Robotix (toyline)

Last updated

Robotix is a line of toy motorized modular construction sets used for constructing robotic creatures, vehicles and machines, often including action figures. Robotix toys were first marketed by the Milton Bradley Company (MB) from 1984 until 1986. [1] The 1985 cartoon series Robotix was based on these toys. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Robotix toys were sold by RC2 Corporation under its Learning Curve brand. Learning Curve changed the colors of the original MB toys from mostly black and white to bright colors, introduced new parts, and expanded the range of playsets. [2]

Contents

As of 2014, Robotix toys are sold by Robotics and Things, based in Simi Valley, California, which also offers STEM enrichment programs for children. [2] [3]

Parts

50mm Arm piece Robotix Arm (50mm).jpg
50mm Arm piece

Robotix parts, despite originating in the United States, [4] use the metric system of measurement for their pieces. For example, they sell three arm pieces: 50mm Arm, 75mm Arm and 100mm Arm. These parts connect using a male/female attachment system, where each connection is in the shape of an octagon. The toy was high quality for its time of creation, featuring heavy plastics and rounded corners.

Ownership

Robotix toys were sold by the Milton Bradley Company from 1984 until 1994. An animated series of the same name was released in 1985.

Learning Curve Brands began offering Robotix sets in 1994, and continued offering them until 2001. The packaging at this time changed to reflect the Learning Curve name, and many new parts were added. Since 2001, Robotics and Things has continued to sell Robotix toys through the internet. Despite the changes in distribution, products currently available are fully backward compatible with all toys from 1984 onward. Information provided by Neil L. Friedman, Director of "Robotics And Things" in an email dated 11/5/2007.[ unreliable source? ]

In 2019, Robotics and Things retired from business and was succeeded by Robotic Rice LLC. [5] Robotic Rice has continued to sell Robotix toys until early 2021, when they have been forced to drop the Robotix product line due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasbro</span> American multinational toy and entertainment company

Hasbro, Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of Kenner, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, and Wizards of the Coast, among others. As of August 2020, over 81.5% of its shares were held by large financial institutions.

<i>Twister</i> (game) Game of physical skill

Twister is a game of physical skill produced by Milton Bradley Company and Winning Moves Games USA. It is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat has four rows of six large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, green and blue. A spinner tells players where they have to place their hand or foot. The game promotes itself as "the game that ties you up in knots".

Meccano is a brand of model construction system created in 1898 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England. The system consists of reusable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, and plastic parts that are connected using nuts and bolts. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Bradley Company</span> American board game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860

Milton Bradley Company or simply Milton Bradley (MB) was an American board game manufacturer established by Milton Bradley (1836-1911) in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States. It was acquired by Hasbro in 1984, and merged with their subsidiary Parker Brothers in 1998. The brand name continued to be used by Hasbro until 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furby</span> Electronic robotic toy

Furby is an American electronic robotic toy by Tiger Electronics. Originally released 1998, it resembles a hamster or owl-like creature and went through a period of being a "must-have" toy following its holiday season launch. Over 40 million Furbies were sold during the three years of its original production, with 1.8 million sold in 1998, and 14 million in 1999. Its speaking capabilities were translated into 14 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parker Brothers</span> American toy and game manufacturer

Parker Brothers was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products were Monopoly, Clue, Sorry!, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Ouija, Aggravation, Bop It, Scrabble, and Probe. The trade name became defunct with former products being marketed under the "Hasbro Gaming" label with the logo shown on Monopoly games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Flyer</span> American Toy company

American Flyer is a brand of toy train and model railroad manufactured in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erector Set</span> Brand of metal toy construction set

Erector Set was a brand of metal toy construction sets which were originally patented by Alfred Carlton Gilbert and first sold by his company, the Mysto Manufacturing Company of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1913. In 1916, the company was reorganized as the A. C. Gilbert Company. The brand continued its independent existence under various corporate ownerships until 2000, when Meccano bought the Erector brand and consolidated its worldwide marketing with its own brand. The coverage here focuses on the historical legacy of the classic Erector Set; for current developments under the "Erector by Meccano" brand name, see the Meccano article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrinky Dinks</span> Arts-and-crafts toy

Shrink art, Shrinky Dinks, or Shrinkles is a toy and activity kit consisting of sheets of polystyrene which can be cut with standard household scissors. When heated, the cut shapes become about nine times thicker while their horizontal and vertical dimensions reduce to about one-third the original size, resulting in hard, flat forms which retain their initial color and shape. They reached the height of their popularity in the 1980s and are still available from retailers. They can be used for a variety of things like charms and pins. Most sets are pre-printed with outline images of popular children's characters or other subjects, which are then colored in before baking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLoughlin Brothers</span> New York publishing firm

McLoughlin Bros., Inc. was a New York manufacturing company active between 1858 and 1920. As a publisher itself, the company was a pioneer in color printing technologies in children's books. The company specialized in retellings or bowdlerizations of classic stories for children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playskool</span> American company that produces educational toys and games

Playskool is an American brand of educational toys and games for children. The former Playskool manufacturing company was a subsidiary of the Milton Bradley Company and was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Playskool's last remaining plant in the aforementioned city was shut down in 1984, and Playskool became a brand of Hasbro, which had acquired Milton Bradley that same year.

<i>Barrel of Monkeys</i> Toy game

Barrel of Monkeys is a toy game released by Lakeside Toys in 1965. It was created by Leonard Marks and Milton Dinhofer in 1961, and in 1964, Herman Kesler partnered to sell it to Lakeside Toys, which released it in 1965. It was then produced by the Milton Bradley Company, and Hasbro. Milton Bradley's editions consisted of a toy barrel in either blue, yellow, red, purple, orange, gray or green. The barrel contains 13 monkeys but can hold 24, their color usually corresponding to the barrel's color. The instructions state, "Dump monkeys onto table. Pick up one monkey by an arm. Hook other arm through a second monkey's arm. Continue making a chain. Your turn is over when a monkey is dropped." In addition to these basic instructions, the barrel also contains instructions for playing alone or with two or more players.

<i>Perfection</i> (board game) Board game

Perfection is a game originally produced by the Pennsylvania company Reed Toys and then by the Milton Bradley company. The object is to put all the pieces into matching holes on the board before the time limit runs out. When time runs out, the board springs up, causing many, if not all, of the pieces to fly out. In the most common version, there are 25 pieces to be placed into a 5×5 grid within 60 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ideal Toy Company</span> Defunct American toy company

Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Betsy Wetsy, Toni, Saucy Walker, Shirley Temple, Miss Revlon, Patti Playpal, Tammy, Thumbelina, Tiny Thumbelina, and Crissy. The company is also known for selling the Rubik's Cube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Lightning</span>

Johnny Lightning is a brand of diecast model cars launched in 1969 by Topper Corporation, similar to the hugely successful Mattel's Hot Wheels cars. Their claim to fame at that time was that they were extremely fast compared to other brands of die-cast cars. Their most important technology was to mold in a small hook under the front axle so that they could be propelled by a lever-driven catapult, far faster than could be obtained by either gravity, or battery powered "supercharger" devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorforms</span> Brand of toy

Colorforms is a creative toy named for the simple shapes and forms cut from colored vinyl sheeting that cling to a smooth backing surface without adhesives. These pieces are used to create picture graphics and designs, which can then be changed countless times by repositioning the removable color forms. The name also refers to the specific registered trademark brand these products are produced under, as well as the company that manufactures the toys, Colorforms Brand, LLC.

Zoids: Starriors, also referred to as Zoids: R.A.T.S. , was a robot toyline created by Tomy in association with Marvel Comics in 1984. It was a sub-line from Zoids, but it had a new storyline that was different to Zoids. Six Marvel mini-comics were distributed with the toys. Marvel also produced a four-issue limited series written by Louise Simonson, with art by Michael Chen, Ian Akin, and Brian Garvey, and covers painted by Bill Sienkiewicz.The toys were not commercially successful. After the initial wave, it appears that there were only eight more toys produced, and only two additional minicomics, though most of the new toys came with the old ones. The Simonson series told a complete story in itself, and did not include the eight new characters. The principal figures, the humanoid Wastors, did not transform, nor did most of the other robots in the line, though many could be disassembled and reassembled, and had motorized parts. Also, there was a tendency toward making new characters out of the same molds as other characters, but in different colors, which is more true of the first wave than of the second. Consumer Reports'Penny Power, when it reported on robot toys, found them the least satisfying of all the lines covered, though it must be said that the narrative aspects of all the lines were ignored, and the magazine would extol the economic value of Gobots over Transformers in later issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Bradley</span> American publisher and game designer

Milton Bradley was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with his eponymous enterprise, which was purchased by Hasbro in 1984, and folded in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooden toy train</span> Childrens toy

Wooden toy trains are toy trains that run on a wooden track system with grooves to guide the wheels of the rolling stock. While the trains, tracks and scenery accessories are made mainly of wood, the engines and cars connect to each other using metal hooks or small magnets, and some use plastic wheels mounted on metal axles. Some trains are made to resemble anthropomorphical, fictional, and prototypical railroad equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hexbug</span> Robotic insect toy automatons

HEXBUG is a brand of infrared and automaton toys developed and distributed by Spin Master. HEXBUG uses many elements used in BEAM robotics. First piloted in the US through RadioShack, HEXBUG is now sold in most major retail stores. The original HEXBUGs are based on six-legged arthropods but now come in several different varieties. The name "HEXBUG" relates to the six-sided packaging it is sold in, rather than to its number of legs.

References

  1. "Virtual Toy Chest's Robotix Archive". Virtualtoychest.com. Virtual Toy Chest. 2007. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  2. 1 2 "Robotix". Zeroidz.com. Zeroidz.com: Great Robots and Toys From the Space Age. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  3. Archive of Robotics and Things official website
  4. "History of Milton Bradley Company – FundingUniverse".
  5. "About Robotic Rice STEM Workshops, Robotix Parts/Kits".
  6. "Covid19".