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Video Titles With Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie and Lego's Bionicle on Tap
NEW YORK -Though the 100th American International Toy Fair was noticeably smaller than previous fairs, the alliance between entertainment properties and consumer products continues to grow, with videos featuring Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie and a Lego line in the offing and several video lines spawning toys.
Hasbro took the video-toy tie-in to a new level, Spurred by the success of its own HitClips line of audio players, the company introduced VideoNow, a portable personal video player. The player (approximately $50) will play proprietary video discs ($7.99 each) with 30 minutes of programming. Hasbro has already signed licensing deals with the creators of "SpongeBob SquarePants, "Jimmy Neutron" and "Fairly Odd Parents" and expects 24 titles to be available this fall.
Toys based on upcoming films and videos were all over showrooms. Mattel, the master toy license holder for several upcoming Disney properties, demonstrated toys associated with Finding Nemo, due in theaters May 30 and on video in the...