March 27, 2014

Girl Blasters making the News Rounds

Turns out pink blaster stories have been circulating through the media this past week. The article from the New York Times, in my opinion, was the most comprehensive one in that it covered more than just Nerf.

A picture from one of Hasbro's Funlab test sessions.
From the article:
Toy makers have begun marketing a more aggressive line of playthings and weaponry for girls — inspired by a succession of female warrior heroes like Katniss, the Black Widow of “The Avengers,” Merida of “Brave” and now, Tris of the book and new movie “Divergent” — even as the industry still clings to every shade of pink.
The result is a selection of toys that, oddly, both challenges antiquated notions and plays to them deeply.
The Rebelle line, introduced last year, comes in a swirl of pink, purple, white and gold plastic, and the weapons have names — like the Heartbreaker and the Pink Crush — that are enough to make an enlightened 21st-century mother groan. But around a dozen new toys in the line are coming out this year.
Zing’s Air Huntress bows and sling shots (Slogan: Ready. Aim. Girl Power!) account for more than a quarter of the company’s sales in a little over a year on the market. A pump-action “cheetah shooter” from the Marshmallow Fun Company is bathed in pale pink with darker spots and fires mini-marshmallows.
The article further mentions the changes made in the Barbie and Skylanders brands, and seems to give a fairly objective view about this shift within the toy industry. It's worth a read, in my opinion.

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