Networked toys are on their way.
No, the little tykes are not going to be trading E-mail back and forth about Big Bird and the Rugrats. The penetration of personal computers into homes is nearing the halfway mark in the U.S., according to Forrester. The way the market researcher sees it, the home PC will act as a distribution device for a steady stream of new programs and activities that toymakers will provide via CD-ROMs and the Internet. Parents will simply take a networked toy, say a Barney or Barbie, and connect it to the PC so they can load up on new games and fresh features for the old ones. Then, Junior can go off and play.