MGA Entertainment is extending its Miniverse collectible range with a miniature television system that actually plays video. The Miniverse Real TV Player and Video Tapes line is available now through shop.mgae.com, and the company says further retail availability will follow later this month.
The assortment keeps the build-and-display format associated with Miniverse while adding a playback element: the tapes are not static accessories but the medium that triggers each clip.
How the player works
The Real TV Player set contains a tiny retro-style red television, an exclusive videotape and a video display case. Collectors insert the videotape into the TV, press play and watch a 30-second clip taken from a show or film. MGA describes the television as fully functional, with the tape inserted directly into the set rather than used as decoration.
Videotape lineup
More than 30 Miniverse Real TV Video Tapes are available to discover. The clips are drawn from NBCUniversal properties, a group that includes:
- Shrek
- Kung Fu Panda
- Back to the Future
- Casper
- The Good Place
- The Office
- Saved by the Bell
MGA indicates that additional titles beyond those named form part of the wider tape library.
Mystery capsules expand the system
As with other Miniverse collections, the setup can be enlarged with mystery capsules sold separately. Each capsule holds three mini videotapes sized to fit the player, together with a mini keychain and a case for carrying a chosen tape. The capsules therefore serve two purposes: they widen the tape library and they make individual tapes portable.
Company view
Josh Hackbarth, chief marketing officer at MGA Entertainment, framed the product around physical media. He said the screen may be tiny but the idea is not, and that Miniverse Real TV takes familiar movies and shows and turns them into a collection users can actually press play on. Hackbarth added that at a moment when fans are rediscovering the joy of physical media, there is something especially satisfying about choosing a tape, inserting it into the TV and watching an iconic scene come to life, describing the result as a blend of nostalgia and real functionality that aims to feel playful, innovative and unexpected.
That combination is presented as consistent with how MGA positions the Miniverse brand, which has grown through miniature, collectible sets.
Availability
The Miniverse Real TV line is designed for children ages 8 and up. The player set is currently sold through shop.mgae.com, with MGA pointing to broader retail distribution later this month. Tapes beyond the exclusive one included in the player set are offered through the separately sold mystery capsules, and the company directs consumers to its online shop for further information.