Fwd: [aahome] Will Elmo Live Beat the Credit Crunch?

Title: Will Elmo Live Beat the Credit Crunch?
Author: Adam Ulivi

When Elmo Live began its design phase, the economy was in a
much stronger position than it is now. This meant that designers
at Fisher-Price could design a fairly high specification toy
compared to what they would design if they had started working
on it today.

By combining hi-tech electronics and robotics with a plush
cuddly toy, Fisher Price have created a very close
representation of Elmo from Sesame Street which can be brought
into your living room. Elmo Live is the first toy to move its
mouth in a manner which gives the impression that the toy is
really talking and not that the sound it just coming from an
internal speaker. Unlike previous hi-specification robot toys,
rather than slow or jerky movements, Elmo live demonstrates
fluid life-like movements.

The decision to make such a complex robot for toddlers comes as
no real surprise since toys have become increasingly expensive
over recent years. This is due to their technological improves
which have come about in an effort to compete with games
consoles. Over the past few years we have seen the likes of
Robosapian become must have Christmas toys. Elmo Live is however
the most advanced toy aimed at younger children.

Other toys aimed at in the same age range as Elmo Live include
Dance With MeTeletubbies. These are priced at almost half the
cost of Elmo Live and accordingly their abilities are noticeably
inferior. Some believe that because of the current state of the
economy, Dance With Me Teletubbies will fare better over the
Christmas Period.

Fisher-Price have set their hopes on parents being so impressed
by Elmo Live that they will not be overly cautious about
spending some of their Christmas budget on this present in order
to give their children what they would really like.

Surprisingly Elmo Live is fairly cheap in comparison to other
robotic toys on offer. These toys all seem to be hitting the
shelves at the worst possible time, just as the country goes
through its worst economic troubles in many years. Also in
production by Mattel, Fisher-Price's parent company, are a
couple of robot dinosaurs named D-Rex and Spike. These are
priced around £150 although this is made less surprising as they
are not aimed at the same age group as Elmo live. There is also
a robotic Dog from Hasbro called Biscuit which can wag its tail
and responds their owner's voice. Biscuit costs £180 from most
retailers.

Elmo has had a successful history with toys. The Tickle Me Elmo
was the best selling toy in Christmas 1996, rivalling the chaos
over stock levels for Buzz Lightyear in 1995. Tickle Me Elmo
vibrated and laughed when it was tickled. Ten years later the
Extreme Edition was released. This version would roll around the
floor and say short phrases while laughing hysterically.
Hokey-Pokey (Hokey-Hokey in the UK) Elmo did a few basic
movements to the Hokey-Pokey and sang along. Elmo live is a
large improvement on all these models but also costs nearly
twice the price.

How Elmo Live will sell this Christmas remains to be seen. He
is still predicted to be the number one toy but the credit
crunch could reduce the chaos in stores with shops not selling
out quite as quickly as they had expected earlier in the year.
On the other hand, parents are expected to provide their
children with the toys they really want in spite of the credit
crunch, which in the end will help to reduce the economic
slowdown.