The toy market is changing and Mattel wants to change with is. As a result, the company is working on a new global network of family entertainment centers.
The centers will have play areas and interactive entertainment experiences, ToyNews reports. Most of the focus will fall on Barbie and Hot Wheels, but there will be other toys, too.
The idea is not only to have kids ages four to ten come to play, but also to have a whole family experience. Kids will be able to design, build and test constructions with the Mega Construx toys and areas.
The centers will also offer special events. One of them will be family game nights which will feature lots of games, food and drinks. “The family entertainment centres will extend the emotional connection of our brands with kids and allow Mattel to continue to bring wonder and imagination to families,” said Janet Hsu, chief franchise management officer, Mattel. “The family entertainment centres offer a powerful combination of physical and digital play that give kids the chance to interact with Barbie, Hot Wheels and Mega Construx through live events and experiences, gaming and content.”
Mattel will work with iP2Entertainment to create and run the centers. The first ones will open in 2020. And the very first one will be in Toronto. It will open in spring 2020 and it will feature a massive 25 000 square foot space. Mattel will eventually release info for the next centers as well.
