Toca Boca

Last updated
Toca Boca
Company type Subsidiary
FoundedJuly 18, 2010;14 years ago (2010-07-18)
Founder
  • Björn Jeffery [1]
  • Emil Ovemar [2]
Headquarters
Stockholm
,
Sweden
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Fredrik Löving
  • (CEO)
  • Emil Ovemar
  • (Head of Toca Boca Studio)
Products Games
digital toys
Number of employees
100-150
Parent Spin Master
Website www.tocaboca.com

Toca Boca is a Swedish children's mobile video game developer. [3] [4] The company is owned by Spin Master and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Contents

Toca Boca was founded July 18, 2010 by Emil Ovemar and Björn Jeffery, both of whom worked for the Bonnier Group. [5] They released their first application, “Helicopter Taxi” in March 2011. [6] [7] Toca Boca's apps has been downloaded more than 400 million times by users in over 238 markets ever since the first launch. [3]

In 2016, Bonnier sold Toca Boca to the Canadian toy and entertainment company Spin Master for SEK 263 million. [8] [9] In 2020, Fredrik Löving took over as Toca Boca's new CEO. [10]

Naming

Toca Boca means "Touch the mouth" in Spanish and comes from the logo design of a face with its mouth open. [11]

Toca Life series

Toca Life is a series of games that encourage the player to imagine stories for characters in the game. The player can drag the character around the screen with their finger and make the characters eat, sit, etc. In the series, there are different locations the character could go to based on the game's theme. (Town, Farm, Office, etc.) There are groups such as Kids, Elders, Babies, and Creatures. The player can add more than one character to a scene. Dressing up the characters was introduced in Toca Life: City.

Toca Boca World previously named Toca Life World, was released on November 21, 2018. Unlike the rest of the games in this series, the app is free to download. Players are invited to play the free version or to customise the app with whatever options they find the most interesting. A player can buy more characters and places.

A web series based on the game, under the title Toca Life Stories, was released on February 21, 2020 on Toca Boca's official YouTube channel. It focused on four close friends with mismatched personalities, Rita, Zeke, Nari, and Leon (the main characters in the Toca Life app series), on a quest to vanquish boredom in their neighborhood of OK Street (based on one of the towns found in Toca Boca World). [12] The series is animated by Canada-based Pipeline Studios, with voices recorded in America-based Studiopolis, despite it being a web series, it aired on some television stations such as Pop in the United Kingdom, and Cartoon Network in the United States.

On April 30th, 2024, Toca Boca Days was announced. [13] [14] The game is poised as a significant departure from previous entries in the Toca Life series, utilising a 3D world with multiplayer functionality. [15] On May 2th, 2024, Toca began rolling the game out in early access for Australia and New Zealand. [16]

Digital toys

Toca Pet Doctor on iPad Toca Boca Toca Pet Doctor (15059627797).jpg
Toca Pet Doctor on iPad

The term digital toy is sometimes used to differentiate certain apps from more typical virtual games. [17] While most aspects between the two are the same, Toca Boca distinguishes digital toys as more "open-ended" with fewer rules. However, neither are thought nor proven to have a more or less harmful or beneficial impact on players. While these "digital toys" are aimed towards children, it does not mean they are just for children.

Awards and honors

Toca Boca has won the following awards:

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geomag</span> Magnetic toy

Geomag, stylized as GEOMAG, is a magnetic construction toy consisting of a collection of bars, each set with a neodymium alloy magnet at both ends, connected by a magnetic plug coated with polypropylene, and nickel-coated metal spheres. These elements interlock using magnetism, allowing for them to be assembled in various ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnier Group</span> Swedish publishing group

Bonnier AB, also the Bonnier Group, is a privately held Swedish media group of 175 companies operating in 15 countries. It is controlled by the Bonnier family.

Baby Songs is one of the first, and longest-running, American, independent children's home video series. Since 1987, more than 4 million copies of Baby Songs have been sold.

BabyCenter is an online media company based in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles that provides information on conception, pregnancy, birth, and early childhood development for parents and expecting parents. BabyCenter operates 9 country and region specific properties including websites, apps, emails, print publications, and an online community where parents can connect on a variety of topics. Users of the website can sign up for free weekly email newsletters that guide them through pregnancy and their child's development.

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

Hitcents is a video game publisher and mobile app and games studio, headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They are the creators of the cross-platform gaming series Draw A Stickman. In 2014, Hitcents partnered with actor Tom Hanks to develop the Hanx Writer. Founded in 1999 as a software company by twin brothers Chris and Clinton Mills, the company has offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legacy Games</span>

Legacy Games is a game publisher and distributor specializing in casual and indie titles for PC, console, and mobile platforms. It offers digital downloads of games through its website, www.legacygames.com. Additionally, Legacy sells physical discs with digital codes at Walmart stores and on Amazon. The company is well-known for its game packs, offering over 100 different bundles of themed hidden object, indie, puzzle, adventure, match 3, and simulation games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spin Master</span> Canadian toy and entertainment company

Spin Master Corp., formerly known as Spin Master Toys, is a Canadian multinational toy and entertainment company. Spin Master employs over 1,600 people globally with offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.

Parachute Express was an American band of three California-based entertainers who performed, wrote, and produced music for children. Members were Stephen Michael Schwartz, Janice Hubbard, and Donny Becker. Parachute Express gained national prominence as recording artists for Gymboree Play & Music, Walt Disney Records, and Trio Lane Records. They sang the theme song to the popular television series Jay Jay the Jet Plane and have been seen on TV shows Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. Rocks and Disney's Kaleidoscope Concerts. Their music was featured in over 550 Gymboree franchises throughout the world, as well as in preschools, daycare centers, and diverse informal education programs. Parachute Express created a total of twelve albums.

Todd Parr is an American author, illustrator, animator and television producer. Parr grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming and later moved to San Francisco in 1995, where he pursued a career as an artist. He has also worked as a flight attendant before becoming a full-time author.

Susan Beacham, also known as “Mrs. Money”, is an American personal finance educator specializing in financial literacy for children. Her career in banking led her to found the company Money Savvy Generation. The company develops educational toys, curriculum, and resources to teach financial education to children of all ages. Through her blog, she offers financial expertise to her readers.

Juno Baby was a multiple Emmy Award winning line of children’s educational-development products that blend original music with puppet characters. The product line focuses around the characters of Juno, a six-year-old girl with a natural passion for music, her two-year-old brother Rai Rai, and several animal companions. The company has two brands: Juno Baby which is geared toward the toddler and infant market and Juno Jr. and the world of Harmonia Springs which focuses on pre-school aged children.

<i>The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!</i> Childrens educational television series

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! is an animated musical educational children's television series feature starring Martin Short as The Cat in the Hat. The series premiered on Treehouse TV in Canada on August 7, 2010, also airing on YTV and Nickelodeon Canada on weekday mornings from 2012 to 2013, and on PBS Kids and PBS Kids Preschool Block in the US on September 6, 2010; it also aired on CITV and Tiny Pop in the UK, and Disney Junior India. The series is based on Random House's Beginner Books franchise and The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, itself based on the 1957 children's book The Cat in the Hat.

<i>Angry Birds Star Wars</i> 2012 video game

Angry Birds Star Wars is a puzzle video game developed and published by Rovio Entertainment. The game is a crossover between the Star Wars franchise and the Angry Birds series of video games, launched on November 8, 2012, first for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, later also to Mac and BlackBerry. The game is the sixth Angry Birds game in the series. The characters are copyrighted from George Lucas's double-trilogy. On July 18, 2013, Rovio announced that Angry Birds Star Wars would be heading for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and the Nintendo 3DS on October 29, 2013, in conjunction with Activision. As of August 2013, the game has been downloaded over 100 million times on its various platforms. The game is a launch title for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

StoryBots is an American children's media franchise that produces educational TV series, books, videos, music, video games, and classroom activities. Its productions include Netflix series, Ask the StoryBots, StoryBots: Answer Time, StoryBots: Super Silly Stories with Bo, and StoryBots Super Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleksander Nordaas</span> Norwegian screenwriter and film director

Aleksander Leines Nordaas is a Norwegian screenwriter and film director, and is a co-owner of the Norwegian production company Yesbox Productions. Nordaas is also a published author and an exhibited photographer and digital artist.

<i>Paw Patrol</i> Canadian animated television series

Paw Patrol is a Canadian animated television series created by Keith Chapman and produced by Spin Master Entertainment, with animation provided by Guru Studio. In Canada, the series is primarily broadcast on TVOntario as part of the TVOKids programing block. TVO first ran previews of the show in August 2013. The series premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. in the United States on August 12, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeapFrog Epic</span> Android-based mini-tablet computer

The LeapFrog Epic is an Android-based mini-tablet computer produced and marketed by LeapFrog Enterprises. Released in 2015, the Epic is LeapFrog's first device to run on Android; most of LeapFrog's mobile computing devices for children run on a customized Ångström Linux distribution.

<i>Animal Jam Classic</i> Online educational game

Animal Jam Classic, formerly known as Animal Jam, is a massively multiplayer online game that is developed by WildWorks and recommended for kids up to the age of 12. It was launched in 2010, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. As of late 2020, there were 3.3 million monthly active users and a lifetime total of 130 million registered players in 200 countries across both Animal Jam Classic and Animal Jam.

Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand is an American songwriter and author publishing children's educational materials, based in Akron, Ohio.

Ronnen Harary is a Canadian entrepreneur, television and film producer, philanthropist, and billionaire. He is a co-founder of Canadian children's entertainment company Spin Master and the co-creator of PAW Patrol, a preschool series that airs in 160 countries. Along with childhood friend Anton Rabie, he founded Spin Master shortly after graduating from the University of Western Ontario, and they were co-CEOs of the company from 1994 to 2021. Harary is now chair of Spin Master's board of directors. He continues to oversee the company's long-term strategic vision and remains involved in business development and merger and acquisition activity.

References

  1. ↑ "Bonnier: Toca Boca a Hit at the App Store". Bonnier News Press. December 4, 2012. Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Spelvärldens udda fågel". ICON Magazine. January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Spin Master Corp. (2021). Annual Report 2021" (PDF). www.downloads.ctfassets.net.
  4. ↑ "Toca Boca makes the kind of games kids can't possibly beat - so why have their apps been downloaded 67 million times? (video interview)". Tech.eu. 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  5. ↑ Newnham, Danielle (2015-12-13). "The Toca Boca Story". The Startup. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  6. ↑ Sterling, Bruce. "Augmented Reality: Toca Boca Helicopter Taxi". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  7. ↑ Williams, Jenny. "Toca Boca Continues to Deliver Great Apps". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  8. ↑ "Bonnier - Bonnier's App Hit Toca Boca to Get New Owner". Bonnier. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  9. ↑ AB, Breaking Media. "Dokument avslöjar: Så mycket fick Bonnier för Toca Boca". www.breakit.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  10. ↑ "Spin Master ramps its game business as toys go digital". VentureBeat. 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  11. ↑ Rosoff, Matt. "An 8-year-old interviews the cofounder of the company who makes her favorite app". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  12. ↑ Whyte, Alexandra. "Toca Boca launches first animated series". Kidscreen. Alexandra Whyte. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  13. ↑ Corp, Spin Master. "For The First Time Ever, Toca Boca® Is Entering the Multiplayer Universe with the Release of Toca Boca Days™". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  14. ↑ Kaser, Rachel (2024-04-30). "Spin Master announces multiplayer game Toca Boca Days". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  15. ↑ Bloom, David. "Spin Master's Toca Boca Takes On Roblox With First Multi-Player Push". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  16. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  17. ↑ FLETCHER-WATSON, Ben (June 2014). "From stage to screen: adapting a children's theatre production into a digital toy" (PDF).
  18. ↑ "Kidscreen Awards".
  19. ↑ "iPhone App of the Year: Toca Life World".
  20. ↑ "NEW Webby Gallery + Index".
  21. ↑ "Nickelodeon leads Kidscreen Awards 2019 noms" . Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  22. ↑ "Parent's Choice: Toca Life: World" . Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  23. ↑ "These are the 397 most inspiring, innovative designs of 2018". Fast Company. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  24. ↑ "Toca Life: Hospital | Kapi Awards". kapiawards.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  25. ↑ "Toca Life: World – Parents' Choice" . Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  26. ↑ "Kidscreen Reveals Summit Nominees". License Global. 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  27. ↑ "2017 Kidscreen Awards". Kidscreen.
  28. ↑ "Webby Awards". WebbyAwards.
  29. ↑ "Children's Tech". Children's Tech Review.
  30. ↑ "iKids Award". Kidscreen.
  31. ↑ "Cinekid". Cinekid.
  32. ↑ "NAPPA". NAPPA Awards.
  33. ↑ "The Lovie Awards". Lovie Awards. 21 February 2023.
  34. ↑ "Junior Design Awards". Junior Magazine.
  35. 1 2 Spencer, Graham (8 December 2014). "Macstories". Mac Stories. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  36. ↑ "Children's Tech". Children's Technology Review. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  37. ↑ "Bestekinderapps". Best Kinder Apps. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  38. ↑ "Toronto 4 Kids". Toronto 4 Kids. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  39. ↑ "Kidscreen" . Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  40. ↑ "Parents Choice". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  41. ↑ "Parents Choice". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  42. ↑ "Parents Choice". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  43. ↑ "Parents Choice". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  44. ↑ "Parents Choice". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  45. ↑ "Toca Boca Website: Press: Awards Page". Tocaboca.com. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  46. ↑ "NAPPA Website". Nappaawards.com. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  47. ↑ "Parents' Choice Award: Toca Boca Page". Parents-choice.org. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  48. ↑ "Telenor Awards Press Release". Telenor.com. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  49. ↑ "Business Wire: Toca Hair Salon Named 2011..." Businesswire.com. Retrieved Oct 25, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.