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History
Manley Toys Limited was founded in 1987. The company’s line of business includes the wholesale distribution of games, toys, hobby goods, and supplies. In the early 1990s, toymaker Bob Del Principe began working on the concept of a toy capable of “seeing.” He developed the idea for about ten years before it finally reached the market in 2002. By that time Bob was Vice-President of Research and Development at Toy Quest. The company released the first doll that could see, called Cindy Smart. Equipped with a digital camera in the torso and a 16-bit microprocessor in the stomach, the doll could recognise more than 70 voice commands, read words in five languages, perform basic mathematics, and tell the time.
By this point Toy Quest had also released several video game consoles, particularly in the form of “VR” games. As VP of Research and Development, Bob recognised that video gaming was and would continue to be immensely popular with children. In 2003 Toy Quest released the Power Rangers Ninja Storm – Storm Action T.V. Gaming System, a cartridge-based console based on the Power Rangers franchise. Bob’s longer-term ambition, however, was to combine the visual technology he had created for Cindy Smart with video games.
“Our goal is to incorporate the best parts of interactive game play with our expertise in visual motion detection technology to create an enticing way for kids to get some exercise.”
With that goal in mind, the company created the GoGo TV, the first video game console with an integrated camera. It was not the first time a camera had been used as a controller—Sony had released the EyeToy in 2003, and the XaviXPORT integrated motion detection into its cartridges—but the GoGo TV was the first to build the camera directly into the console itself.
Release
The GoGo TV was released on 1 June 2005 and sold at major retailers including Target, Toys “R” Us, Walmart, and Best Buy. In France it was distributed by Smoby. The system came packed with a 4-in-1 game cartridge containing Flashcard Fishing, Break a Brick, Balloon Juggling, and Penguin Maze. An additional eight single-game cartridges were also released; each of these came bundled with a physical accessory. Toy Quest announced plans to release another seven games every quarter.
The main focus of the marketing campaign was the system’s ability to keep children active. The timing was ideal: childhood obesity was widely described as an epidemic in the early 2000s, and the GoGo TV was positioned as a solution for parents who wanted their children to exercise while still playing video games.
The console was well received by critics. It was featured in news programmes and morning shows and received the Family Fun Toy of the Year Award for 2005 as well as a place on Nick Jr. Family Magazine’s list of the 50 Best Toys of the Year.
Demise
Although the concept was strong, the execution of the GoGo TV was not flawless. Camera recognition worked reasonably well but struggled against dark backgrounds, and while motion detection was accurate it was noticeably slow. Most of the games were simple and crude-looking. By this time the PlayStation 2, already present in millions of homes, offered a superior camera-based peripheral in the form of the EyeToy.
Slow sales prompted Toy Quest to pause development of additional games in the hope that figures would improve. Shortly afterward Nintendo announced the Wii, a system that would go on to dominate the family and motion-control market. At that point Toy Quest abandoned the GoGo TV and liquidated the remaining inventory.
Games**
Nine cartridges (including the pack-in) were supposedly released, although only eight have been confirmed so far. They retailed for approximately US$20 each.
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| 4 in 1 Game Cartridge | Whac A Mole | GoGo Baseball | |||
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| GoGo Basketball | GoGo Dodgeball | GoGo Tennis | |||
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| GoGo Snowboarding | GoGo Paintball* | GoGo Football** |
*The Paintball game has been confirmed to exist in France, but have not been confirmed elsewhere.
**The Football game was announced as released by Toy Quest, but we have not confirmed its existence yet.