Disney Introduces Appmates Mobile Application Toys – First Toy to Allow Kids to Use Apple iPad® as Virtual Play Mat
September 27 2011 - 8:43AM
Business Wire
In an industry first, Disney introduced today Disney
AppMATesTM Mobile Application Toys, a new toy line that
comes to life digitally when used with an Apple iPad by allowing
kids to use the tablet’s screen as a virtual play mat. Developed in
collaboration between Disney Consumer Products (DCP) and Disney
Mobile and featuring patent-pending technology, the Appmates toy
line features miniature Disney•Pixar Cars 2 vehicles with sensors
on the base of each toy that are recognized as a unique footprint
by an app with no cable or Bluetooth connection required. Simply
download the free Cars 2 Appmates app from the iTunes app store,
place your favorite Appmates toy character on the screen and
play.
In an industry first, Disney introduced
today Disney AppMATes(TM) Mobile Application Toys, a new toy line
that comes to life digitally when used with an Apple iPad by
allowing kids to use the tablet's screen as a virtual play mat.
(Photo: Business Wire)
(Editor's note: Product images available at
http://bit.ly/AppmatesImages, demo video available at
http://bit.ly/Appmates-Demo)
“We have cracked the technology code in changing the way kids
play with their toys,” said Sunny Lauridsen, director of digital
toys for DCP. “Kids will always use toys to play out their favorite
Disney stories, but Disney Appmates now allows them to include
technology which has become a way of life for them through a
beautifully rich app.”
The magic begins when kids place their vehicle on the iPad and
begin to explore the world of Cars. Available for download in early
to mid-October, Cars 2 Appmates app is a free app created by Disney
exclusively for use with Appmates toys. By guiding the Appmates
vehicle on the screen, the iPad becomes a virtual play mat
where kids can experience the world of Radiator Springs.
“We believe iPad is becoming a critical canvas for the next
generation of storytelling, and with Appmates we’re bringing Disney
characters to life in a way never previously imagined,” said Bart
Decrem, general manager of Disney Mobile.
Cars 2 Appmates features include:
- Exploration – Drive around the
world of Radiator Springs to discover landscapes and hidden secrets
by simply placing the Cars toy character on the screen and turning
it in any direction. Drive through mud and up ramps, visit friends
at Flo’s V8 Café or check out your Car’s reflection, showing off
your latest gear and gadgets.
- Directed Game Play – Perform
missions unique to each character. Completed missions – like
helping bring a tow hook back to Mater – gain hubcaps, the virtual
currency. Collect enough hubcaps to personalize each car with
special features like a unique horn sound, customized tire tracks,
and cool gear like a rocket launcher or spy vision goggles.
- Racing – Rev up the action by
racing against World Grand Prix opponents and your Radiator Springs
friends. Five racetracks are available at launch. Race around
Willy’s Butte, jump off Carburetor Mesa and roar through downtown
Radiator Springs earning hubcaps in day or night races.
Each toy unlocks different features and content within the app
specific to the character, allowing kids to come back over and over
to enjoy an imaginative, open-ended play experience using the
Appmates toys. Fans can download and test the app by simply using
their fingers to drive a virtual car through the world, but the
play experience is optimized to come to life with the Appmates toy
vehicles.
Created in collaboration with Spin Master, Disney Appmates toys
are available starting Oct. 1 at national retailers, Apple Store,
Apple Store online, Disney Store and DisneyStore.com with vehicle
two-packs (SRP $19.99) featuring four characters including
Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile, and Holley Shiftwell.
Two additional characters – Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki –
will launch in November and be available exclusively through Apple
Store and Apple Store online.
With dominant market share, the Apple iPad has become the
leading tablet and a shared family device. Just in time for the
holiday season, DCP will also introduce an expanded line of
‘appcessory’ products to engage and inspire creativity with kids
using the iPad. Products include a durable and protective iPad case
featuring a Disney•Pixar Cars design (SRP $49.99); Disney Pix
Camera that allows kids to take their own pictures and connect them
back to the iPad to personalize photos and create albums (SRP
$79.99); and Disney Spotlight mic that gives kids a fun way to sing
along – karaoke style – with their favorite Disney music (SRP
$59.99 wired mic, $99.99 wireless mic).
About Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The
Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and its affiliates that extends the
Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home décor
and books and magazines to foods and beverages, stationery,
electronics and fine art. This is accomplished through DCP's
various lines of business which include: Disney Toys, Disney
Fashion & Home and Disney Food, Health & Beauty. Other
businesses involved in Disney's consumer products sales are Disney
Publishing Worldwide, the world's largest publisher of children's
books and magazines, and www.DisneyStore.com and
www.DisneyStore.co.uk, the company's official shopping portals. The
Disney Stores retail chain, which debuted in 1987, is owned and
operated by Disney in North America, Europe, and Japan. For more
information, please visit Disney Consumer Products or follow us at
www.YouTube.com/DisneyLiving, www.Facebook.com/DisneyLiving and
www.Twitter.com/DisneyLiving.
About Disney Interactive Media Group
Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG), one of the world’s
largest creators of high-quality interactive entertainment across
all platforms, is the segment of The Walt Disney Company
responsible for the global creation and delivery of interactive
entertainment, multi-platform video games, and lifestyle content
across all current and emerging digital media platforms. DIMG
produces and distributes a broad portfolio of content from its five
primary lines of business: Disney Interactive Studios, Disney
Online, Disney Online Studios, Disney Mobile, and Playdom. Products
and content released and operated by DIMG include blockbuster
online virtual worlds, #1-ranked community-family and parenting web
destination that includes Disney.com and the Disney Family network
of websites, mobile applications, and video games.
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