Mind control toys: What will be under the tree next Christmas

By Kevin Lui, for CNN
2 minute read
Updated 3:25 AM EST, Fri January 15, 2016
Drones like this one took center stage at this year's Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair this week. No fewer than 40 manufacturers have brought their latest flying machines to the event, according to organizers. There is even a dedicated demonstration area for such "flying objects" inside the convention hall.
Drones like this one took center stage at this year's Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair this week. No fewer than 40 manufacturers have brought their latest flying machines to the event, according to organizers. There is even a dedicated demonstration area for such "flying objects" inside the convention hall.
Kevin Lui/CNN
This is the Yuneec Typhoon H drone, fresh from Las Vegas, where PCMagazine named it the best drone at this year's CES. It has been called the closest competitor to DJI, the dominant consumer drone maker, to date.
This is the Yuneec Typhoon H drone, fresh from Las Vegas, where PCMagazine named it the best drone at this year's CES. It has been called the closest competitor to DJI, the dominant consumer drone maker, to date.
Kevin Lui/CNN
This archeology kit is for parents looking to spend quality time with kids learning about dinosaurs. Players chip away at the plaster block to uncover a scaled-down replica of the ancient beast's skeleton...
This archeology kit is for parents looking to spend quality time with kids learning about dinosaurs. Players chip away at the plaster block to uncover a scaled-down replica of the ancient beast's skeleton...
Kevin Lui/CNN
...only to find a DNA barcode, which triggers -- in the manufacturer's complementary mobile app -- an animation of the same dinosaur whose bones you've just excavated. The app allows players to take photos and videos posing with the computer-generated creature.
...only to find a DNA barcode, which triggers -- in the manufacturer's complementary mobile app -- an animation of the same dinosaur whose bones you've just excavated. The app allows players to take photos and videos posing with the computer-generated creature.
Kevin Lui/CNN
Inspired by Batman, this 'Batwing' scale model hangs suspended in the air by magnetic levitation. Intended as a collector's item for fans, it is expected to hit stores later this year.
Inspired by Batman, this 'Batwing' scale model hangs suspended in the air by magnetic levitation. Intended as a collector's item for fans, it is expected to hit stores later this year.
Kevin Lui/CNN
Think Photoshop's color picker, but in real life. From Taiwan, this color-picking stylus is just one of many app-enabled educational toys on display at the fair.
Think Photoshop's color picker, but in real life. From Taiwan, this color-picking stylus is just one of many app-enabled educational toys on display at the fair.
Kevin Lui/CNN
Named the best outdoor and sporting item in the fair, this hoverboard has a Bluetooth speaker built in. However, the maker, E-Supply, says that recent airline bans on passengers bringing hoverboards with them have made some potential customers hesitate.
Named the best outdoor and sporting item in the fair, this hoverboard has a Bluetooth speaker built in. However, the maker, E-Supply, says that recent airline bans on passengers bringing hoverboards with them have made some potential customers hesitate.
Kevin Lui/CNN
These dance mats sporting different designs and characters will suit you if you're looking for old-school entertainment, without the need for apps or smartphones.
These dance mats sporting different designs and characters will suit you if you're looking for old-school entertainment, without the need for apps or smartphones.
Kevin Lui/CNN
Amidst a swathe of app-enabled smart toys at the exhibition, traditional domestic play kits like this set of home appliances are still alive and well.
Amidst a swathe of app-enabled smart toys at the exhibition, traditional domestic play kits like this set of home appliances are still alive and well.
Kevin Lui/CNN
Traditional wooden construction brick sets like this still remain popular.
Traditional wooden construction brick sets like this still remain popular.
Kevin Lui/CNN
New toy trends from Hong Kong's Toys and Games Fair 2016

Story highlights

Hong Kong's annual Toys and Games Fair took place this week

It's where buyers spot many of year's top toy trends

Toys incorporating virtual and augmented reality are expected to be big hits

Hong Kong CNN  — 

Looking to fly around the room? Want to practice mind control?

Toys that allow you to do both were on display at Hong Kong’s annual Toys and Games Fair this week.

It’s Asia’s largest toy industry event, attracting more than 2,000 toymakers, and is where buyers spot many of the year’s must-have toys that end up under Christmas trees the world over.

And some in the industry are looking forward to a bumper year, with the prospect of bigger families in China potentially boosting sales.

Virtual reality

2016 looks to be a breakout year for playthings that incorporate virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

From drones that give a first-person flying experience through VR headsets to archaeology kits that come not only with replica dinosaur skeletons, but also animated beasts.

And instead of competing with mobile screens, more manufacturers are embracing them, making mobile apps an integral part of their new products, with at least 41 exhibitors showing them this year.

For example, fans of “Batman” could soon find themselves training for battle in their favorite character just by using their minds.

Brain wave control is the killer feature of a game based on the upcoming movie, “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Its Hong Kong-based developer, Soap Studio, has other ‘Batman’ licensed products up its sleeves as well, from a collectible levitating ‘Batwing’ model to a series of the superhero’s holographic busts.

May the farce be with you? See these bootleg ‘Star Wars’ toys

More kids, higher profits?

With China officially moving to a two-child policy, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council is bullish about the prospects of the Chinese market.

“There has already been an 80% surge of baby product exports from Hong Kong to mainland China in the first eleven months of 2015 compared with 2014,” says Sophia Chong, the council’s assistant director.

She expects Chinese parents to spend 75 billion yuan (11.4 billion US dollars) extra for their newborns. But some exhibitors, including Yang Xiaofang, an exhibitor from China’s Guangdong province,said they weren’t banking on a baby boom to boost sales.

“Before, you could already have a second child if you wanted to, provided you knew the right way,” explains Yang.

‘Belly money’: How China profits from birth control

Gallery: 10 cool toys from the 2015 holiday season

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