Toy manufacturer Sphero and Disney•Pixar have teamed up to create an app-enabled Ultimate Lighting McQueen car toy. The launch celebrates the upcoming theatrical release of Cars 3 and aims to change the way audiences think about interactive toys and their capabilities.
A family favorite, the Cars franchise is known for its personified automobiles, and the Ultimate Lighting McQueen car's intuitive design effectively brings its most memorable character to life. This connected mini car is not only designed with driving, and drifting capabilities, but also with emotive features that take the product one step further than anything seen before. The toy's sensory elements mean that it is reactive to touch, and sound, going as far as reacting to scenes from Cars films through a "Watch With Me" resting mode.
"From the beginning, we wanted to make Ultimate Lightning McQueen feel as real as he does in the film. In order to create a scaled down version of his big personality, we worked closely with the team at Pixar to ensure we were getting his nuances just right -- such as leaning into turns and expressive facial and body movements." said Paul Berberian, CEO of Sphero. This smart car toy can be controlled through an accompanying app that is available for both Android and iOS devices. Once connected, users can not only control their toy's animated eyes, emotive suspension, and animatronic mouth, but can also access themed games via the mobile app.
App-Enabled Cartoon Cars
The Ultimate Lighting McQueen Toy is Reactive and Intuitive in Design
Trend Themes
1. Connected Toy Cars - The app-enabled Ultimate Lighting McQueen car toy showcases the potential of connected toys and interactive play experiences.
2. Emotive Toys - The emotive features of the Ultimate Lighting McQueen car push the boundaries of traditional toy design, creating new opportunities for emotional engagement.
3. Film-inspired Toys - The Ultimate Lighting McQueen car's ability to react to scenes from the Cars franchise demonstrates the growing trend of creating toys that enhance the film-watching experience.
Industry Implications
1. Toy Manufacturing - The partnership between Sphero and Disney•Pixar highlights the potential for disruptive innovation in the toy manufacturing industry through the integration of technology and storytelling.
2. Mobile App Development - The accompanying app for the Ultimate Lighting McQueen car opens up opportunities for developers to create new interactive experiences and games for connected toy cars.
3. Entertainment Merchandise - The release of the app-enabled Ultimate Lighting McQueen car toy showcases the potential for disruptive innovation in the entertainment merchandise industry by creating unique and immersive products for fans.