After a string of recent hits that began with the e-kara Karaoke machine in 2000 and culminated in the worldwide Beyblade phenomenon, new toy development is flagging at Takara, perhaps due to the distractions of merger and acquisition activities for Takara president Keita Sato, according to an article in the Japan Times. Losses for the current fiscal year are expected (see 'Takara Expects Loss of 2004').
After acquiring a consumer electronics firm and a car accessories company in effort to become a 'life entertainment company,' the pipeline for new products is weak. Now Takara plans to return to its roots, which include hero robot toys, as its strategy to revitalize sales.
