Richard and Chris talk with game inventor Elan Lee about his hugely successful game Exploding Kittens, developing great games, and his new line of Kitten Games, which Elan developed with his 4-year-old daughter.

This high-energy conversation will have you thinking about what makes a good game in the current market. Elan is also hugely entertaining and thoughtful about the role of games in our lives.

Serial inventor, professor, inveterate innovator and advocate of play Brendan Boyle of Fuse London joins us for a lively and wide-ranging conversation.

From his early career to his current gig with Fuse, Brendan has been a joyful advocate of play for kids, for organizations and for enhancing life overall.

Join us for a super fun episode.

Chris and Richard talk to Alex Prieto, who calls himself director of fun for Toy. Zone. Of course, he does much more than that. Listen in as the wide-ranging conversation covers current issues, running a global company, AI, and what may be ahead for this company as we come out of the pandemic.

Toy Zone defines itself as a 360° Toy & Entertainment Agency… we truly cover all areas of creative, design, development and sourcing a Toy Company or Entertaiment Brand needs to bring their products or IP to market. In just 4 years Toy Zone has grown from 3 including Alex, to a team of 35 creative minds, app game developers, product engineering, 3D animators, motion graphics and marketing specialists. Check them out here.

The Playground Podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠Global Toy Experts⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠The Toy Guy⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Beacon Media Group⁠⁠⁠

Chris and Richard, with Richard on the keys, have a conversation with Jessica Kalichman, director of marketing for WowWee about her career, the company's use of Tik Tok both to market and create community. They talk about why it works, what social media reveals, how a company run by Milliennials is different, and how engaging consumers with the real folks behind the scenes at a toy company (and behind some very popular toys) has been a winning strategy.

The Playground Podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠Global Toy Experts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠The Toy Guy⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Beacon Media Group⁠⁠

Join Richard (on the keys) and Chris as they talk with inventor Dan Klitsner, creator of Bop-It about his newest puzzle Free Fall from ThinkFun. They talk about this new innovation, the challenges and rewards of inventing and delve into the topic of AI and what it might mean for creatives and everyone in the toy business. You wont' want to miss this lively conversation.

The Playground is sponsored by ⁠Global Toy Experts⁠, ⁠The Toy Guy⁠, and ⁠Beacon Media Group⁠

We kick of season five of The Playground Podcast with Madame Alexander's VP of sales, David Morgenstern. Richard, Chris, and guest host Chris Bensch from The Strong Museum of Play chat about this history, the legend, and what's new for the next chapter in the life of this iconic brand. 

Chris was back in Hong Kong for the 49th annual Toys & Games Fair… for the first time since 2020.

Richard and Chris talk to Christian Ulrich from Spielwarenmesse about the upcoming Nuremberg Show. What’s new, what to expect, and the general excitement of gathering once again at the world’s largest Toy Fair.

The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Experts, The Toy Guy,  Beacon Media Group, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Richard and Chris talk with John Baulch from Toy World UK and James Zahn from The Toy Book for our 4th Annual year-end conversation. From inventory levels to new challenges, to the potential for the revitalized Toys "R" Us, to, of course, the issue of Toy Fairs, the panel looks back at 2022 and ahead to 2023 and beyond. 

The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Experts, The Toy Guy,  Beacon Media Group, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Richard and Chris talk to Josh Loerzel of Sky Castle Toys about his career and his ongoing success in using social media to create hits. From his early days at Zing where he made a monster hit out of Stikbot, Josh talks about how he did it and the three important elements of building a social media strategy. Moreover, how has social media changed the landscape for the trade? Josh will clue you in.

The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Experts, The Toy Guy,  Beacon Media Group, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.