In this year’s version of Digital Companion Big toy bookMGA Entertainment founder and CEO Isaac Larian shared insights into the company’s victory and opportunities and provided forecasts for the rest of 2025.
Toy Book: What was the biggest victory for MGA last year?
Isaac Larian: MGA’s Miniverse (now with an impressive market share of 64% in the mini category); Bratz is continuing to grow and is becoming more and more culturally meaningful with new and existing fans. Small tikes, especially our innovative small Tikes Story Dream Machine; and our latest doll series Yummiland, which grows very quickly.
TB: After years of dominance in doll aisles and preschool spaces, MGA takes action in action aisles, making its debut with comic-ready die-cast and long-awaited Armorsaurs. What can you share about these efforts?
IL: We have always believed that new original ideas sales and copying are slowly disappearing. Now, with the stage on the shelves and two incredible boy action attributes, armor and the other, both appearing in the second half of this year, MGA will be in every toy aisle in the retail store. This has been my goal for years and we finally realized it. I am proud to make this happen.
TB: MGA was named “The Best of the Year” by MGA’s Miniverse in the Toy Book “Game Pulse Award”. Do you attribute the success of this brand and its rapid development to the behind-the-scenes development and development from re-engineering to new licenses and forms?
IL: I attribute our incredible, out-of-the-box thinkers to our product development, design and marketing teams. They looked at trends and created new innovative products and new innovative ways to market them.
TB: How does MGA deal with potential tariffs or external pressures to diversify supply chains?
IL: Unfortunately, like many other manufacturers and retailers, we have no choice but to raise prices and sadly, consumers will eventually pay. While we have the largest toy manufacturing facility currently operating in the U.S. in Hudson, Ohio, there are few Tikes toys, making most toys here is very difficult and costly. However, we will do our best to continue to provide toys with high gaming value and affordable.
TB: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in the industry this year? How do you get close to them?
IL: I think the biggest challenge facing the toy industry is the lack of original innovation and what I call imitation toy companies that have the effort and creativity of producing and selling other toy companies. I also accuse retailers of myopia and buying these imitations rather than providing consumers with original, high-quality safety testing toys.
TB: What critical moments or product launches can MGA and Little Tikes look forward to this year’s retailers and products?
IL: While it is too early to disclose that many new innovative toys MGAs will be launched on the market this year, I can say that the novelty of MGAs this year will shock the industry. One new line I can talk about is Wonder Factory, our new product of never-ending dry dough and sand. Wonder Factory is available at Walmart in the United States and will be launched in February. The full lineup will be on the shelves this month. There is still a lot to do, so keep an eye on MGA.
Tuberculosis: Retail pricing has become a “state of emergency”, fighting against the masses and professional retailers in ways we have never seen in years. What steps can be taken to balance the game environment so that everyone has a chance to succeed?
IL: I believe professional retailers must invest in in-store experiences and get together to ask suppliers for original exclusive products. Even with a short period of time, having exclusive products can provide more products for a new innovation, “hot” product, which will help provide more competitive environment for professional retailers, allowing them to compete better with some of the big box players.
TB: Many people initially thought last year was a year after the toy industry normalized after a few years. Still, the results are mixed – what are your overall predictions about the status of the toy industry and toys/games/collections this year?
IL: I predict again that the toy business will fall 4-6% in 2025 due to lack of innovation.
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