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How do I get a custom toy prototyped?
A significant number of people have called me, apropos of my article, asking where they can go to get a custom chip made up for a prototype toy. Generally, these people have already designed the look of the device (a doll, or a board game, or something else with a known play pattern) and simply want to get a custom chip made up to add a little lights-n-sound zing to the project before offering it to a big toy company for sale.
The answer to this question depends on who you are, what your long-term goals are, and whether you're willing to do the programming work yourself.
- If you're simply looking for someone to make your electronics and point you to an Oriental agent who can arrange mass-production for you, please email me. In conjunction with several colleagues, I will be happy to arrange prototype or production work, including (if necessary) sound studio time in our New York recording facility, as well as all chip coding (either I will code it myself, or one of my colleagues will). You will receive ready-to-mask code and we'll be able to set you up, if you wish, with an Oriental agent who can get your design mass-produced FOB China/Hong Kong/Taiwan.
- If you're thinking you would like to do all the sound and behavior coding in-house by yourself, please refer to "How do I get toy chips for hobby projects?".
- If you're looking to do something extremely simple, i.e. simply having a toy that says a phrase when you press its paw or something of the kind, I suggest you pull apart and repurpose a digital voice recorder. This link is an example of the type of product I mean. (There are much cheaper versions available, with smaller capacity. Search ebay for "digital note taker" or "digital voice recorder" and you're sure to find something useful).
The toy industry is very specialized. As you can doubtless imagine, everything in toy production is centered around shaving pennies off the build cost. A single passive component can make a (relatively) huge difference in the cost of a toy. I have spent literally months arguing with factories about adding a couple of capacitors to suppress an ESD problem. For this reason, if you're an invention house or a private inventor trying to bring an electronic toy idea to market, you are probably best advised to work with experienced professionals while developing your prototype.
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