In quest for growth, German toymakers keep it real

Nuremberg, Germany

IN AN industry upended by the changing play habits of tech-savvy kids, German toymakers are pinning their hopes for growth on traditional, real-world toys - with a little help from the big screen.

At the world's biggest toy fair in Nuremberg last week, it was a large panel showing a bearded Playmobil figure peeking from behind a curtain that perhaps best exemplified an industry in flux.