UK's First Consumer Toy Magazine Launches
Added: (Fri Nov 23 2001)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
The UK’s only consumer guide to toys announces
Top 50 Toys for Christmas 2001
Family Toys & Games, the UK’s first consumer toy magazine, launches its inaugural issue on November 23rd 2001, in all good newsagents and toyshops nation-wide. To celebrate the fact, FT&G can announce it’s Top 50 Toys for Christmas 2001, but how is this one any different from similar announcements from retail outlets and toy associations?
Well, the FT&G Top 50 has been compiled with the help of real family focus groups, who’ve been an essential part of putting the editorial of the magazine together. 38 Families took part, with a total of 92 children, covering all the age groups from newly born to 16 years of age. These focus group families tested and rated over 600 toys available this Christmas, in 20 focus sessions, which started back in September 2001.
Both Parents and children commented and rated each toy in an number of tests, giving FT&G enough data to decide which toys and games to feature in the magazine on the run-up to the busiest time of the year. At the same time, this data was collated and the Top 50 Toys began to emerge. Now, FT&G can reveal the entire Top 50, which should give the clearest indication yet of what’s hot in the toyshop this Christmas!
FT&G has also complied the Top 50 Video Games for Christmas 2001. This chart has been compiled using the same family focus groups and an army of play-testers. The Top 50 Video Games has also been heavily affected by focus group perception and weight has been given to games that the focus group participants have stated they will buy or are most looking forward to!
Issue #1 of Family Toys & Games is out on November 23rd in Newsagents and Toyshops. The A4, full-colour, 100-page magazine has a cover price of £2.99 and features literally 100’s of toy, game and home entertainment reviews. The magazine also feature qualified consumer buying advice from associations such as the British Toy & Hobby Association, Anti-Counterfeiting Group and ELSPA.
For further information about Family Toys & Games Magazine, the FT&G Top 50 lists, Rhubarb Publishing or to request images to accompany coverage, please contact:- Neil Armstrong on 01202 736767 or via email to neil@rhubarbpublishing.com.
FT&G top 50 Toys for Christmas 2001
These are the hottest toys for Christmas 2001 and into the New Year, according to the children and families who tested all of the products featured in Family Toys & Games Magazine and hundreds more that didn’t make the final cut.
The comments and reactions of the FT&G focus groups have been used to collate the products and positions in this top 50. These toys are representative of what they thought were the best value for money and offered the best quality for this Christmas. Literally hundreds of different toys were tested in many focus group sessions and this is the cream of the crop. FT&G thanks everyone involved in the focus group testing.
Product Maker
1. LEGO Harry Potter Range LEGO
2. Rumble Robots Character Options
3. WWF Real Sounds Arena Kidz Biz
4. Game Boy Advance Nintendo
5. Jim Henson’s The Hoobs Tomy
6. Action Man Range Hasbro
7. Thunderbird 2 Vivid Imaginations
8. Bratz Bandai
9. Harry Potter Cuddly Toys Vivid Imaginations
10. LEGO Duplo Bob the Builder Range LEGO
11. PlayStation 2 Sony
12. Dog.COM Tomy
13. Candy Floss Machine General Creation
14. Monopoly Range Hasbro
15. Hot Wheels Fireball Mattel
16. Matchbox Mattel
17. Georgian Dolls House Dawson & Sons
18. Harry Potter Levitating Challenge Mattel
19. Betty Spaghetty Slumber Party Bandai
20. Max Steel Mattel
21. Micro Machines Hasbro
22. Miracle Baby Mattel
23. Play-Doh range Flair
24. My Little Home Range Early Learning Centre
25. Name Train QfreeGames
26. K’NEX Range Hasbro
27. Captain Scarlet Cloud Base Vivid Imaginations
28. ELC Railway Early Learning Centre
29. Edge Hover Craft Taiyo Edge
30. Tesco Chilly Range Tesco
31. Convertible Character Options
32. Harry Potter Casting Stones Mattel
33. Nutcracker Barbie Mattel
34. Pocket Scrabble Mattel
35. DragonballZ Figures Kidz Biz
36. Gundam Figures Bandai
37. Puppy Magic Vivid Imaginations
38. Ir-V David Halsall
39. Polly Pocket Mattel
40. Who wants to be a Millionaire? Board Game Upstarts
41. Songtime Tweenies Hasbro
42. Power Ranger Figures Bandai
43. Cluedo Hasbro
44. Robot Wars - Sir Killalot Feva
45. Leap Frog Leap Pad Leap Frog
46. Lord of the Rings Board Game Hasbro
47. The Weakest Link Board Game Hasbro
48. Tracy Island Vivid Imaginations
49. Limbo Legs Kidz Biz
50. Fun Keyboard Early Learning Centre
FT&G Hot 50 Video Games for Christmas 2001
Based on a combination of our play-testers views, focus group opinions and focus children wish lists, here is the FT&G Top 50 hottest video games for Christmas 2001. Based on the most popular formats of PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PC CD-ROM, GameBoy Advance and GameBoy Color.
No Game Publisher Platform
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone EA PCCD/PS1
2. Championship Manager: Season 01/02 Eidos PCCD
3. FIFA Football 2002 EA Sports PCCD/PS2
4. WWF Smackdown: Just Bring It! THQ PS2
5. David Beckham Soccer Rage PS1
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone EA GBA/GBC
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Activision PS2
8. Pro Evolution Soccer Konami PS2
9. LEGO Creator Harry Potter LEGO PCCD
10. Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase THQ PS1
11. Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons/Ages Nintendo GBA/GBC
12. FIFA Football 2002 EA Sports PS1
13. Civilisation 3 Hasbro PCCD
14. Zoo Tycoon Microsoft PCCD
15. Pokemon Crystal Nintendo GBC
16. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 2 Eidos PCCD
17. WWF: Road to Wrestlemania THQ GBA
18. Tetris Worlds THQ GBA
19. World Rally Championship Sony PS2
20. Hotwheels: Extreme Racing THQ PS1
21. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Sierra PS2
22. The Italian Job SCI PS1
23. The Weakest Link Activision PS1
24. Tekken: Tag Tournament Sony PS2
25. Denki Blocks Rage GBA
26. Casper: Spirit Dimensions TDK PS2
27. No Rules TDK GBA
28. Monopoly Tycoon Hasbro PCCD
29. Power Rangers Time Force THQ PCCD
30. Jurassic Park III: Island Attack Konami GBA
31. Hotwheels: Mechanix THQ PCCD
32. LEGO Racers 2 LEGO PCCD/PS2
33. Hornby’s Virtual Railway Dream PCCD
34. Hotwheels: Jetz THQ PCCD
35. James Bond 007: Agent under fire EA PS2
36. Rocket Power Team Rocket THQ PS1
37. Simpsons Road Rage EA PS2
38. Shrek TDK GBC
39. Wario Land 4 Ninentdo GBA
40. Matchbox Emergency Patrol THQ PCCD
41. Lion King Activision PS1
42. SpongeBob SuperSponge THQ PS1
43. Hotwheels: F1 Team Driver THQ PCCD
44. Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty Konami PS2
45. Mario Kart Advance: Super Circuit Nintendo GBA
46. Robot Wars BBC/Crawfish GBA
47. The Sims: Hot Date Expansion Pack EA PCCD
48. Director of Football Empire PCCD
49. Commandos 2 Eidos PCCD
50. Toon Racer Akaei PCCD