How will Elmo Live Fair the Economic Storm?  

David Tube

When Elmo Live began its design phase, the economy was in a much stronger position than it is now. This meant that designers at Fisher-Price could design a fairly high specification toy compared to what they would design if they had started working on it today.

By combining hi-tech electronics and robotics with a plush cuddly toy, Fisher Price have created a very close representation of Elmo from Sesame Street which can be brought into your living room. Elmo Live is the first toy to move its mouth in a manner which gives the impression that the toy is really talking and not that the sound it just coming from an internal speaker. Unlike previous hi-specification robot toys, rather than slow or jerky movements, Elmo live demonstrates fluid life-like movements.

The decision to make such a complex robot for toddlers comes as no real surprise since toys have become increasingly expensive over recent years. This is due to their technological improves which have come about in an effort to compete with games consoles. Over the past few years we have seen the likes of Robosapian become must have Christmas toys. Elmo Live is however the most advanced toy aimed at younger children.

Other toys aimed at in the same age range as Elmo Live include Dance With Me Teletubbies. These are priced at almost half the cost of Elmo Live and accordingly their abilities are noticeably inferior. Some believe that because of the current state of the economy, Dance With Me Teletubbies will fare better over the Christmas Period.

Fisher-Price have set their hopes on parents being so impressed by Elmo Live that they will not be overly cautious about spending some of their Christmas budget on this present in order to give their children what they would really like.

Surprisingly Elmo Live is fairly cheap in comparison to other robotic toys on offer. These toys all seem to be hitting the shelves at the worst possible time, just as the country goes through its worst economic troubles in many years. Also in production by Mattel, Fisher-Price's parent company, are a couple of robot dinosaurs named D-Rex and Spike. These are priced around £150 although this is made less surprising as they are not aimed at the same age group as Elmo live. There is also a robotic Dog from Hasbro called Biscuit which can wag its tail and responds their owner's voice. Biscuit costs £180 from most retailers.

Elmo has had a successful history with toys. The Tickle Me Elmo was the best selling toy in Christmas 1996, rivalling the chaos over stock levels for Buzz Lightyear in 1995. Tickle Me Elmo vibrated and laughed when it was tickled. Ten years later the Extreme Edition was released. This version would roll around the floor and say short phrases while laughing hysterically. Hokey-Pokey (Hokey-Hokey in the UK) Elmo did a few basic movements to the Hokey-Pokey and sang along. Elmo live is a large improvement on all these models but also costs nearly twice the price.

How the Elmo Live toy will sell this Christmas remains to be seen. He is still predicted to be the number one toy but the credit crunch could reduce the chaos in stores with shops not selling out quite as quickly as they had expected earlier in the year. On the other hand, parents are expected to provide their children with the toys they really want in spite of the credit crunch, which in the end will help to reduce the economic slowdown.
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To learn more about Sesame Street's Elmo Live click here.