To read Part 1 of this series, click HERE.

Trend: Co-Operative Games
Another trend I see developing is the concept of co-operative games.  As you can tell from the name, it’s when players work together during a game and sometimes the game wins, sometimes the players win.  Peaceable Kingdom Press had a whole line of new co-operative games including one called Hoot Owl Hoot, which I can’t wait to try out!  Ravensburger introduced one new co-operative game called Whoowasit? Whoowasit? is a Clue-like cooperative game that’s currently a best-selling game in …

I know that most sites have already put their Toy Fair wrap up article out but given that I was sick I’m putting mine out a little late, just because I want to add my 2 cents.  Feel free to leave a comment and add yours too!  Because I have a lot to share this is going to be a multi-part article.
Trend: Technology, in multiple forms

The biggest trend I saw at Toy Fair (not too much of a surprise) was technology. Hasbro increased the amount of technology in many of …

This article was written for the 2011 Playthings Magazine/Global Toy News Toy Fair Issue.

Licensed products are huge.  Walk into any big box store and you can see America’s favorite cartoon characters, movie titles and TV game shows used to sell products ranging from mugs to cookies and pajamas to backpacks.  In these instances the products being sold are relying solely on character images and logos; but when you translate a license into a board game it often requires more interaction with the license than just the graphics.
There are plenty of …

Someone posted this on Facebook days if not weeks ago and I finally just got around to watching and I loved it.  I think the discussion on fear of failure and lack of success nicely mirrors the world of game inventing: what if no one picks up the games I’m inventing?  what if the first game I ever licensed is my biggest success?  Here’s what Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love had to say about creativity:

Can I say how much I’d LOVE a house elf?
Seriously though, inventors are judged …

David Miller, editor of Purple Pawn, asked me to write an article on how I prepare for Toy Fair.  You can see the article HERE or you can read it below.  Purple Pawn is a great way to keep up with what’s going on in the game industry, so take a peek when you need to kill some time.
I’m taking a break from my insane workload to write this article for the fantastic readers of Purple Pawn on how I, as an inventor, prepare for Toy Fair.  Well, for starters …