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March 8, 2008
What Hot Wheels Should Do with the Web
My daughter and I decided that we wanted to play cars. She was there in her fairy princess outfit running a Hot Wheels car along the floor and it occurred to me that we didn't have any track! When I was a kid (in the 70s), Hot Wheels track was about as ubiquitous as Lego pieces and army men, so it seemed imperative that we go procure some track immediately.
So, we went out to the store and I was shocked and dismayed at how Hot Wheels has devolved over the years. Sure, they offered several track kits, but none of them actually had much track. They had these complicated, automated moving ramps and claw things that picked up the cars and smacked them into each other. The most track I could find in any set was a mere 14 feet! Plus, they didn't sell just track...the only way to get some was to buy one of these kits.
This pales in comparison to how it used to be, when you were able to buy sets with tons of track AND you were also able to purchase separate "Track Packs" of 10-20 pieces and those little purple connectors.
So, I checked eBay. Of course, tons of people were selling old kits like what I remembered. The problem was (a) they were charging an arm and a leg for them (one guy wanted $40 for 40 feet of track), and (b) the shipping charges were even worse (another $20 for UPS ground?!). I'm sorry, but $60 for some Hot Wheels track is just ridiculous.
So, I had an epiphany. Hot Wheels should harness the power of the web to recapture people's imaginations. Currently, the only interactive feature Hot Wheels has is an online personalized database of all the cars you've collected. Whee. No, what I have in mind is a bit more invigorating:
The Hot Wheels Track Set Online Design Studio
Imagine a browser-based tool that lets you assemble parts of track sets that Hot Wheels sells into your own custom track setup. You could drag and drop all the 2-foot pieces you want, add a couple of 90-degree banked curves, toss in an inline accelerator, put in a full loop, and then reconnect back to where you started. The system would automagically calculate all the connectors you need and give you a price quote. Then, if you decided to purchase it, Hot Wheels would assemble your custom package and ship it straight to you.
An interesting extension of this would be if you could take advantage of some of today's gaming technology and actually test out different configurations by running virtual cars through your newly designed track. Finding out that you need a bit more elevation drop (and thus more track) for your design to work would be quite useful to ensure that people aren't disappointed by what they've designed. Plus, Hot Wheels could give each person a list of cars they own that is compatible with the track they've designed. Furthermore, imagine if you could share the tracks you've designed with other people; think Cafe Press for Hot Wheels.
I don't know about you, but I think this would rock. With all the quality issues Mattel has had recently, they're going to have to differentiate themselves on some other dimension, and offering customized Hot Wheels track sets might be just the ticket. Plus, think how much added press and brand-building could be accomplished by an online tool like this. Seems like a decent idea to me.
Posted by Craig in Industry
and Internet
Comments
Legos has a great virtual world. Wonder why other creativity based toys dont. Like trains and others
I was impressed with darda demons. They were in the local toy shop and amazon. Great toy from 1980's. Good news is they stayed with pure track concept unlike hot wheels and others trying to make a comeback.
A painted 6' 2x10 board also gets lots of attention. Talk about low tech.
Posted by: Keenan Brock at March 8, 2008 12:06 PM
Ah, yeah, Darda Demons. A local high-end toy store carries those (but not Hot Wheels). And yeah, Legos does have a great virtual world...thanks for reminding me! :-)
Posted by: Craig at March 8, 2008 12:43 PM
Legos also has a digital designer that lets you build things virtually, and then order a kit of your own model! It's really cool, and basically the same thing as what you're talking about.
I also agree that today's Hot Wheels kits are really lame. We have some of the older sets with tracks and loops and jumps and stuff, as well as one of those fancy automated things... I'm sure you know what gets played with more, and what was a bitch to track down in order to donate to goodwill. ;-)
Posted by: Greg at March 9, 2008 9:43 PM
I completely agree with you. I bought 2 orange Hotwheels track packs for $5 at Walmart and now I have to rest it on the couch and use gravity to have any fun with my 3 year old. I wish there were clip-on elevated supports or some other way to build a freestanding, rolling track.
Posted by: Adam at May 31, 2008 11:31 AM
you read our minds. where are all the hot wheels tracks like we had when we were kids? seems like they could sell a ton of them. why aren't they available? My husband and I are totally perplexed.
Posted by: Vicky at July 30, 2008 9:16 PM