Role-play apps add muscle to next-gen action figures for tweens

Ever since the action figure category took a nosedive in 2000 - sales dropped 26% that year - industry players have been looking for the magic formula to reinvigorate the once-mighty sector. At least two toycos are hoping to coax tween boys back to the action figure fold with the addition of role-play gaming apps. Riding the success of collectible card games (CCGs) like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bellevue, Washington-based WizKids has pioneered a new angle that combines the collectibility and strategy of a CCG with action figure play value. 'Kids still enjoy action figures as they get older, but their minds are expanding beyond the purely imaginary, and they're starting to play games with more complex rules,' says company founder and CEO Jordan Weisman.