Sphero’s next toy is a test. The Star Wars BB8 robot sold itself — so what about a car from Pixar’s Cars?
Cars was not loved by critics, but the franchise sells toys. Lots of toys. That’s certainly one reason Sphero collaborated with Pixar to recreate Lightning McQueen, the movie’s main character, as a smartphone-controlled toy.
Sphero’s take on Lightning McQueen is suitably modern. It looks like a toy any (wealthy) smartphone-wielding kid should have in their bedroom in the year 2017. It has an animated windshield-shaped screen with big blue eyes that shift from side to side. The motorized suspension reacts to your touch by wiggling the car. And, like any Sphero toy, it can be controlled with a companion app.
It seems Sphero is carving out a niche for itself by injecting movie magic into toys. Will fans of Pixar’s Cars splurge on this $300 gizmo? And skipping ahead, how many times can Sphero recreate its BB8 hit?
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Maybe the more interesting question is: When’s Disney buying Sphero?
