Popular social gaming apps will be making it to the Christmas dinner table this year according to toy giant Toys "R" Us - in the form of new board games.
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Angry Birds, CityVille and Words with Friends have all been popular with techno-savvy adults and kids alike throughout the year making them a top choice for Christmas Day family interaction.
Angry Birds, said to be "the largest mobile app success the world has seen so far" has developed into a huge range of merchandise, and now toy giant Toys "R" Us are expecting the Angry Birds Mega Smash Game to be a smash hit at the dinner table.
CityVille was originally developed as a casual social city-building simulation online app game, but now Hasbro have released Monopoly CityVille, a variant of the Monopoly City board game with its elements retooled to reflect those used in the CityVille online games. The goal is to be the first player to own four skyscrapers by building up their own neighbourhoods.
Words with Friends is a multi-player word game where players can take turns building words crossword puzzle style, with an opponent in a similar style to the classic board game Scrabble, although they are not associated in any way.
Mike Coogan, E-Commerce and Marketing Director at Toys"R" Us said: "Online gaming apps are massive and the toy industry have been able to identify merchandise which can replicate the popularity of the apps but in traditional format. These board games are perfect examples of the diversity that we are working with."
Other toys developed from online apps include App Toy Accessories that work with ipad, ipod and iphone and cuddly characters that interact with apps such as Furby.
"This is a whole new phenomenon for toys, its very exciting and one to be developed and built upon,” Mike said.
Other games identified on the Toys"R"Us Top 10 list include classic children’s favourites Hungry Hippos, Elefun and Operation.
Twister Dance, the variation of the classic Twister appears as the upbeat move to the groove 2-in-1 dance DJ console with music, lights and sounds incorporated with the classic ten non-slip dance spots.
Monopoly Millionaire that was highlighted as a Toys ”R” Us Terrific Twenty Christmas Toy appears on the list along with Logo What am I? - the next development from the 2010 success The Logo Board Game and The Best of TV and Movies, a picture card question game about TV and Movies.
Mike added: "Over the years, we have witnessed a strong development of younger family members replacing traditional family board games with video gaming consoles like Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, however these new app games could be just the ticket to bring the family back together on Christmas day.”
10 Most Popular Christmas Games to Enjoy as a Family on Christmas:
1. Angry Birds Mega Smash game
2. CityVille Monopoly
3. Elefun
4. Hungry Hippos
5. Logo What am I?
6. Monopoly Millionaire
7. Operation
8. The Best of TV & Movies
9. Twister Dance
10. Words with friends