72 million kids in the world want smart toys, right now, please!

Kids are buying into digital toys like Skylanders, a hybrid video game and toy product from Activision, in a big way. The number of children who want such smart toys — which provide both physical and digital entertainment — has topped 72 million worldwide, according to the GameByte study by market research firm Interpret.

Toys that integrate both physical toys and video games have a high chance for success across most major kids markets, according to Michael Cai, an analyst at Interpret. The demand is spread across on number of different geographic markets, based on surveys on demand among kids for smart toys.

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“The US already has a robust market for smart toys such as Skylanders and Disney Infinity,” said Cai, senior vice president of research at Interpret. “Strong growth opportunities also exist in emerging gaming markets such as China, Brazil, and Russia, where more than 90 percent of gamers ages 6 to 12 are interested in the products.”

New entrants are moving in to join Activision’s Skylanders and Disney’s Infinity toys. Nintendo recently announced Amiibo, and Lego has created its Fusion toys.

“We tested interest in an extensive list of current and potential smart toy brands and even prior to the Amiibo announcement, smart toys based on Nintendo characters were among the most desired smart toys in the US, Europe, and Brazil,” said Jason Coston, research manager at Interpret. “Lego’s mobile focus will position it particularly well in emerging markets where consoles face strong headwinds.”