of creating the next game night hit or just curious what it really takes to make it in toys and games?Hit play and steal a few smart moves for your next big creative leap.Listen for these Important Moments! [00:03:07] - Despite early wins, including a TAGIE award and a background at Big Monster Toys, Jeremy didn't hit his financial goals from game licensing until eight years in. [00:11:17] - After Toy Fair, Jeremy reflects on the silence that often follows a pitch. He explains how learning why you're hearing “no” (and from whom) is key to improving your ideas and not losing steam.[00:23:00] - Around year four, Jeremy stopped “just creating” and started strategically designing evergreens. He audited his creative process, studied the brain, and trained himself to boost creative output daily.[00:33:04] - Jeremy tests tons of game ideas fast by building quick, minimum viable prototypes. He runs super short playtests to see what's worth developing and keep his creativity flowing.[00:40:35] - Near the end of the episode, Jeremy shares his dream of designing fan experiences for sports teams and creating original game shows, proving he's still dreaming big, even after major success in toys and games.Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail! Support the showPopular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy IdeasYour Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps >> https://learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass
Mattel cashes in, reclaiming the DC master toy license from Spin Master. But what does this mean for the Toddfather and his Batmanagerie? Plus, the future of Playmates Toys hinges on a 30-year-old TV show. Can AI make 90's Power Rangers palatable to the Skibidi Toilet generation? And, NECA scrapes the bottom of the mutagen canister, resorting to just making shit up for their Ninja Turtles line. I can't believe I ate the whole thing. It's The Reluctant Adult Podcast. Email TheReluctantAdultPodcast@gmail.com Save and get Free Shipping on in-stock items on Entertainment Earth with code TOYPOD TikTok @TheReluctantAdultPodcast Instagram @TheReluctantAdultPodcast Twitter @Reluctant_Pod Facebook Toy Sale Boat YouTube The Reluctant Adult Podcast Paul's Amazon Wishlist Bill's Amazon Wishlist
A new Jurassic Park T-Rex dinosaur is hatching at the 2025 New York Toy Fair. Raise your very own baby T-Rex robot, which has game modes, 200 sounds and interacts with humans.
A new Jurassic Park T-Rex dinosaur is hatching at the 2025 New York Toy Fair. Raise your very own baby T-Rex robot, which has game modes, 200 sounds and interacts with humans.
Our top news stories: We got a first look at Spin Master's "Superman" Movie Action Figures, we have details on the "Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains" exhibition, and Jayson Tatum wore custom Superman-themed shoes for the NBA Playoffs opener. Superman news for the period April 30 - May 6, 2025. Brought to you by SupermanHomepage.com. Hosted by Steve Younis. Visit our website: https://www.SupermanHomepage.com/ Visit our online store: https://www.SupermanHomepage.com/shop Featured Products and Links: "Superman" 2025 Movie Merchandise - https://amzn.to/3AdxENy Trend Setters "Superman" Movie KNEXAGON Wood Prints - https://www.supermanhomepage.com/trend-setters-superman-movie-knexagon-wood-prints/ Superman Mother's Day Gift Ideas - https://www.supermanhomepage.com/shopping-super-mothers-day-gift-ideas/ This week's Superman comic books - https://www.supermanhomepage.com/superman-comic-books-available-this-week-may-7-2025/ Latest Comic Book Reviews - https://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/2025-comic-reviews/c-review-2025.php
Mark Morse is a true toy industry veteran with nearly 20 years across a variety of companies from Mattel and Super7, to MGA. While we know him best from his nostalgia-fueled work over at Plastic Meatball, today we're here to talk about his new role as Vice President and Global Brand Lead for Wheels and Action over at Spin Master. Mark, welcome back to Adventures in Collecting!Follow Spin Master on Instagram @spinmasterFollow us @aic_podcast on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTubeStart creating a podcast today with Zencastr! Learn more.Intro and other voices by Joe Azzarihttps://www.instagram.com/voicesbyjoe/Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie DandiesProudly part of the Non-Productive Network
Jurassic World Rebirth and The Fantastic Four: First Steps drop new trailers featuring mutant dinosaurs and a teeny tiny Thing. Plus, the Power Rangers join TikTok, because the brand is clearly being run by unpaid interns at this point. And, Spin Master hopes to attract new fans with their DC Metal Force action figures. Once again, I must sugar my own churro. It's The Reluctant Adult Podcast. Email TheReluctantAdultPodcast@gmail.com Save and get Free Shipping on in-stock items on Entertainment Earth with code TOYPOD TikTok @TheReluctantAdultPodcast Instagram @TheReluctantAdultPodcast Twitter @Reluctant_Pod Facebook Toy Sale Boat YouTube The Reluctant Adult Podcast Paul's Amazon Wishlist Bill's Amazon Wishlist
Im ersten Teil des diesjährigen Podcasts zur Nürnberger Spielwarenmesse 2025 sprechen Smuker, Nici und Mathias über die vorgestellten und größtenteils für Euch gedrehten Frühjahrsneuheiten. Dieses Mal geht es um Spin Master, Haba, HCM Kinzel, Kendi Games, frechverlag, Schmidt Spiele, Ravensburger, Piatnik und Moses. Außerdem geben sie ihren Ersteindruck zu den gespielten Frühjahrsneuheiten von Amigo. Hört gerne rein! Inhalt: 00:00:00.000 - 00:00:13.036: Intro 00:00:13.036 - 00:00:25.164: Begrüßung 00:00:25.164 - 00:05:54.386: Nürnberger Spielwarenmesse 2025 00:05:54.386 - 00:10:47.982: Spin Master 00:10:47.982 - 00:11:27.858: Spin Master: 4D Build 00:11:27.858 - 00:14:10.329: Spin Master: Neuer Perplexus 00:14:10.329 - 00:15:24.491: Spin Master: Rubik's Smart Egg 00:15:24.491 - 00:17:07.346: Spin Master: Neuheiten zu "Drachen zähmen leicht gemacht" 00:17:07.346 - 00:18:38.384: Spin Master: Bitzees 00:18:38.384 - 00:20:53.552: Spin Master: Rückblick SPIEL 24 - Jumanji Stampede 00:20:53.552 - 00:22:23.319: Haba 00:22:23.319 - 00:27:11.839: Haba: 3x4 = Klatsch (Neuauflage) 00:27:11.839 - 00:28:46:291: Haba: Dragonella 00:28:46.291 - 00:30:39.689: Haba: Eiertanz (Neuauflage) 00:30:39.689 - 00:31:16.038: Haba: Froggos 00:31:16.038 - 00:31:25:361: Haba: Geheimcode 13 + 4 (Neuauflage) 00:31:25.361 - 00:32:17.019: Haba: Mixalotl 00:32:17.019 - 00:34:19.865: Haba: Point of View: Spooky Festival 00:34:19.865 - 00:34:55.122: Haba: Tier auf Tier: Deluxe 00:34:55.122 - 00:36:45.278: Haba: Tiere der Welt: Bingo 00:36:45.278 - 00:37:39.059: Haba: Quiz Challenge Europa 00:37:39.059 - 00:38:50.670: Haba: LogicGames: Amandas Alpakas 00:38:50.670 - 00:40:54.550: Haba: Wimmelwald 00:40:54.550 - 00:41:41.120: Haba: Jetzt schlägt's 18 00:41:41.120 - 00:46:26.354: HCM Kinzel:Elf on the Shelf 00:46:26.354 - 00:48:26.354: HCM Kinzel: Balloon Pop 00:48:06.307 - 00:50:01.508: HCM Kinzel: Brain Drops #1, #2 & #3 00:50:01.508 - 00:50:35.173: frechverlag - oder auch nicht 00:50:35.173 - 00:52:05.415: KENDI Games 00:52:05.415 - 00:55:00:319: KENDI Games: Linyo 00:55:00.319 - 01:01.24:548: KENDI Games: Blanco 01:01:24.548 - 01.01:30:478: frechverlag: QuiZehn - 3 Versionen 01:04:30.478 - 01:07:14.792: frechverlag: What the F*ck is this? 01:07:14.792 - 01:09:48.437: Schmidt Spiele: Atua 01:09:48.437 - 01:10:51.445: Schmidt Spiele: Blubbern 01:10:51.445 - 01:13:23.643: Schmidt Spiele: Crystalla 01:13:23.643 - 01:16:33:934: Schmidt Spiele: For One: Mensch ärgere Dich nicht 01:16:33.934 - 01:17:49.329: Schmidt Spiele: Pups Parade 01:17:49.329 - 01:19:02.587: Schmidt Spiele: Ganz schön clever Deluxe 01:19:02.587 - 01:22:24:149: Schmidt Spiele: Ziggurat 01:22:24.149 - 01:26:22.946: Schmidt Spiele: One Round? 01:26:22.945 - 01:27:29.327: Schmidt Spiele: HiLo: Dein Königreich 01:27:29.327 - 01:28:10.018: Schmidt Spiee: Die Maus - Raus aus der Mausefalle 01:28:10.018 - 01:28:54:317: Schmidt Spiele: Benjamin Blümchen - Party mit Törööö! 01:28:54.317 - 01:31:21.201: Drei Magier Spiele: Der geheimnisvolle Brunnen 01:31:21.201 - 01:32:09.357: Ravensburger: Elfer Raus 100 Jahre Edition 01:32:09.357 - 01:34:31.555: Ravensburger: KakerlaHex 01:34:31.555 - 01:39:05.663: Ravensburger: Die Sandburgen von Burgund 01:39:05.663 - 01:40:52.903: Ravensburger: Ventopia 01:40:52.903 - 01:41:11.060: Ravensburger: Wer war's (Neuauflage) 01:41:11.060 - 01:42:56:598: Ravensburger: Labyrinth Go 01:42:56.598 - 01:44:03:956: Ravensbuger: Match me if you can 01:44:03.956 - 01:46:12.125: alea: The Druids of Edora 01:46:12.124 - 01:48:33.930: Ravensburger: Brilliant 01:48:33.930 - 01:56:12.101: Ravensburger: Wer stiehlt mir die Show? 01:56:12.101 - 01:58:08.041: Ravensburger: That's not a hat: Incognito 01:58:08.041 - 02:00:46:015: Ravensburger: Pictoo Disney, Pictoo Dinos, Pictoo: Fantasy 02:00:46.015 - 02:03:14.939: Ravensburger: Hutan 02:03:14.939 - 02:04:26.111: Ravensburger: Back Tales 02:04:26.111 - 02:06:43.199: Ravensburger: Gloomies 02:06:43.199 - 02:06:58:518: Ravensburger: Mycelia Erweiterung 02:06:58.518 - 02:08:07.910: Thinkfun Friends: Spieltreff 02:08:07.910 - 02:08:31:870: Thinkfun Friends: Baumhaus 02:08:31.870 - 02:09:13.600: Thinkfun Friends: Badespaß 02:09:13.600 - 02:10.41.978: Thinkfun: Crash Cats Challenge 02:10:41.978 - 02:12:03.631: Ravensburger: GraviTrax 02:12:03.631 - 02:13:58.734: Ravensburger: Team Smart: Das Geheimnis im Drachenwald & Diebstahl im Tierexpress 02:13:58.734 - 02:14:24.821: Ravensburger: Tempo kleine Schnecke Deluxe 02:14:24.821 - 02:14:47.260: Ravensburger: Disney Villainous: Unstoppable & Lotti Karotti Disney 02:14:47.260 - 02:14:53:910: Piatnik 02:14:53.910 - 02:15:37.668: Piatnik: Activity Junior Pocket & Activity: Lasershow 02:15:37.668 - 02:16:45:643: Piatnk: Birdie Call 02:16:45.643 - 02:18:43.047: Piatnik: Zwai 02:18:43.047 - 02:20:12.294: Piatnik: Funkloch 02:20:12.294 - 02:22:09.666: Piatnik: Net Words 02:22:09.666 - 02:23:28.417: Piatnik: Das Hochbeet von Schalottenburg 02:23:28.417 - 02:25:01.466: Piantnik: Pinkuins 02:25:01.466 - 02:25:41.099: Piatnik: Color Chaos 02:25:41.099 - 02:26:12.267: Piatnik: Kroko Loko 02:26:12.267 - 02:27:09.077: Piatnik: Ape Town 02:27:09.077 - 02:27:46.716: Piatnik: Crazy Worms 02:27:46.716 - 02:30:17.296: Piatnik: Going Nuts 02:30:17.296 - 02:31:30.600: Piatnik: Smart 10-Neuheiten 02:31:30.600 - 02:32:34.245: Piatnik: Pura Vida 02:32:34.245 - 02:33:35.581: Piatnik: Tick Tack Bumm: Wortwirbel 02:33:35.581 - 02:33:46.582: Moses Verlag 02:33:46.582 - 02:35:19.632: Moses Verlag: Criss Cross Categories 02:35:19.632 - 02:36:36.472: Moses Verlag: Crazy Heads 02:36:36.472 - 02:37:28.411: Moses Verlag: Mega Monster Meals 02:37:28.411 - 02:39:37.592: Moses Verlag: Quiz me 5 02:39:37.592 - 02:42:39.749: Moses Verlag: Rasanto Wortale 02:42:39.749 - 02:43:16.461: Moses Verlag: Loops & Lines 02:43:16.461 - 02:44:07.377: Moses Verlag: Stamps 02:44:07.377 - 02:44:52.494: Moses Verlag: Das Geheimnis der 7 Kontinente 02:44:52.494 - 02:46:11.231: Burger essen und spielen 02:46:11.231 - 02:48:51.616: Amigo: Baron Ox 02:48:51.616 - 02:51:10.980: Amigo: Fischfutter 02:51:10.980 - 02:53:01.477: Amigo: Pim Pam Pum 02:53:01.477 - 03:01.52.824: Amigo: Schatz des Phönix 03:01:52.824 - 03:06:14.296: Ausblick auf Teil 2 03:06:14.296 - 03:06:23:034: Verabschiedung 03:06:23.034 - 03:06:33.183: Outro
Esta semana hablamos de las novedades en materia de coleccionables para la última semana de Enero del 2025 de las marcas Marvel (Hasbro/ Marvel Legends) No Way Home, Funko Pop, Britney Spears, Smallville, Rocky, DC Comics (Mcfarlane) Joker 2, Joaquín Phoenix, Spin Master Superman Metal Force 12 pulgadas y mucho más. Quédate conmigo, por favor, y conoce los detalles. No te pierdas todas las noticias del mundo del coleccionismo y entretenimiento, ¡Sólo aquÍ! 💻 ¿Quieres tener tu propia página web? Házle como yo desde WebEmpresa. El sitio oficial de hospedaje de Querido Diario Colectivo. Si necesitas un hosting para iniciar tu sitio web o cambiar el que ya tienes. Checa los planes y paquetes que ofrece WebEmpresa, por que están padrísimos. Contrata HOY mismo y te daré un exclusivo 50% de Descuento en tu primera contratación. https://clientes.webempresa.com/america/gestion/aff.php?aff=1795 De antemano muchas gracias por tu tiempo. ▶️ ¿Prefieres escuchar el programa en Youtube? Házlo desde aquí: https://www.youtube.com/c/QueridoDiarioColectivo 🎓✏️ ¿Quieres crear tu sitio web, pero no sabes cómo? ¿Necesitas ayuda? Checa el curso que preparé para ti: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHiVnEpvoSw0t0ucYKMtjtfNZ2VQWBCTA 📲 ¡Recuerda que ya puedes seguirnos en nuestro Canal Oficial de WhastApp! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac4fCR3wtb78Eflxh3w
Your brand story is so much more than just a few paragraphs tucked away on your About page — it should guide your marketing strategy and shape the way you show up for your audience. Having a strong story helps you spark connections, build trust, and grow an engaged community that wants to work with YOU, specifically.As Senior Creative Director at Spin Master, my guest (and husband) Phil Ginther has helped shape the stories of big-name toy brands like Paw Patrol and Rubik's Cube. This episode of Marketing Sucks revisits our most popular 2024 conversation, which covered some of the biggest brand copywriting FAQs. Tune in to learn Phil's tried-and-tested tips for easy, consistent brand storytelling that connects, including a celeb-themed writing exercise that'll help you master the tone of your brand voice by zeroing in on the three adjectives that best describe it!Marketing sucks. Let's learn together. Hit play to discover: Easy ways to weave your story into your marketing (without making it about selling)How to lean into your brand's pillars and stay in your lane What you can learn from the brands that are absolutely crushing it!Please rate, review, and subscribe!Guest bio: Phil Ginther is a Creative Director & Copywriter with over 14 years experience. He's currently a Senior Creative Director at Spin Master leading global brands such as Rubik's Cube and Hatchimals, and spends most of his day at play.Timestamps: 00:11 Intro02:33 Meet Phil Ginther03:50 Phil's business journey05:36 Leaving the daily grind07:44 Joining Spin Master10:35 “Know thyself & thy lane”12:33 Leaning into your pillars15:51 User-generated content17:03 Red Bull & Liquid Death19:29 Brand voice exercise24:30 Your action item27:24 Quick-fire questions28:27 Headphone story & outro—
Ryan Walker is CEO and Managing Partner of Central Station, an independent creative agency based in Toronto. Central Station has been at the forefront of blending experiential marketing, digital innovation, and AI-driven strategies for top global brands like Spin Master, Nike, and Dior. Ryan brings a unique perspective to the conversation around disruption in marketing. With a background in engineering and over 20 years in the creative industry, he's led Central Station in revolutionizing how brands engage with consumers through immersive, tech-forward experiences. Ryan will give us insights into how technology is transforming the way brands build relationships with consumers and how agencies like Central Station are pushing the boundaries of marketing in the digital age. Join Our Community of Canadian Entrepreneurs! Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada's economy, and we're here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada's top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Want to stay ahead with the latest #entrepreneur podcasts, business strategies, and news? Don't miss out—subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter for updates delivered straight to your inbox! Join thousands of Canadian entrepreneurs who rely on us for the resources they need to succeed.
Send us a textEpisode 514"FROM"Actor: Simon Webster (Ethan Matthews)First I want to say that Simon is an amazing young man. He's immensely talented, personable, kind all at such a young age is remarkable. He's a really good kid.Simon and I talk "FROM", his character Ethan Matthews, If he is indeed the Man in the Yellow Suit, Ethan seems to get a bit of hate from fans, his thoughts on the season finale, potentially being the man in the Matthews house, how Ethan is going to react in Season 4 to what happened to Jim, teh fact that Ethan has been through alot. The death of his father Jim, the loss of Thomas, Sara trying to murder him. I also ask him if playing Ethan is hard as Ethan always looks like he is emotionally hurting and upset. We talk about the challenges of growing up and getting older while filming and so much more.Simon Webster is best known for playing the series regular role of 'Ethan Matthews' in the hit MGM+ series FROM.He began his acting career at six years old when he recurred as the young orphan 'Fred' in nine episodes of Hallmark Channel's WHEN HOPE CALLS, the spin-off of WHEN CALLS THE HEART.Since then, he has appeared in a number of series including Quibi's MOST DANGEROUS GAME, National Geographic's anthology drama THE HOT ZONE, and SyFy's CHUCKY.In addition to his work on-camera, Simon is a highly experienced voice actor and voices the roles of 'Pickles' in Disney Junior's SUPERKITTIES, 'Alex' in Spin Master's PAW PATROL, and the title role in 80 short episodes Cartoon Network's LUCAS THE SPIDER.Welcome the awesome, Simon Webster.#from #fromtvshow #fromtvseries #fromseries #fromseason3 #fromseason2 #fromly #mgmplus #horror Reach out to Darek Thomas and Monday Morning Critic!Instagram: / mondaymorningcritic Facebook: / mondaymorningcritic TikTok: / mondaymorningcritic Mondaymorningcritic@gmail.comwww.mmcpodcast.com
Esta semana hablamos de las novedades en materia de coleccionables para la segunda semana de Noviembre del 2024 de las marcas Marvel (Hasbro/ Marvel Legends/Titan Hero Series) VenomVersus, Capitán América Brave New World, Funko Dragon Ball, Charlie Chaplin, Batman 85 Aniversario (Hot Wheels), Spin Master (Metal Force) Brainiac, Lex Luthor, DC Comics (Mcfarlane) Joker de Joaquín Phoenix. Quédate conmigo, por favor, y conoce los detalles. No te pierdas todas las noticias del mundo del coleccionismo y entretenimiento, ¡Sólo aquÍ! 💻 ¿Quieres tener tu propia página web? Házle como yo desde WebEmpresa. El sitio oficial de hospedaje de Querido Diario Colectivo. Si necesitas un hosting para iniciar tu sitio web o cambiar el que ya tienes. Checa los planes y paquetes que ofrece WebEmpresa, por que están padrísimos. Contrata HOY mismo y te daré un exclusivo 50% de Descuento en tu primera contratación. https://clientes.webempresa.com/america/gestion/aff.php?aff=1795 De antemano muchas gracias por tu tiempo. ▶️ ¿Prefieres escuchar el programa en Youtube? Házlo desde aquí: https://www.youtube.com/c/QueridoDiarioColectivo 🎓✏️ ¿Quieres crear tu sitio web, pero no sabes cómo? ¿Necesitas ayuda? Checa el curso que preparé para ti: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHiVnEpvoSw0t0ucYKMtjtfNZ2VQWBCTA 📲 ¡Recuerda que ya puedes seguirnos en nuestro Canal Oficial de WhastApp! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac4fCR3wtb78Eflxh3w
Guest: Sam Susz, Spin Master's Senior Director, Games & Rubik's Cube
It's the Season 8 premiere! Joining us to make it even more special returning as guest host, the one & only grand incredible Spin Master Mugen! After many memorable episodes with us we finally get him to showcase his turntablism live! You all are in for a treat!Plus is Marvel headed for a comeback? From the upcoming films like Thunderbolts & Captain America: Brave New World is it possible that they're back on track? Plus Marie has the new Venom movie review for you too! Should you watch it? We'll let you know!We also give predictions for this weekend's fight between boxing legend Mike Tyson & Youtuber turned boxer, Jake Paul! Who's going to take it? Will you agree with our predictions? Listen & find out!Time to sip som tea with Joey & Marie....and Spin Master Mugen! Send us a textSupport the showSocial Media Handles:Tik Tok: @joeybravo208 @aaliyahmarie208Instagram: @joeybravo208 @aaliyahmarie208 @sippinteawithjoeyandmarieFacebook: @joeybravo208 @aaliyahmarie208 @sippinteawithjoeyandmarieYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@sippinteawithjoeymarie5867
Going from public domain toys to Spin Master Originals was a must. How did Harari, Rabi and Verity do it? It wasn't with the devil sticks. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Simple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I'm Stephen's sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today's episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it's us, but we're highlighting ads we've written and produced for our clients. Here's one of those. [Seaside Plumbing Ad] Dave Young: Welcome back to the Empire Builders podcast recording live this morning from the North Patio at the Wizard Academy classroom tower. Stephen Semple: I always get turned around. So this is north, is it? Dave Young: That's north. Stephen Semple: Okay. All right. I always get turned around here. Dave Young: The causeway, the ditch thing that runs- Stephen Semple: Oh, right. Of course. That's east-west, of course. Dave Young: No, that's north-south. Stephen Semple: Oh, right. Dave Young: North-South. Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: If you stand in the middle of it and look up, you can see the North Star over the, and so we're on the other side. Stephen Semple: Right. Of course we are. Okay. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: I always get turned around. Dave Young: Yeah, that's okay. Stephen Semple: Okay. Dave Young: It has taken me a while. Anyway, we're recording a podcast. Stephen Semple: Yes. We talk. Dave Young: And we're sitting outdoors. And just as I was hitting the record button, you said Spin Master. Stephen Semple: Spin Master. Dave Young: This is an exercise bike. Stephen Semple: Toy company. Dave Young: Toy company. What am I thinking, spin cycle? First of all, I don't play with toys and I don't ride exercise bikes, so I'm at a loss. Stephen Semple: They're best known for Paw Patrol. And you wouldn't know about that either 'cause you don't have any little kids in your life. Dave Young: No, my little- Stephen Semple: Anybody who's got little kids in their life know Paw Patrol. Dave Young: All right. Well, I am all ears. Stephen Semple: Give you an idea how big the Paw Patrol franchise is, 14 billion. Dave Young: Wait. 14 billion? Stephen Semple: Billion in sales when you add all their stuff up. Dave Young: Wow. Okay. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: And these are toys? Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: They are toys and they are a Canadian company, and my niece used to work for them. Dave Young: Really? Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: This was actually a little extra fun to do. Dave Young: Some insider info. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Well, not really, but yeah, they're a Canadian company in quite a little success store. Dave Young: Little, yeah. Stephen Semple: Then we'll talk about later, they also went on to have bought some other brands such as Rubik's Cube. They now own Rubik's Cube. Dave Young: All right. Stephen Semple: Yeah. It was founded by Ronan Harari, Antoine Rabi and Ben Verity. They started the business in the late 1990s. And around that time, patterns of play does not change. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: Toys may change, way kids play with things, the way even adults play with things don't change. And so the key is to find things that fit into those play patterns. That idea has basically led this company to be one of the greatest success stories in the toy space in the last 20 years. Yeah. And this whole idea, the key to find things that fit in those play patterns basically led to the creation of Paw Patrol,
Ethereum Whale Makes $13.1M Move as Google Cloud Enters Web3 Arena Summary: The Federal Reserve's 50 basis point rate cut propelled Bitcoin to $60,900, while SEC Chair Gensler doubled down on warnings to crypto exchanges. SUI token surged 36% to $1.18, attracting investor attention. Donald Trump made headlines by purchasing burgers with Bitcoin during a campaign stop. Google Cloud launched a blockchain RPC service, signaling increased Web3 adoption. An Ethereum whale bought 5,660 ETH worth $13.1 million, despite bearish market sentiment. Benjamin Cowen predicts Ethereum may be nearing its bottom against Bitcoin. Meanwhile, Doodles partners with Spin Master for Rubik's Cube's 50th anniversary, and the Catizen Telegram game faces backlash over its upcoming CATI token launch on TON. HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOU ASK? SUBSCRIBE:RARE BITS PODCAST WATCH: RAREBITS LIVE YOUTUBE READ: RARE BITS SUBSTACK Follow on X: BEATBROKER RARE BITS LIVE GET SOME MERCH RARE BITS GEAR:RARE BITS MERCH
As entrepreneurs, we NEED time to slow down our businesses, reconnect with our loved ones, and recharge our batteries. Staycations don't always get the job done, as it's hard to fully relax when everyone around you is still ‘GO-GO-GO.' Maybe you dream about putting your biz on quiet mode and jetting off to a coast or cabin for the summer — but wonder what that actually looks like in practice (especially if you have kids). Thanks to my annual tradition of spending the summer in Portugal, I can give you a little sneak peek! This episode of Marketing Sucks marks the return of my first-ever guest: my husband, Phil Ginther. During this conversation, we look back on our summer living and working in Portugal — our fave moments, our big takeaways, and why we'll think twice before booking into another haunted hotel!Marketing sucks. Let's learn together. Hit play to discover: How we balance work, rest, travel, and kids while living in a different countryWhy you need to embrace flexibility and manage your expectations while abroad Why my work experience was different this summer (and the biggest lesson I learned)Please rate, review, and subscribe! Guest bio: Phil Ginther is a Creative Director & Copywriter with over 14 years of experience. He's currently a Senior Creative Director at Spin Master leading global brands such as Rubik's Cube and Hatchimals, and spends most of his day at play.Timestamps: 00:12 Intro01:01 Meet Phil Ginther02:16 Slow down your vibe & environment 04:53 Phone use06:29 Favourite moment & Pousada da Serra da Estrela11:34 Restaurant story15:12 Work + travel + kids19:57 What set this summer apart23:25 Going into September26:51 Outro Links mentioned: Pousada da Serra da Estrelaatlasobscura.com/places/miradouro-do-sanatorio —
Shing02 and SPIN MASTER A-1 are in the studio to reveal the real-life experiences that led to the iconic song Battlecry, the OP of Samurai Champloo. PLUS, they discuss their current Luv(sic) Hexalogy Tour with LeAlec and Leah and share their hip-hop inspirations. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week on Toy Power we are joined by the legendary Fresh. First up its an amazing Canadian themed gift box from Colin Betts and some genuinely amazing goodies including one very special custom! Its then into all the news, including the HasLab Cantina funding update, Garfield and Friends, an Ultimate D&D Tiamat (complete with all 5 heads) and new comic Kull and Conan figures! Fresh then gives us some good news for getting your hands on wrestling figures in Australia (and good news for your wallet too). There's new video game figures from Spin Master, and then a tonne of TMNT news starting with a totally NOT Bebop figure, a 1:12 Collective Casey Jones (already sold out), the long awaited Tatsu figure from the 1990 TMNT movie (but why is he red?) and Karai as the Shredder (Fresh's cosplay of choice). Fugitoid is relegated to an accessory in the Last Ronin accessory pack, and then we a get (more) naked Mikey (come on, they are always kind of naked anyhow). Rounding it out with some1988 Michael Keaton figures from Beetlejuice before we get excited from the new Captain America film. Then all the SDCC 2024 exclusives, including one reveal that is, lets just say, not well received. Mikey's Pizza delivery business may just have to be done on Foot!!!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Major toy companies like Spin Master, Mattel, and Hasbro have all been expanding their influence beyond traditional toys for many years. Spin Master, in particualr, is known for launching popular entertainment properties like PAW Patrol and Bakugan, which have seamlessly transitioned into digital formats in the form of TV series, movies, and video games. Spin Master has also been unafraid to acquire properties when it sees a strategic opportunity, such as its 2016 acquisition of Toca Boca, the children's mobile app developer. Today, host David Taylor sits down with Yves Saada, the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Spin Master, to better understand its place at the intersection of toys, video games, and entertainment more broadly. We cover Spin Master's success in mobile games, as well as Roblox, and how that fits into Spin Master's broader strategy as a toy company. We'd also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you're interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.com/.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.
Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
(TikTok One Chip Challenge Kills 14 Year Old Girl) New TikTok Challenge Highlights the Dangers of Bad Fads Why teenage brains love social media challenges. KEY POINTS Most fads are harmless, but online challenges should be closely monitored for activities involving risky behavior. Young adults are susceptible to virtual challenges that involve potentially dangerous acts, as their frontal lobes are not fully developed. Fads have always been with us, but social media has amplified their spread. There is a new fad sweeping America: the "Orbeez Challenge,'' an online dare that encourages kids to film themselves shooting strangers with soft-jell beads using a toy pellet gun. The perpetrator then uploads the video to social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. There have already been over 150 million views under the hashtag #OrbeezChallenge. The problem is, when fired at high speed, the water-based beads can become dangerous projectiles; some have even frozen the beads to make them more potent. The challenge went viral in mid-March and has generated a slew of injuries and arrests. There have been reports of cars randomly driving up to strangers, firing the beads, then driving off. As some pellet guns can appear to be real firearms, police are concerned that someone could mistake the incident for an actual shooting and fire back. The maker of the beads, Spin Master, has asked people not to use them as projectiles and noted that they neither sell nor manufacture pellet guns. Fads often involve unconventional acts, such as the goldfish swallowing craze of 1939, which began with a dare between two Harvard University students. Soon, colleges tried to outdo one another. In typical fad fashion, it began in people of high status and spread to those who wanted to be part of something exciting and novel. Engaging in fads also highlights the need to fit in and be popular. After a while, when the craze is taken up by more and more people, it loses its appeal. Before long a new fad is born and gains popularity. Most fads are harmless, short-lived enthusiasms that center around trivial objects and ideas, like the 1950s rage of wearing Davy Crockett racoon skin hats. The 1960s brought us love beads, Troll dolls, and go-go boots, while during the ‘70s pet rocks and mood rings were in vogue. It is difficult to see the harm in these fads unless you are brandishing your pet rock as a weapon or wearing your racoon hat in the woods during hunting season. But occasionally, fads go bad and can lead to serious injury, even death. In recent years several bad fads have taken the form of online challenges. Being part of an internet challenge by filming and uploading one's exploits can make it seem more acceptable and strengthen the connection to one's online peers. It can also foster a feeling that ‘everyone's doing it so it must be OK.' The ‘Orbeez Challenge' is the latest in a long list of potentially dangerous internet fads. One recent social media challenge involved daring someone to swallow a spoonful of powdered cinnamon without any water. The so-called ‘Cinnamon Challenge' has resulted in several students being hospitalized with breathing problems from the fine powder entering their lungs, causing inflammation and scarring. The ‘Blackout Challenge,' also known as the ‘Choking Game,' is a dangerous fad and was blamed for at least three deaths last year. It involves choking oneself or having someone choke you to the point of passing out in the expectation of obtaining a brief, euphoric high. A study by the Centers for Disease Control found that between 1995 and 2008, no less than 82 youths had died from playing the game, which continues to wax and wane in popularity online. A variation involves holding one's breath until they lose consciousness. Another bad fad was the Ice Cream Challenge, the practice of going into a store and filming yourself opening a container of ice cream and licking it, before putting it back on the shelf. This was popular during the pandemic and placed customers at risk of catching Covid and other illnesses. In 2019 the ‘48-hour Missing Challenge' waxed in popularity, where teenagers would claim to have been abducted with the intent of generating as much social media interest as possible before reappearing. A year earlier, the Tide Pod Challenge spread across social media, where teens would either eat or vape laundry detergent, resulting in a surge in calls to poison control centers. It can be exciting to perform in front of a global audience of one's peers, especially when it offers immediate feedback in the form of views, likes, and comments. But there is more involved than peer pressure and excitement. Harvard pediatrician Clarie McCarthy believes that the tendency of teens to engage in dangerous online challenges can be found in their lack of frontal lobe development—the part of the brain that controls judgment, insight, and risk-taking. This can lead to rash decisions with little thought given to the consequences. Perhaps the best example of this lack of forethought was the response to the Ice Bucket Challenge, where several people, mostly teens, had hot water poured on their heads. As a result of the ‘Boiling Water Challenge,' many were treated for burns. In the future, it will be important to closely monitor social media challenges to ensure that our adolescents are not placing their health and that of others, in jeopardy.
Monster Jam's Ryan Albin discusses his influence as a Spin Master ambassador, creating the first fan-designed diecast truck, and his many roles behind the scenes.
In this episode of Making It in The Toy Industry, we delve into the world of consumer product marketing and licensing with special guest Robert Yusim. We open with a captivating discussion on the value of ideas versus inventions and the crucial steps needed to turn an idea into a marketable product. Robert shares his journey into the toy industry and how he's helped launch numerous successful consumer products, including the iconic Thighmaster, Pixicade, and more.Discover the magic behind making products licensable even when they're not patentable, and how adding value to your invention can significantly impact your licensing deals. Robert sheds light on the ever-evolving nature of the toy industry, where staying on trend and refreshing your products are essential for success.Join us as we explore Robert's impressive career, from his early days working with Spin Master to his role in the rocket fishing rod's massive success. Whether you're an aspiring toy inventor or a product marketer, Robert's experiences and advice in this episode are invaluable.Episode Cliff Notes:[00:00:00] Discover the essence of adding value to an idea beyond its conception.[00:01:13] Meet Robert Yusim, an accomplished consumer products marketer.[00:10:25] Learn about the significance of mentors, networking, and building valuable connections.[00:12:00] Distinguish between an idea and an invention and why substance is crucial.[00:14:00] What makes non-patentable inventions licensable? Discover the key factors.[00:18:00] A compelling success story involving Pixicade and the strategies behind its growth.[00:22:08] Valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs starting their own business ventures.[00:22:51] Find out what toy blew Robert Yusim's mind as a kid.Support the show
Kevin is checking out the Monster Jam RC Grave Digger Trax from Spin Master and telling the story of a recent disaster involving a Masters of the Universe Classics toy.- #111 Pegwarmers
Your daily highlights of Toronto Today with Greg Brady On today's episode: 1- Joe Warmington, Toronto sun columnist discusses Food insecurity this holiday season (:20-9:10) 2 -Alyshah Hasham, city hall bureau staff at The Star discusses ,David Rider's end-of-year wrap up w/ Olivia Chow (9:16-16:24) 3 -Michael Levitt, President-CEO Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center; Former Liberal MP discusses rise in Antisemitic hate crimes(16:29-23:34) 4-Natalie Wall, toy master from Spin Master discusses this holiday seasons hottest toys (23:40-33:10) 5 -Adam Froman CEO of Delvina discusses, the 2024 Survival Playbook for Canadian Businesses(33:16-40:39) 6- Jagmeet Singh leader of the Federal NDP discusses the refugee crisis affecting Toronto (40:45-51:08)
With less than a few weeks to go, children are gearing up for Christmas with their wish lists. In the UK, the Toy Retailers Association unveiled its DreamToys top 20 toys for 2023. Toy retailers and toy experts expect plush toys Squishmallows to be a top seller this Christmas. These cute, pillow-shaped toys are soft and squidgy and sell like proverbial hotcakes. They cost 8.99 pounds ($11) a piece for the 7.5-inch (19-centimetre) models. Back in January, Squishmallows maker Jazwares was already ecstatic: "(The) plush market was up 30% roughly year on year overall as a category. We saw a 500% increase in sales of Squishmallows. So a huge part of that will be down to these lovely guys here. We sold close to 3.5 million units just in the UK last year, so 2022 and 2023 really is the year of Squishmallows," said Alex Painter, senior marketing director of Jazwares. At Hamley's, London's oldest toy shop, it's PAW Patrol Mighty Movie - Skye Deluxe Vehicle by Spin Master which is getting a lot of attention. The toy is made up of an airplane with a PAW Patrol figure and two projectiles. Squeeze the handle to spin the wings of the plane and tilt it to hear the sound effects. It retails for 49.99 pounds ($61). Another toy bound for the skies is L.O.L. Surprise! Magic Flyers by MGA Ent. The rechargeable doll can fly out of her box. It can be found in stores for 36.99 pounds ($45). "You're finding that obviously the character licensed products and it's still huge with things such as Paw Patrol. And obviously the Barbie movie has had a huge effect, I mean Barbie would almost certainly have been in the top ten anyway. But the film has just made Barbie even bigger," says Tim Murray, editor of Toys n Playthings magazine. "So character licenses are a key trend. I think blind bags where you don't quite know what you're getting and you're opening something that has a surprise element in it - that's the LOL Magic Flyers. And so I think there is that's one of the key trends as well." This article was provided by The Associated Press.
One of our favorite guests Spin Master Mugen returns to the show as we talk about the highlights of this year's Hip Hop Holiday Charity concert.We also get into new shows & upcoming ones like Shogun, Invincible, Gen V, The Boys & more. New trailers dropped for Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire & The Fall Guy....80's reboots seem to be the trend that's going on right now. We'll get into that.The Writers Strike has ended maybe this time for real so that means some of these highly anticipated movies & shows will resume like Deadpool 3 & more. We'll give you the details.Plus new music and more fun! Time to sip some tea with Joey and Marie!Social Media Handles:Tik Tok: @joeybravo208 @aaliyahmarie208Instagram: @joeybravo208 @aaliyahmarie208 @sippinteawithjoeyandmarieFacebook: @joeybravo208 @aaliyahmarie208 @sippinteawithjoeyandmarieYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@sippinteawithjoeymarie5867
Welcome to Beauty Bosses Ben Varadi, Director, Chief Creative Officer & Executive VP at Spin Master. Spin Master is the group behind some of your favorite children's toys and franchises including Paw Patrol, Bakugan, Hatchimals, Kinetic Sand and Air Hogs. Ben graduated with his honours business administration degree from Western University's Richard Ivey School of Business in Ontario, Canada and then went on to become a founding member of Spin Master with two of his friends Anton Rabie and Ronnen Harary. Listen to this episode to hear more about Ben's journey to Spin Master and the power of toys!
One of our favorite guests Spin Master Mugen returns to the show as we talk about the highlights of this year's Hip Hop Holiday Charity concert. We also get into new shows & upcoming ones like Shogun, Invincible, Gen V, The Boys & more. New trailers dropped for Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire & The Fall Guy....80's reboots seem to be the trend that's going on right now. We'll get into that. The Writers Strike has ended maybe this time for real so that means some of these highly anticipated movies & shows will resume like Deadpool 3 & more. We'll give you the details. Plus new music and more fun! Time to sip some tea with Joey and Marie! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dougal Grimes, the President of Inventor Relations and Innovation at Spin Master, has a vast knowledge of the toy and game space. Keith Grimes, Digital Health & Innovation Consultant, is an expert panelist on Artificial Intelligence. United, they are the "Brothers Grimes!" Though they're experts in different fields, they've come together to discuss their lifelong bonding over play and competition, and how artificial intelligence might change game development in the very near future.... --- Check out People of Play! https://peopleofplay.com/ --- Hidden Role Podcast is also available on most major podcast networks! https://linktr.ee/hiddenrole --- Visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to get a sneak peak at our upcoming guests: https://www.hiddenrolepodcast.com/ --- Have an idea for someone who should appear on the show? Leave a comment below OR make a suggestion at: https://www.hiddenrolepodcast.com/suggestions
Dr. Brad Strauss is a cardiologist at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, with a roster of patients and several new medical devices under development. But immediately following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, Strauss dropped everything and booked a plane ticket to Tel Aviv. Despite his flight being delayed by missile threats—it took him two days in transit—he arrived ready to work near the frontlines around Gaza. Instead, he was accepted by the cardiology team at the HaEmek hospital in Afula, in the country's north—within firing range of Hezbollah's rockets. Strauss is the only Canadian doctor volunteering with that hospital's heart unit right now. But The CJN is aware of many other Canadian medical professionals who are on the ground to help. And there will be thousands more, as Israel wants foreign-trained medical staff from Canada, the U.S. and the European Union to volunteer, anticipating casualties straining their health care system. In the second episode of our week spotlighting "The Helpers" in the Holy Land, Strauss speaks to The CJN Daily host Ellin Bessner about what motivated him to come and why stress is causing heart problems for patients who he has seen during these last two weeks. What we talked about Help the HaEmek hospital in Afula buy a portable x-ray machine for the ER and a portable cardiac echo machine. Tax-deductable donations can be sent via the Neeman Foundation Learn about Israel's health ministry creating this web portal for foreign-trained medical professionals from Canada and abroad to sign up to volunteer If you missed Monday's The CJN Daily episode with the Canadian toymaker Ronnen Harary of Spin Master and how he is delivering 25,000 toys to displaced Israeli kids, listen here Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer.Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please
Ronnen Harary and his university friends founded the toy and entertainment company Spin Master in 1994, launching with Earth Buddies and later the wildly successful Air Hogs toys. Today, it's their Paw Patrol characters and Gund stuffed animals that are globally famous. And for the last two weeks, since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel, Harary has been on the ground in Israel distributing 25,000 toys for Israeli kids and their families who have been affected by the war with Hamas. And that's not all. His personal charity is buying new beds for the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem to boost capacity ahead of expected casualties. Meanwhile, the Canadian philanthropist has also personally driven boxes of socks and supplies to army bases all over Israel, and his charity is helping a Canadian-led operation sending a food truck to feed soldiers before they embark on what's expected to be an unprecedented ground assault on the Gaza Strip against Hamas. Today, The CJN Daily is kicking off a week of stories about what we're calling “The Helpers”: Canadians stepping up to help Israel during these difficult times. Host Ellin Bessner speaks to Harary and to Franck Azoulay, a former Montrealer who now runs Harary's personal charity and is himself serving with the IDF. Read how Harary sends gifts to children in conflict zones, including Israel, through The Toy Movement, in The CJN Learn more about the Canadian initiative to send a food truck from the Canaanite restaurant in Kfar Adumim, the West Bank, to feed Israeli soldiers at their bases—and donate to the crowdfunding campaign. Read how Spin Master was founded in a garage, in The CJN Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our intern is Ashok Lamichhane, and our theme music by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.
This week on the Toy Power Podcast, we are joined by a Spin Master Gab! With our regular get-to-know-you questions out of the way; we move onto our main topic around Raffles, Waffles, Razz or whatever name it takes, to fly under the social media guidelines. So what is a Waffle? (Cause Scotty doesn't know!) What does it take to make a successful Raffle? What doesn't work too is quite interesting too! Then we spin the discussion around; and touch base on what sub-category of the TMNT Franchise is Gab into the most? How does such a huge TMNT fan like Gab focus his collecting habits too? Overall, this was an intriguing conversation on many levels. Enjoy.Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Spin Master's new CMO Jeremy Tucker talks about marketing brands such as Paw Patrol and what's ahead for the holiday season
On this day in 1960, the Ohio Art Company released a new mechanical drawing toy called the Etch A Sketch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matt Nuccio is the president of Design Edge, Inc., a toy and game development company and licensing agency whose clients include Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master and Fisher-Price to name only a few. For 4 years, Matt co-chaired the Toy Association (TA), on their associate panel, representing all designers and inventors within the toy industry. Currently, Matt sits on the board of directors of the United Inventors Association of America (UIA), a non-profit organization working to educate and advocate for all types of inventors. He also sits on the People of Play (POP) advisory board and Toy Association's Creative Factor advisory board helping start-up inventors to navigate successfully within the Toy Industry. Matt writes a column in Toy Family Entertainment magazine focusing on the industry, and, he has lectured at ChiTAG, New York Toy Fair, ASTRA, Hong Kong Toy Fair, and various inventor clubs around the world including the 2021 Emerging Innovation Summit in Melbourne Australia. Design Edge's products have been nominated for, and have also won, many industry awards such as TOTY (Toy Of The Year), TAGIE (Toy and Games Innovators), Games 100, Origin, and Family Fun among others. In 2019, Matt was honored by the National Security Agency (NSA) as an American Innovator and has been listed for the past 4 years in a row, by Mojo Nation, as one of the top 100 most influential people in the toy industry today.
Spin Master's Veronica Gamez and Feld Entertainment's Addy Gorham join the show from Spin Master's Los Angeles headquarters to discuss how Monster Jam diecast toys are taking the world by storm.
Web3 games are taking off and Planet Mojo is one of the premiere titles leading the way. On Ep 23 of The Zeitgeist, CEO Mike Levine shares the web3 opportunity for game publishers, how digital ownership empowers gamers, and the future of community gaming. About Planet Mojo:Planet Mojo is an ecosystem of interconnected games built by Mystic Moose and set inside a mysterious alien planet with an evolving narrative. Players compete with customized teams of fantastical creatures in a suite of eSports, PvP games. The long-term goal is to create a sustainable and growing catalog of games for the next generation of gamers, empowering players by allowing them to own their in-game assets and have a say in the project's future direction.Show Notes:01:02 - Background and how he started in Web3?04:34 - Unique challenges in Web307:25 - What is planet Mojo? 11:17 - Owning your assets in planet mojo12:50 - Is Mojo Planet a Play-to-own model?13:5 - The future of in-game economy in Web319:31 - Why are traditional gamers skeptical of NFTs?23:15 - Would traditional games benefit from adding a Web3 component?24:54 - The future of Web3 gaming 28:58 - A builder in the Web3 gaming ecosystem he admires? Full Transcript:Brian Friel (00:00):Hey everyone and welcome to the Zeitgeist, the show where we highlight the founders, developers, and designers who are pushing the web 3.0 Space forward. I'm Brian Friel, developer relations at Phantom, and I'm super excited to introduce our guest, Mike Levine. Mike is the CEO of Planet Mojo, one of the leading games on Polygon. Mike, welcome to the show.Mike Levine (00:28):Hello. Thanks for having me, Brian. Excited to be here.Brian Friel (00:32):I'm excited for you to be here as well. We got a lot of really awesome stuff to talk about. Just the time of recording this, I saw you guys sold out your first mint on Magic Eden. You've got this great ecosystem you guys are building out related the web 3.0 gaming. But before we dive into all that, I want to learn a little bit more about you. You have a very interesting background. You're a veteran of the gaming industry and you spent a lot of time at Lucas Arts Entertainment. Can you walk us through what your background is and why you started working in web 3.0?Mike Levine (01:02):Yeah, I started working at Lucas Arts in the early 90s, I'm going to make myself sound as old as I am. But I'm from the east coast in Massachusetts where I am now. But went out to California with dreams of, well, really going to grad school. But I needed a job and amazingly Lucas had one in the paper. Lucasfilm games at the time, and I went in and somehow convinced them to hire me, and just really clicked. I never considered it for a career at all. I'd played video games my whole life growing up and Nintendo and all kinds of other games, but I hadn't really played PC games, so I kind of had to lie a little. I remember when I called a friend back east who was like, tell me some PC games that I could tell them about. Little did I know they were about to release their first console game, so it was like, oh, you played console games?(01:52):And they're like, so yeah. And I started at the bottom floor I guess doing QA, which is a great place to start in the industry. But I didn't sort of let my dreams of why I moved to California die, and I took an internship, and I was working 90 hours a week at Lucas and this other place and I was learning all about basically the beginning of digital media and video, and started using the computers at Lucas. And next thing I knew I was working in the art department, I was really just using their Macs to practice Photoshop and the art director noticed it and was like, wait, you know Photoshop? But then I started to get more brave and propose ideas because I was just using these cutting edge tools. And I guess anyways, to fast forward, that theme has gone throughout my whole career because I'm always sort of tinkering with what's new and what's next.(02:40):And yeah to give you the quick version, worked on some amazing games at Lucas. Went on to sort of create the visual effects department there, and did some great games. And eventually it was a pretty big mass exodus of people that I was at the beginning of. But went on to do a startup with people from ILM because the visual effects department or company that Lucas owns or did. But I had worked with them a lot just because all these techniques we were doing and Skywalker ran, so did a startup with those guys for a couple years, it was more about tools and effects, and wanted to get back to games. I missed games after not being in it. So I moved back to the east coast, started my own companies, and over the years I've just done a mix of our own games but also done service work to survive with Hasbro and Spin Master and other things.(03:33):And we had a great run doing augmented reality, and we had Apples game of the day, and worked with Phil Tippett, but also worked with big companies like Niantic and others. And ultimately that disillusioned with mobile AR, at least the short term future of it. And we made a VR game a couple years ago for Sam and Max, which was a game I worked on the original way back at Lucas. So that was a lot of fun. But during that game, that's when I started getting obsessed with first NFTs, and then blockchain and blockchain games, and that's how we got here.Brian Friel (04:09):That's awesome. So you painted an awesome story there. I guess starting from the bottom at QA intern, rising up. And you've worked on titles that you didn't mention, but like Jedi Knight, the Force Within, Rebel Assault One and Two, so you've seen what it takes to make really successful video games. Coming into the Web 3.0 space, what have you noticed that's different? What is uniquely challenging about web 3.0?Mike Levine (04:34):We could talk for the next half hour just about this, but it's completely different, and it's completely the same. And I think that's what we're seeing now, is each company finding that balance of what is a web 3.0 game right now? You have some that are completely on chain and others that are completely off chain. And then there's things like us, which are in between which some people call Web 2.5 or whatever. But I think we're closer to 3.0 than 2.5. But I say as someone new coming into the space, which I was a year and a half ago at least, it's an overwhelming amount of stuff to learn. People say the rabbit hole for crypto and web 3.0 and blockchain. And as I've talked about here, we've gone down other tech rabbit holes in my career learning all about AR and everything related to it.(05:23):That was a pretty deep rabbit hole, but nothing compared to this, right? There's just so much more. And it took at least six months to just sort of get our bearings, get our sea legs basically, where it's like you start to figure out what's important, what's not important. And a big part of that at the beginning, because there was still so much lack of clarity, was making a good game. Making a fun game. We were in the minority I think on that in the beginning when everyone was kind of obsessed with play to earn and we're like, well let's make sure the game's fun. Because everything else kind of stems from that. Or you're really just going to have people there only to earn. And I'm not an Axie slammer, but that's kind of what we saw happen there, right?Brian Friel (06:10):Right, that makes sense.Mike Levine (06:11):So yeah, I mean there's massive differences, and I think it's really about finding your rudder and then once you do, just going for it basically. And there's just a lot of noise in this space. So it's constantly, is this call important? Should we partner with this company? How many partnerships can we do? Because we're still a relatively small company, you can spread yourself thin in this space. And then you have the whole Web 2.0 side of it, which maybe want to save that for another question if it comes up.(06:41):But yeah, just taking that on and trying to bring people over to web 3.0, it's easier when you're just in web 3.0 and these are already the converts, so we don't have to convince them. And I think there are other companies that are content to just sort of stay in this web 3.0 echo chamber right now. But I feel like the reason us and all these companies were able to get funding, the whole idea was games can bring more people into web 3.0. So if we only stay in with the converted, we're not really doing that justice. So that's kind of been our philosophy.Brian Friel (07:15):Trying to grow the pie. I totally resonate with that. So I think this might be a good time to talk a little bit about your project Planet Mojo. What is Planet Mojo in your own words?Mike Levine (07:26):Yeah, planet Mojo is an ecosystem of interconnected games built by us, Mystic Moose. That's the company. It is set in a mysterious alien planet, which we're going to keep revealing more about over time. We're really just the first chapter now, and we like to say it has an evolving narrative, just like the game has evolving seasons, eventually. Players compete with customized teams in our first game, Mojo Melee of fantastical creatures in a suite of eSport PVP games over time, because we plan to make more games soon.(07:58):The long-term goal is to create a sustainable growing catalog of games for the next generation of gamers. Empowering players by allowing them to own their in-game assets and have a say in the project's future direction/ which is a really simple way of saying we believe in decentralization and player ownership, digital property rights and all those fun things.Brian Friel (08:20):And so when you first had the idea to go into web 3.0, did you have this vision of what Planet Mojo would be, and was Planet Mojo the catalyst for this? Or was it more that you were interested in web 3.0, you wanted to tinker with new technologies, and Planet Mojo kind of arose out of that curiosity? Which way would you say that evolved?Mike Levine (08:39):It was a lot of things coming together. I mean first off, we love creating original IP. We've done that over the years. We created an indie game before the term existed, Colin Insecticide, I think part one is still on Steam and it was on the DS as well. And that was a complete fantasy, amazing fictional world that a lot of us worked on, a lot of friends from Lucas Arts. So creating original worlds and IP is not easy, but it's something we enjoy a lot. And we also just know from history sort of that whenever new platforms are born, new paradigms begin. That's usually when new IP is born, or has a chance to be born before the big licenses and IP. We've seen this over and over Whenever a new console launches. You see it with AxiE and things like this, that just IPS kind of rise. So it seemed like a great opportunity.(09:40):But yeah, I mean I guess before that we really had the specific idea, it was just the understanding what web 3.0 was, and we didn't even call it that then, right? Crypto games or game-fi or whatever we were calling it. But just understanding what that was going to mean to the players, to the developers, what it could do to gaming in general. People talk a lot about indie games and that's a big thing in games, but I'm here to break it to you, it's a bit of a fallacy. It's like there's thousands of indie games that don't really succeed, and then we have one or two that sort of propel, it's kind of being a rockstar when I grew up. It was like, good luck, right.(10:20):And that doesn't mean you can't do it, but the game is kind of rigged. There's usually outside funding involved, and publishers, and the platform fees. And so web 3.0 was a way to me also it's like wow, we can flip the script here and have more control as indies, and control of our own destiny, and it was like the evolution of community. We've seen community and gaming become a huge thing over the last decade. This is the natural evolution of community to me.Brian Friel (10:52):Yeah, that's very well put. So let's dive in a little more then. You've mentioned you paint this great picture here of players owning their assets, the decentralization aspect of it. How exactly does this work in Planet Mojo? So for reference, you guys just had this mint madness NFT moment on Magic Eden, you guys sold out in four seconds. I imagine these NFTs are used in game, is that correct?Mike Levine (11:17):Yeah, I mean first and foremost and we really have taken a, we're the tortoise not the hair approach to the blockchain, and we haven't launched our token, and we've always wanted to take a slow and steady approach to it.(11:30):So yeah, first and foremost, and we're literally still hooking this up right now. It's about to be done. But if you own the Champion NFTs, you will have them in the game. We're soon, we've kind of spoiled the players up to now by the way, because we've been in alpha, we haven't really worried about the game progression too much, and we've just kind of given everything to players to make tournaments more fun. But we're really only a few weeks away from being an open beta. And that's when we'll be taking everything away from everyone and resetting all stats, and then people will have to play to unlock champions and abilities, and spell stones, and different skins, and eventually arenas when we hook those up, because those could be NFTs as well, maybe. Intent.(12:16):So, yeah. When you own them you will automatically unlock them to use in teams and play within the game, and you won't have to worry about the progression, just like free to play. But the difference here of course is you truly own it. You can sell it if you want at any point on open markets or our marketplace when we launch it. And our whole thing is as we launch more games, you're going to get to use that character in our other games as well, only if you own it as a NFT.Brian Friel (12:44):And so this model it's kind of like a play to own model, which I've heard about. Is that a correct characterization?Mike Levine (12:50):Yes. I mean I love and hate acronyms I guess I'll just go on record of saying that. But we do kind of need them in a way. And I think I can certainly get behind that a lot more than anything with the term earn in it. Because that was just a bad idea. Free to own, I know Gabe really pushes that, but I always was just like, wait a minute. Let's not take play out of this. If we're really going to have an acronym debate now. The word play should be at the center of this. There's just not enough words. So that's why I like play to own.Brian Friel (13:25):I like that as well. So then talk to us a little bit about the economy of this game. You guys are building this world, you're going to be adding on a piece arenas over time, this thing's going to continually evolve. Players also own their own assets, but you made a point up front to be like, this isn't something where we're just advertising a quick way to make money in this game. How do you see the in-game economy here evolving over time?Mike Levine (13:52):Good question. And back to the last point related too, we do plan to add other features to owning the NFTs. And I didn't even mention by the way that we have what we call a, it's an in-game collection tier basically. And the very easy way to explain it is the more NFTs you own, the more chances for rewards and prizes you're going to get in the game. Because we sort of tally up, look at all of the NFTs you own, there's like a point system, and you'll sort of have a different tier, and then each month you'll get these collection tier points basically that you can put towards our premium quest, which if you didn't own them would take much, much longer to unlock, basically. So that's another thing. And we also want to eventually have some form of sort of holding slash staking with rewards as well.(14:39):And then moving to your question just about the economy. So right now we just have a soft currency in the game, it's called Ore, or you're going to earn it through the battles, it's going to help you rank up, level up. There's a whole free battle pass system that you get battle pass points for that unlock assets, champions, currency, all kinds of things. We're going to have a hard currency too. And by the way, just backing up, because I don't even think we really explained or, I jumped over this, my fault.(15:09):But so our game is Mojo Melee. It is a next generation strategy auto-chess battler. We've been nominated in a bunch of the web 3.0 award shows, which has been in great. The game's currently still in alpha, it's in the browser base game, so you can play it right in our web browser, and we are planning to take it to mobile very soon as well. So I just want to make sure we explain what the game was-Brian Friel (15:34):Cover those bases. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Mike Levine (15:36):And you can play, if anyone has played team fight tactics, that's kind of where these games really came from Dota 2, Underlords, but Teamfight Tactics has sort of become the most popular one. But making this for blockchain and why we say we feel it's like the next evolution of these games, even taking the web 3.0 part out of it, is all those games really came from PC downloadable. There are mobile versions, but TFT matches can take easily 30 minutes to play. And we wanted to make something that was faster paced. Even the browser version, when you play it, you'll notice it feels like a mobile game, that's because we designed it that way. So when you're playing it on mobile, the matches can take 5 to 10 minutes, you can play against one-on-one or eight other players at a time. It's like a round-robin tournament format, which is another one of the big reasons we chose the genre to start off with because we did take a lot of time debating what kind of game do we want to make first.(16:33):And we just thought this was a great way to introduce the world, the characters, and this is the other big thing we changed with these games is we're like, okay, players are going to own their characters. And normally these games up to now and it's very new genre, but you typically played with a shared deck. So players are playing against each other but they're pulling from the same deck. And what we did was kind of make it more like Hearthstone and other games and we kind of took that out of it, we made it more about collection and team building. Where you have just insane amount, every time we add a champion or a spell stone, which is another element we added, it just gives you insane combinations to try and strategy in terms of how you lay them out and use them.Brian Friel (17:18):The theory crafting because endless, yeah.Mike Levine (17:20):Yeah. So we sort of made a new paradigm sort of around that, and as we were making it, Supercell started testing their auto-chess game and they actually did something pretty similar so we were like okay, they're pretty smart, we must be onto something. So it just gave us confidence that we were on the right path.Brian Friel (17:37):That's good validation.Mike Levine (17:39):Yeah. Their game is way more casual. We kind of built something in between TFT and what they built. But yeah, web 3.0 with community we're always listening, and we've taken huge amounts of feedback. I mean we started privately play testing it last August, and so we've definitely listened to the community, we've added tons of features that people have asked for, and we may even add longer form matches eventually, enough people request them. But our sort of goal right now is to get into open beta and test like I was saying the progression and the retention, and all this awards and things like that in the game.Brian Friel (18:20):That's great. That's a big overview. Thank you for that. I guess I'm obligated to ask this question for all your fans who are listening, but when beta? Can you share anything about that?Mike Levine (18:29):I mean we're real close here. I would tell you within two weeks, but we have this little thing coming up called GDC and a bunch of our team is going there, so we may decide to wait till right after that, just till we're all back. So we're talking hopefully before March is over I'm fairly confident we'll get open beta, knock on wood.Brian Friel (18:51):Right on. So I guess switching gears a little bit, at the start of this conversation you talked about the idea of growing the pie and that right now web 3.0 is relatively to all the gaming industries that are out there, it's a small subset of user base. There's people who really resonate with it, but then the vast majority of gamers maybe don't care or don't see the value prop. But I'd say there's also, I've seen a little bit of blow back where anytime the term NFT is mentioned to traditional gamers, a lot of times it elicits this response where people immediately say, no, I don't want it, I don't like it.Mike Levine (19:26):It's a trigger word.Brian Friel (19:27):It has become a bit of a trigger word. Why do you think that's the case?Mike Levine (19:31):Oh, this is very simple actually. And first of all, we don't have NFTs in our game. We have digital collectibles.Brian Friel (19:39):Good marketing.Mike Levine (19:40):And I've seen a lot more people use this term, especially who are bringing it to the masses or trying to. But I was talking about this for many months ago, just that the web 3.0 gaming space needs to break free of the NFT space. And it hasn't yet. Because there are these rules, many of which are very silly in the NFT space. You've got to sell out, and in terms of pricing, and distribution, and quantity and just all the sort of FOMO around it, and not to mention all the scams and rug pulls and it's like, we've been on tons of calls in the beginning of this where meeting with very DeFi crypto groups on Telegram. And at the beginning we were just sort of surprised at all the questions, it was like, how do we know this isn't a scam and all this stuff?(20:30):And we're like, we've been doing this for over 20 years, this is what we do. We make games, we do what we say, but we get it. So I think that's, the mass public, first of all I think it's a myth actually that gamers hate this. I really do. They hate something else. It's all that stuff we were just talking about. And I think we hit the peak hate months ago. I think we've been getting much more people like yeah, I'm interested in this actually, and what's it all about? And I just know from firsthand experience, that's why every time now when I'm doing these spaces or whatever I'm trying to say, everyone on this call, we're in the bubble already. What you have to do is everyone go bring in one friend. Just go talk to your friends about this, because there's nothing more powerful to this day in any media than word of mouth.(21:23):I just saw a chart on this, and it's like over 50% the most powerful form of user acquisition. And I just know from firsthand experience, when I talk to gamers young and old, what are you doing now? I'm making a web 3.0 game. What's that? Crypto. And then I say, well, have you ever thought about owning your assets and what that means? And then literally their eyes open up. What are you talking about? Because they're like gamers, they stream, they're watching Fortnite and playing Call of Duty, like wait a minute, that skin that I paid so much for, I could sell it? Yeah. Ooh, tell me more. So this has to be a grassroots campaign really to win over people. See, this is the big difference here is that people like to compare this to free to play, and it's not the greatest analogy. Because free to play had one thing, I don't know if I should say over us, but it was the main point of it.(22:25):It was free. Right in the title. And to the average consumer, to Joe 6-pack, whatever, they don't care about decentralization and blockchain and immutable and any of that stuff. They want to know is this a good deal for me? What's in it for me? And if we just explain to them, yes, you can own it, there's value in it, you can make it better by playing, and when our new games come out, you're going to be able to use it. Maybe you can use it in other games. It's really a lot of value. It just has to be explained to players.Brian Friel (23:03):Well put. I guess on that thread then, are there any traditional games that you think should be adding like a web 3.0 component in the short term that you think would be in that benefit?Mike Levine (23:16):No, none.Brian Friel (23:18):Interesting. You want to expand on that?Mike Levine (23:19):I want them to pay out and be ignorant and let us dominate. Usually happens in others game cycles and then they come in and want to acquire companies like us or have to play catch up. I mean Disney, other companies, they're still playing catch up on mobile and things like that.(23:39):So look, I can't control what they're going to do. And we're already seeing from Asia, being in North America and Europe, I think we're heavily biased by the sentiment in Asia. From every people I talk to over there, which is a lot and Reid, the sentiment's almost the opposite. They're bullish. So you're seeing, look at Oasis and all the companies that they've brought in from that side of the world. I don't have to even sit here and say what companies should add it because it's happening. Those companies are doing it. Will the big companies from North America and Europe? We'll see. Let's put it this way. If they see those companies making money, you can bet. But there's the legality and all that involved too. And that's where startups can afford to be nimble and take risks. So I don't have a crystal ball, but I know it's going to be an interesting year.Brian Friel (24:33):Yeah. Well I know you said you don't have a crystal ball. But I want to know, blockchain is young, especially in the gaming space in particular, everyone's I think still figuring out what the right kind of primordial soup of ideas and gaming talent, trying new things. Where do you think the space goes from here? In the next year or two, how do you think the space unfolds?Mike Levine (24:55):I mean, there are a lot of roadblocks for games right now in this space. On the mobile side we have Apple with their guidelines, which is depending on who you talk to a step forward or also very restrictive, or sometimes a deal breaker as we've seen with other companies. And on the PC side, again, we're sort of limited. Epic will allow games. So in some ways this space is back to the 1990s and 2000s where everyone has their own website and come here and make your own account and connect your wallet. But yesterday, the Amazon rumor was in the press again, right, about their marketplace. And you're seeing big Web 2.0 players get into the space. So if I'm going to make wild predictions or my hopes even, is that those are the companies that kind of need to help bring in the masses, and hopefully some of those barriers will come down, or the smart ones will realize the opportunity, the GameStops, who already jumped into it.(26:05):And I think those people who have those relationships already, and a lot of those companies like overseas and Japan, China, et cetera where they're so bullish on it, it seems like it's an even easier path. But I think those gateways will sort of lead the way. And of course just more and better games finally coming out. So the public can see, oh wait, there are some cool, actual games here in the web 3.0 space. And I always make the analogy about this space, and I think I've even realized it's bigger than I was making it, because I think it pertains to anything like pro sports, whatever, but I usually make it with gaming. Is that there are ways to earn in Web 2.0 games today. You can go to tournaments, Magic the Gathering, card game, and you can make millions of dollars and travel around there.(26:56):But that only applies to a certain percentage of people in gaming. You think about eSports and all this, right? There's like three spheres to this really that intersect, that help all drive each other. There's the professional level, then there's the spectators, the fans, the people who really pay attention, who are watching. And then there's the mass audience who just plays the game. And that's why I'm saying that it's no different than golf. The people who watch golf or NBA like, oh, I want to wear the shoes he's wearing, and I want to get the shirt he wears. Or like my son, I want to get Jason Tatum's high school jersey. I'm like, are you kidding me? And you're going to see that same parallels here. And it's just like in web 3.0, the earning part is going to appeal to some people. And it should be there and all the web 3.0 aspects, but you have to have those three layers.(27:55):That's why we think we made a PVP game and eSports are important to this. That's why we did a tournament, and worked with a lot of creators. And that's really important here kind of to take it to the masses, and let everyone kind of choose at what level they want to go down their own rabbit hole. Do I want a wallet? Do I want to own these NFTs? And the idea is going to start to snowball. And the early adopters are going to be like yeah, I want to own these things. And then other people are like, why are they owning them? I should probably own them too. I'm putting all this time in here, maybe I should actually own my assets. And yeah, that's where I think it's going to go. That's my optimistic feel. I ended more optimistic than I started.Brian Friel (28:36):That's great. That's a good way to do it. And also on the word of mouth part as well, which you said, the most powerful force of growing, word of mouth.Mike Levine (28:44):Totally.Brian Friel (28:45):Mike, this has been awesome. I guess on this last topic of getting more games into the space, we always end our podcast with a similar question. I want to ask this for you. Who is a builder in the web 3.0 gaming ecosystem that you admire?Mike Levine (28:59):Oh boy. It's easier for me to name projects because we're big fans of multiple people at these projects. So like Trap Knoll, we're very good friends with, and Undead Blocks and Phantom Galaxies, and I mean, I know I'm going to forget people I feel like. I mean, BoomLand were really supportive to us because they did their mint before us. And just Magic Eden, the people there, Matt, Knock, Liz, and Polygon. The people at Polygon are building too, I think. So probably named more than you wanted. But yeah, there's so many projects.Brian Friel (29:40):The more the merrier.Mike Levine (29:41):Yeah, I mean we're always looking at other projects. At the beginning we were always just, whoa, what are those guys doing? And then you get to the point where it's like, well, maybe they don't know any more than we do. So that's where everyone starts, the creativity comes from. You start seeing cool ideas.Brian Friel (29:58):That's awesome. Well, you named a lot of folks there. I guess all potential upcoming podcast guests, we'll have to reach out to them as well. Well Mike, this is a really fantastic discussion. Thanks for sharing a bit about your history and your journey from Lucas all the way to now pioneering web 3.0 gaming. Where can people go more to learn about Planet Mojo and Mojo Melee?Mike Levine (30:18):Easiest is this go to planetmojo.io, and then there are links right on the top right to our Discord, that's really where all the action is. Please join our Discord, Twitter, and there's a link to the game. You can play the game right now in alpha. We're actually hoping to push an update up today. Well, I guess my, it'll be last week when this comes out. But that's a play.planetmojo.io.Brian Friel (30:41):Awesome. Mike Levine, thank you so much for coming on the show.Mike Levine (30:44):Thanks for having me.
Travel with us back to 1993 when Bill Clinton became the 42nd President of the United States, your mom and grandmother's favorite collectible was released, Samuel L. Jackson implored people to hold onto their butts, and a Dolly Parton song takes off again. Sadly it appears our Neo Geo 4-slot has a slight malfunction so we'll only fill it with three of our four picks this episode with Sengoku 2, 3 Count Bout, and Spin Master. How was PastBlaster's visit to the Fun Dungeon and why is he so fascinated with tush tags now? Are yo-yos weapons now? When an ancient princess transports you through time to WW2 how important is it to know who you're fighting against? Why wasn't Fire Suplex used as the worldwide release title instead of the generic 3 Count Bout? Plus we answer some listener questions like what console game warrants the full arcade treatment and which arcade game blew our minds the most when we first saw it.
Tim Swindle is an entrepreneur and investor, helping build and exit multiple companies. As an early investor and employee at PointDrive, a Chicago-based sales software company, he had roles leading sales, marketing, and operations before the company was acquired in 2016 by LinkedIn. During this time, Tim created Utter Nonsense, an entertaining card game that was quickly carried by several retailers and ultimately within all 1,800 Target stores. Utter Nonsense was acquired in 2017 by private equity backed PlayMonster. In 2018 Tim co- founded Playtacular, a boutique publishing company that designs and creates innovative toys and games. In addition to this, Tim is a Managing Member of Hubbard Street Capital, an early stage venture investing firm. Tim lives in Nashville, with his wife, daughter and very good boy, Tucker. Scott Brown is the co-founder of Marbles: The Brain Store, a retail concept focused on building better brains through play, which eventually grew to 40 stores, a website, a catalog business and a proprietary product division. While there, he headed the curation of all store products and formed Marbles: Brain Workshop, overseeing the creation of more than 150 proprietary products. In early 2017 the Marbles brand was acquired by Spin Master. For the past three years, Scott has served as VP of Creative over Games at Spin Master, helping bring dozens more games to market. Beginning in January 2020, Scott will be leaving Spin Master to form an independent game publishing studio. Scott lives in Utah along with his wife and four daughters.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Intro[01:03] What is PaddleSmash?[02:23] How Tim got started in the game space[04:05] How Scott and Tim met and formed PaddleSmash[06:50] Where the idea of PaddleSmash came from[08:08] How to come up with ideas or be inspired[10:29] Look for opportunities, make it unique[11:53] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect[12:49] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO https://jsonld.app[14:14] Joe Bingham's backstory[15:47] 2 routes you can go in the toys and games space[17:13] What royalty contracts look like?[18:47] The upsides and downsides to licensing your idea[21:33] What happened after licensing PaddleSmash?[24:47] PaddleSmash is on the testing and learning phase[25:56] The inherent virality to outdoor games[28:29] Increasing the surface area of luck[29:11] Picking an audience from a hybrid[30:13] Where to find PaddleSmash products?[30:54] Sell the products that you love[32:05] Get feedback and just jump in with your productResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeA new outdoor game that combines the best elements of Pickleball and Spikeball into a fun, and easy-to-learn game paddlesmash.comConnect with Tim linkedin.com/in/timswindleConnect with linkedin.com/in/thescottbrownTake the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connectGet your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.appIf you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!
Being able to handle spin is a critical pickleball skill. In this episode of the show, we look at some quick tips you can apply to be better at defeating the spin master. Mentioned in the show: Pickleball Coaching International Selkirk TV Join Mark in Turks and Caicos Dec 2-9, 2023 Read the article here
Where are some of the places that game design skills come in handy? Erica and Sen talk to Nick Metzler, who has designed games for traditional publishers like Spin Master, murder mysteries in a castle for over a hundred wedding guests, and challenges on reality TV shows like Survivor!
Christmas and the holiday season is a crucial time for toy retailers, and hopes will be high for sales to return to pre-pandemic levels. But with the rising cost of living, we find out if families will be cutting back on toy spending this year - and look at the toys topping the popularity charts. We'll also find out how much does TV and film influence the types of toys in demand. Frederique Tutt from market research company NPD group explains the trends in toy sales, and how the type of toys that people are buying is changing. Elizabeth Hotson visits the DreamToys event in London, organised by the toy retailers association. She speaks to Paul Reader, the chair of the DreamToys selection committee about what's making the top 10 toys list this year. Hedley Barnes, senior vice president for International from Spin Master, the company behind both the Paw Patrol TV series and toys, explains the valuable link between the show and the merchandise. Also on the list are Rainbow High Dolls – Sarah Taylor is managing director, UK and Ireland, for MGA entertainment, the company behind the dolls. She tells Elizabeth why diversity, which they champion, appeals to families. And Alan Simpson, chair of the toy retailers association, says he expects a lot of the ‘old favourites' like Lego, Barbie, Monopoly and Play Dough to still be really popular. Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson (Image: A toy in a Christmas box. Credit: Getty)
Happy Thanksgiving from The Gateway Gamers! But before you enjoy some turkey, enjoy us talk about CMON & Spin Master's X-MEN UNITED! MERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/user/previously-recorded-network Link to today's game: https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Collectible-Villain-Figurines-Challenge/dp/B08QV7HJ4M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UNWOI94VN018&keywords=x+men+united&qid=1668784573&sprefix=men+united%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1
There can be no doubt, now, that Sony wants to be a major player in the esports space. This was first evidenced by left-field acquisitions like EVO, moving into branding decisions like INZONE. Now, with the purchase of esports tournament operator Repeat, the writing's obviously on the wall. Can PlayStation discover success in the games-as-a-service and competitive spaces, where they've traditionally found little to write home about (outside of Gran Turismo)? Plus: Spider-Man's PC port gets detailed, mega-toy company Spin Master gets in bed with Sony, Bungie and PlayStation are official, and more news, followed by listener questions galore. What would we want to see in a Bloodborne 2? How, exactly, does the publisher-developer relationship function? Is it time to get video games more heavily integrated into our schools? Will Chris dedicate his entire life to a $20,000 Halo 2-related bounty? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BadBit Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/2PglU1a Discord: https://discord.gg/wPNp3kC Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSTrophyRoom -------------- In this week's episode of The Trophy Room A PlayStation Podcast hosts Joseph and Kyle talk about how Bungie is offically acquired by Sony, PLayStation and Spin Master partner up to make licsened action figures and toys of PlayStation First Party Games like Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarok, Uncharted, and Spider-Man. The Last of Us Part 1 Remake gets gameplay and screenshots leaked ahead of release that causes outrage, controversy and discussion on whether it is worth the 70 dollar price tag, The guys talk about their review in progress of PS5 timed exclusive and Annapurna Interactive game Stray on PS Plus Extra and Premium. We discuss the negativity that surrounds Naughty Dog and the unrealistic expectations placed on them by Twitter randos. SPider-Man Remastered PC Pre-Orders go live on Steam and Epic Games. JADUS VON METAL WORKS AT BEND STUDIO NOW!!!