Blame Fortnite for making llamas the hottest toy this year
The power of gamer culture is nothing to spit at.
- Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
This piñata made the toy world go llama crazy.
Llama tell ya, Fortnite is a big influence on toys.
The popular battle royal game made its mark at this year's Toy Fair in New York. The annual gathering of figurines and fuzzy playthings is something I've covered for the past seven years. I've cuddled with robotic pets and explored augmented reality worlds. I've flown new drones and got nostalgic over classic toys that get a modern makeover.
But this year, among the gears and glowing screens, another tech influence emerged. An influence of online culture.
Fashion dolls are designed as Instagram stars, packed with green screen and selfie stick accessories. Faces of YouTube influencers are plastered on packaging. Twitch streamers, like Fortnite master Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, are transformed into action figures and plushes.
And then there are llamas. So many llamas. Llama board games. Llama collectible figurines. Spitting llamas. Twerking llamas. Rainbow unicorn llamas. Experts point the finger at the game Fortnite, where a loot-filled llama piñata became an informal mascot of sorts.
Meet Spitzy the Llama, arriving this summer for about $25. Not the most refined robotic pet I've met.
As generations change, toymakers are changing their approach to how they weave in technology. Today's 10-year-olds grew up in the age of the iPad and YouTube. So how does a tech company make a toy that can tap into this connected, screen-absorbed culture, while still embracing the magic of physical play?
In this episode of Bridget Breaks It Down (embedded above), we explore that balance in the evolution of tech toys, and how internet culture invades playtime.
