December 11, 2000

Metro Toy Industrial Co., a leading Taiwan manufacturer of battery-operated (B/O), sound activated and electronic toys, recently revealed that it has a new item set to debut in its 2001 product lineup. The mobile ET-dog, a combination of a mobile phone receiver and a B/O toy, will premiere at the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair in January next year, according to a company spokesperson.

A main feature of the ET-dog is that it will bark to inform its "master" when an incoming call signal is received on the owner's mobile phone. Another feature is a reaction from the dog when you "feed" it a bone, one of the toy's accessories. The ET-dog also includes a "watchdog" function. That is, its eyes are equipped with a light sensor so that when something or someone passes by the dog, it will stand up and bark.

Established in 1978, Metro Toy has a factory based in mainland China. The company ships toys mainly to the U.S. and Europe, altogether accounting for 70 percent of total exports. The remaining 30 percent is absorbed by the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. The company's extensive product line includes B/O toys and cars, electronics, B/O plush toys with speech capabilities, plush inter-play toys, pull string key chain toys and talking key chain toys.

In 1999, Metro Toy recorded annual revenues of US$4 million. However, the totals for 2000 will be slightly lower due to the sluggish market within the industry, according to Wendy Huang, sales representative for the company. "To boost our sales figures, we are looking to develop more high-end, PC-connectable products with the hopes of attracting more customers," she said.

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