Tackling tweens 2.0 – Toycos try toy/web hybrids to attract eight to 12s

Those of you who are about to stroll through the corridors at Javits during Toy Fair might want to prepare yourselves for something you haven't experienced in a while. This could be the year that the KAGOY (Kids Are Getting Older Younger) shift is cause for celebration rather than mourning. While toycos tried to beat the US$150-billion consumer electronics industry at its own game with toytronics in 2006, this year many have adopted an 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' stance that relies more on their chief strength as creators of engrossing play patterns than on their experience as makers of electronic devices. Several have created a new category of product that meshes physical toys with online gameplay, and with the rate at which tweens are flocking to the internet for casual gaming, they just may be on to something.