NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1999-- Pokemon Cards and Figures, the LEGO Star Wars Droid Kit, ``Donkey Kong'' (for N64) and ``Quake III: Arena'' (for PCs) were announced and showcased today as the number one toys and games for the coming holiday shopping season, as compiled in a recent retailer survey.
PlayDate Inc. polled top executives at leading toy and game retailers to compile objective lists of their predictions for the top-sellers in five categories: toys (overall), video games, PC games, toys sold online, and toys sold in specialty stores. The contents of these lists -- along with the products themselves were revealed today at PlayDate '99.
PlayDate `99 organizers Sean McGowan and Jon Salisbury began the process of compiling the Best Seller lists by contacting retailers across the United States to determine which toys and games would be top-sellers during November and December -- when more than half of the annual volume of toys and games are sold.
The retailers that contributed to the poll include Amazon.com Toys & Games, Electronics Boutique, ebworld.com, FuncoLand, eToys, K-B Toys, kbkids.com, Noodle Kidoodle, Toys `R' Us, toysrus.com and Zany Brainy.
``The PlayDate best-seller lists give consumers the shopping advantage of knowing what retailers are expecting to be the most popular toys and games,'' said Jon Salisbury, toy expert and co-founder of PlayDate Inc. ``Retailers are a great objective source for these predictions, as their buy-orders are based on extensive experience in following consumer trends.''
Toy and Game manufacturers exhibiting at PlayDate '99 include: Hasbro, Mattel, Nintendo, Sega, Activision, GT Interactive, Jakks Pacific, K'NEX, Learning Co., Leap Frog, LucasArts Entertainment, Rumpus Toys, Sound Bites, Take Two, Toymax, THQ, Trendmasters and Zowie Intertainment.
PlayDate Inc. is a privately owned, independent marketing services company organized by principals McGowan and Salisbury, who, combined, have more than 40 years of experience in the United States and international toy industries.
McGowan has been an analyst following the toy and game software industries on Wall Street since 1986. Salisbury has published news/trade journals on the international toy industry since 1985 and has hosted numerous events similar to PlayDate `99 in the United Kingdom since 1997.
Following are the predicted hot selling toys for 1999, as
predicted by retailers:
Best Selling Toys (Overall)
Toy Manufacturer
No. 1 Pokemon Cards/Figures Wizards/Hasbro/Topps et al
(others in top 12, in alphabetical order)
Amazing Ally Playmates Toys
Barbie (Millennium) Mattel
Furby (and Babies) Tiger (Hasbro)
LEGO Mindstorms LEGO
Pop Radio Sound Bites
Sesame Street Rock-n-Roll Ernie Tyco (Mattel)
Star Wars -- Episode 1 Hasbro et al
Toy Story 2 Mattel
WCW Tuff Talkin' Wrestlers Toy Biz
WWF Titantron Jakks Pacific
QX-3 Microscope Mattel/Intel
Best Selling PC Games
Game Manufacturer
No. 1 "Quake III: Arena" Activision
(others in top 12, in alphabetical order)
"Backyard Football" Humongous Entertainment
"Blue's Treasure Hunt" Humongous Entertainment
"Cabela Big Game Hunter" Head Games (Activision)
"Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun" Westwood (Electronic Arts)
"Daikatana" Eidos
"Deer Hunter 3" Wizard Works
"Diablo II" Havas
"Easy Bake Oven CD Playset" Hasbro Interactive
"Grand Theft Auto 2" Take Two Interactive
"Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine" LucasArts Entertainment
"Pokemon" The Learning Co. (Mattel)
Best Selling Video Games
Game Title Publisher
No. 1 "Donkey Kong" (N64) Nintendo
(others in top 12, in alphabetical order)
"Crash Team Racing" (PSX) Sony
"Driver" (PSX) GT Interactive
"Final Fantasy VIII" (PSX) Electronic Arts
"Gran Turismo 2" (PSX) Sony
"Madden 2000" (PSX) Electronic Arts
"NFL 2K" (Dreamcast) Sega
"Pokemon" (Various) Nintendo
"Resident Evil Nemesis" (PSX) Capcom
"Sonic Adventure" (Dreamcast) Sega of America
"Tomb Raider -- Last Revelation" (PSX) Eidos Interactive
"WCW Mayhem" (PSX) Electronic Arts
"WWF Wrestlemania 2000" (N64) THQ
Best Selling Toys (OnLine)
Toy Manufacturer
No. 1 Lego Star Wars Droid Kit LEGO
(others in top 12, in alphabetical order)
Amazing Ally Playmates Toys
Brio Trains Brio
Furby (and Babies) Tiger (Hasbro)
K'NEX K'NEX
Lego Mindstorms LEGO
Lincoln Logs K'NEX
Little Tikes Little Tikes
Redbeard's Pirate Quest Zowie Intertainment
Playmobil Playmobil
Pop Radio Sound Bites (Hasbro)
Thomas the Tank Engine Trains Learning Curve
Best Selling Toys (Specialty Stores)
Toy Manufacturer
No. 1 Pokemon Cards/Figures Wizards/Hasbro/Topps et al
(others in top 12, in alphabetical order)
Beanie Babies Ty
Ellie's Enchanted Garden/ Zowie Intertainment
Redbeard's Pirate Quest
Explorer Globe Leap Frog
Furby (and Babies) Tiger (Hasbro)
Handheld JumpStart Toymax
LEGO Star Wars Droid Kit LEGO
Master Builder Set K'NEX
Rokenbok Rokenbok
Thomas The Tank Engine Trains Learning Curve
WWF Digital Camera Toymax
QX-3 Microscope Mattel/Intel Play
Hot Ones to Watch
Toy Manufacturer/Publisher
Wuvvies Trendmasters
Carmen Sandiego ThinkQuick Challenge The Learning Co. (Mattel)
Deluxe Galaxy Megazords Bandai
Harry Hairball Rumpus
Interstate 82 (PC) Activision
Laser Tennis Tiger (Hasbro)
Miss Party Surprise ToyBiz
NeoGeo Pocket SNK
Pokemon C-Watch Trendmasters
Pop-Up Game Center Playhut
R/C Super Rebound Tyco (Mattel)
Soul Calibur (Dreamcast) Namco
Golin/Harris International
Emily Killmer/Karen Tetherow, 213/623-4200
At the Showroom: 646/638-4073
Preserved here on Mystic Fortress' server to avoid a bad link in the furture.
Article is quoted from Yahoo News and is not edited in any way.
Back to Furby News
Back to Furby Main
Back to Mystic Fortress