#Hot wheels track builder app full#

'My personal stance on tech in toys is that it just doesn't really seem to work and toy manufacturers just keep trying,' Breyer said. But she also sees millennial parents steering away from tech in toys to give kids a break from video games and iPad screens. Jackie Breyer, editorial director of The Toy Insider, says she thinks Mattel did a good job with designing Hot Wheels ID. Hot Wheels ID smart tracks have USB connectors to know which pieces are being connected, and relay the track design to the app. Toy industry experts CNET interviewed say they're seeing a general decline of interest in tech toys. That said, the company faces a challenge in getting parents to invest in a toy that uses an app. Today's 10-year-olds never knew a world without an iPad, so Mattel's tech infusion is designed to keep that generation engaged and still deliver classic race track play. Mattel crafted high-quality app video games to create the mixed-play experience, and the toy went through more testing than any product in Mattel's history. There were 50 models of smart ID cars made for the summer launch last year. The mixed-play system was a big investment for the company. The Hot Wheels ID Portal can be added to a stunt track of your own creation. 'We've always seen the endgame will be all Hot Wheels cars will have NFC chips,' said Matt Brutocao, senior marketing director at Mattel. But the company sees NFC as the future, where smart cars keep records of their performance stats to compare with friends, and every toy has a unique ID. 1 selling toy in the world, with 16.5 Hot Wheels sold every second and over 7 billion cars sold.

Mattel is still making plenty of traditional non-smart Hot Wheels cars.

(With the idea that you can always buy expansion packs if you want to grow.) Mattel is lowering the cost to dive in with a $120 kit that has fewer pieces.

#Hot wheels track builder app full#

It tracks race stats on special NFC-chip cars.īut the full Smart Track experience doesn't come cheap. In the new Ultimate Garage toy set, a Hot Wheels ID smart portal can be added to the finish line. The app knows exactly which track pieces are connected when playing - unlike the other sets that only put the smarts in the finish line Portal piece accessory. The full ID Smart Track experience, which came out last year, is the most fun way to play with the NFC-chipped cars, as it unlocks a bunch of challenges and games in the Bluetooth-connected app. The Hot Wheels ID cars are now $5 apiece, instead of their original price of $7. And once again, those NFC-chipped cars can be measured on an app screen as they make it past the orange-track tricks.Īlso helping extend ID's reach will be new price points. Kids create their own challenges, tell the app which design they put together and slap on a smart Portal piece for the finish line. It's your classic build-it-yourself stunt kit. The winning car and speed stats show up on an app screen, presumably on a device used by mom or dad.įor the older crowd, there's Track Builder. rex chases and chomps at cars racing down a looping track, built around a garage that holds over 100 cars.īut if parents buy the extra Hot Wheels ID Race Portal starter pack for an additional $35, then the finish line piece can be upgraded to sense which NFC-equipped cars are faster as they cross the finish line. This $100 set doesn't need high-tech tricks to wow a kid. Hot Wheels City Ultimate Garage has a T-Rex chomping through the cars on the racetrack.įor toddlers, there's the big-ticket splurge toy known as Ultimate Garage - basically the Barbie Dreamhouse for Hot Wheels fans. Mattel is debuting the new ways to play this weekend at the New York Toy Fair. In the race to expand Hot Wheels ID for 2020, the company is making these smart cars a little cheaper and compatible with track sets that target preschoolers and preteens. The system, called Hot Wheels ID, tracks each car's speed and victories, adding telemetry and real-time feedback to the traditional play. It gave the classic die-cast toys a high-tech boost in 2019 with NFC sensors and smart tracks. Mattel wants all its Hot Wheels to be smart cars in the future. Mattel is lowering the price of cars to $5. Hot Wheels ID cars include an NFC chip and work with smart tracks.