- Is Ronald McDonald really the face of childhood obesity? (AdAge)
- New study finds 40% of people who have played freemium games made in-app payments (CNET)
- UK study reveals two-thirds of parents surveyed don’t check video game age ratings (Kotaku)
- The force is certainly with this German company’s musical Lego promotion (Wired)
- Why 2012 will be a good year for movie-based toy sales (Toy Directory)
- Hollywood’s visual effects artists lobby for unionization claiming poor working conditions and inhumane schedules (Los Angeles Times)
- How interactive apps and educational toys for kids need to be designed to encourage playful learning (CNET)
- This is cool – Microsoft creates an interactive comic-inspired web story done completely in HTML5 (Venture Beat)
- Will Toys ‘R’ Us reinvent itself in time to save itself? (The New York Times)
- From book, to film adaption, to attraction, to new film version, Disney takes Mr. Toad on a wild ride (Collider)
- NickMom keeps mothers laughing and picks up three new mom-themed comedy series (Variety)
- Maybe the next Christopher Nolan will be a kid with an awesome stop-motion Lego-based movie (iTunes)
- Why Hulu plans to compete with YouTube with its own slate of original programming (Venture Beat)
- How a fight for the future of the Archie dynasty has turned more hostile than Jughead without food (The New York Times)
- In other legal spats, Warner Bros. wins a key ruling in its battle to keep its rights to Superman (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Meanwhile, do kids really learn from playing video games? (Huffington Post)
- How Hollywood firms including The Collective are supporting YouTube stars and their online channels (USA Today)
- Iron Man 3 marks first multi-billion dollar franchise to be produced between Hollywood and China (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Will children’s book publishers stay relevant as expectations for storytelling change for tech savvy kids? (The Wall Street Journal)
- Why the expectation for more tech-inspired toys has kids displeased with McDonald’s Happy Meals (Chicago Tribune)
- From physical to digital, classic toymakers have found new ways to adapt (Huffington Post)
- How Disney sailed to the top of the family cruise business (AdWeek)
- Step one, kid drinks juice box, step two, kid uses box as an augmented reality video game controller (Financial Post)
- New study finds half of UK parents surveyed would welcome help from experts on how to play with their kids (BBC)
- Why Disney has a lot riding on the success of the upcoming Avengers movie (AdAge)
- How subtle pop culture references and smart writing help make CBBC’s Horrible Histories funny for kids and adults (The Guardian)
- Report finds global sales of tablet computers will nearly double this year to 118.9 million units (The Washington Post)
- Meanwhile, a Star Wars stormtrooper walks across Australia to support kids with serious illnesses (MSNBC)
- Did Disney really betray the original version of the beloved Mary Poppins character? (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Will Netflix lobby its way to a brighter future with its new Political Action Committee? (Mashable)
- How new anti-piracy rules from console companies are shunning used video games (CNET)
- A new ABC News/Washington Post poll reveals Google is the most popular tech company in the US, take that Apple (CNN)
- New AAP study finds children’s and YA eBook sales increased 475% from 2011 to 2012 (Wired)
- How a determined Aussie animator went from couch-hopping to finding success with Aardman (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- How Hollywood is leveraging online gaming as a powerful promotional tool for big movie franchises (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Meanwhile, a Transformers fanboy/artist in China takes a love for robot sculptures to a new level with indie theme park (CNET)
- Why Nickelodeon retooled its Avatar franchise and added a female protagonist to The Legend of Korra (The Wall Street Jourmal)
- How Universal and Hasbro are banking on brand identification to propel Battleship to box office and retail success (The Guardian)
- The Harry Potter phenomenon lives on as more than $1.5 million eBooks sell in three days on Pottermore (Mashable)
- Meanwhile, the 3D revolution continues to take the one step forward two steps back approach (The Washington Post)
April 23, 2012
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