MGA Entertainment is expanding its Miniverse collectible line with a miniature TV system that plays short clips from tiny videotapes. The Miniverse Real TV Player and Video Tapes line is available now at shop.mgae.com, with additional retail availability planned for later this month, according to the company.
The system is built around the Real TV Player, which comes with a miniature retro red television, an exclusive videotape and a video display case. Users insert a videotape into the TV, press play and watch a 30-second clip from a show or film. The format turns the collectible into a small, working display rather than a static replica.
A library of miniature tapes
MGA says there are more than 30 Miniverse Real TV Video Tapes to discover. The clips draw on NBCUniversal properties including Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Back to the Future, Casper, The Good Place, The Office, Saved by the Bell and others. Collectors can add to the lineup through mystery capsules sold separately. Each capsule contains three mini videotapes designed to fit the TV, along with a mini keychain and a case for carrying a favorite tape.
The capsules extend the same collectible format used in other Miniverse collections: a core display piece supported by smaller, surprise-based expansions. That structure gives fans a base product to use immediately and a continuing assortment to look for.
MGA describes the line as mixing TV and film moments with collectibility and customization. The player provides the centerpiece, while the separate tapes and capsules give collectors specific items to seek out and add to the set. The miniature scale is central to the concept: the TV, tapes and cases are all sized to be displayed and handled as collectibles.
The collection is designed to be expanded over time. Beyond the initial player set, the separately sold mystery capsules let fans add three tapes at a time, along with a keychain and a case. That approach gives fans a starter set and a way to build a library of short clips.
Nostalgia with a working twist
Josh Hackbarth, chief marketing officer at MGA Entertainment, framed the product as a small-scale way to revisit familiar entertainment. He said the screen may be tiny, but the idea behind it is not. According to Hackbarth, Miniverse Real TV takes movies and shows that fans love and turns them into a collection they can actually press play on.
He also cited the appeal of physical media as fans return to the experience of selecting a tape, loading it and watching a memorable scene. MGA characterizes the mix of nostalgia and working playback as playful, inventive and surprising.
The line is designed for children ages 8 and up. MGA is directing shoppers to shop.mgae.com for more information, while additional retail availability is scheduled for later this month.