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International News

By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 2/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

There will be a rare sight in Nuremberg this month—a video game maker at a toy trade show. After a four year absence, Nintendo is returning to Nuremberg's International Toy Fair in a move that gibes with the company's efforts to position Wii as the video game console that breaks the stereotype of game consoles as tech toys for young (and a lot of not-so-young) adults. "Our new home console, Wii, is intended more for people beyond the classic video-game target groups, such as older adults," says Dr. Bernd Fakesch, general manager of Nintendo Germany. "The International Toy Fair is also increasingly aiming at these people in 2007. Nintendo's presence in Nuremberg therefore fits in perfectly with our strategy, which is aimed at extending the market." Despite the shortage of space at the Nuremberg fair site, show organizers were able to scrounge up enough floor space for the company to present itself "on a grand scale."… Britain's toy business was roiled on Jan. 9 when retailer Woolworths reportedly informed vendors without any advance notice that it would hold back 5 percent of what it owed them in order to finance "investments" the company plans to make. It also said it would institute new payment terms and an increased settlement discount, according to the British Toy and Hobby Association, which issued a statement protesting the move. "The scale of the retrospective demands being made is unprecedented," the BTHA said. "Given the summary nature of the demands made, the association understands that members affected are giving a robust response in return and requesting the courtesy of a negotiated agreement."… Famosa, Spain's leading toy maker, is prepping for a push into the North American market by establishing a production plant in Mexico, according to Spanish toy business journal Juguetes Y Juegos De España. The Madrid-based company is said to be spending $50 million to set up the facility.

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