Hey, it's Katherine.   I've come across Bop It hidden secrets throughout this year alone than any of the nearly 18 years I've been collecting. So, I'm gonna talk about some of my favorites.   Firstly, I love discovering Test Modes and Revision Numbers. A Test Mode is a secret manufacturing technique activated by holding a combination of the actions, as well as either pressing Reset or removing a battery and reinserting it, to test all the functionalities of the unit and play all the sounds programmed into the sound chip of the microcontroller. A Revision Number is an identification number in Test Mode, similar to a software version number. Think of it as you're updating your phone, and it says like 'iOS 27.2' or whatever. Sometimes the same Bop It versions have different Revision Numbers, because they can't connect to the Internet to update their software, so Hasbro releases a whole new unit.   My second favorite thing is something I found out in the Bop It! Bounce (2010). When putting Bop It! Bounce into Test Mode, and you get to a certain part of the Test Mode, you spam the buttons a bit and then it spits out a number: 268,435,455. Now that's huge already that a Bop It can say that number. But it gets better. If you exit out of Test Mode, it will move 268,435,455 to your total hits, but no matter how much you play and add more to the total hits number, the number will not budge. This is because 268,435,455 is 2^28 − 1, which is 28 consecutive ones in binary, and zero counts as a number in this, so you actually have a zero 28 times for 0, and you have a one 28 times for 268,435,455.   Third thing, the pitch. Any Bop It from 1997 to I'd say about 2017(?) if you had multiple units of one version, they would not sound the exact same. The crystal oscillator (or RC oscillator in 2009 and later units) inside the microcontroller of the main circuit board determines the pitch of a Bop It. This microcontroller is hidden under a black epoxy blob. We can determine the actual pitch of a Bop It by pulling out an oscilloscope and measuring the beep it makes in Test Mode in Hertz. The beep is a sine wave that is played at a certain frequency to test the quality of the speaker. Take Bop It! (2009) for example. The lowest sine wave I've recorded is 780 Hz, and the highest is about 950 Hz. Now, with two different units that sound very close to the same, they actually won't be exactly the same because the frequency could change a little bit when being measured. So, one could read 905 Hz for example, and another one could read 895 Hz. (True story.) Now in my archiving for my Bop It videos and unboxings when I obtain more Bop It! (2009) units, I have set out 10 major pitches for that version. But, if the sine wave varies and isn't always going to be exactly 905 Hz on two different units, and one would be like 902 Hz for example, technically speaking, you could have 171 different pitches of Bop It! (2009) (950 − 780 = 170, and you are counting 950 as one as well, so 171), and it would take years to obtain one of each of the 171 pitches.   The last thing is, and one of my viewers actually discovered this on my livestream yesterday, is that you can identify the manufacturing date on any Bop It unit (I think from 2009 to now)! So somewhere on the Bop It, you will see a five-digit number. I'll take the Bop It! (2009) for example. The cover image of this blog post shows where it is on the Bop It! (2009). So let's take that number. 92431. Now, in Bop It! (2009) units, the first number represents the year, so 9 is 2009, 0 is 2010, 1 is 2011, 2 is 2012, 3 is 2013. For the white English Bop It! (2009) units we will only focus on 9, 0, and 1. So, you see this one is a 9, so this was manufactured in 2009. Now the next three numbers are very fascinating; this number represents the Julian date, or the number day in the year, so for example 365 would be December 31, as it's the 365th day of the year. (A leap year would not work here since neither 2009, 2010, or 2011 were a leap year...) So the number we see is 243, and the 243rd day of the year is August 31. So we know that this Bop It! (2009) unit was manufactured on August 31, 2009. The last number, the 1, is the factory number. And on all of the Bop It! (2009) units I have, they all end in 1, so that must be the factory number in China where it was made. Now, units manufactured in 2011 will have a • at the end of the number, and that is more of a Hasbro Quality Control mark than anything, but I've only seen that on my 2011s.   And what makes the Bop It! (2009) manufacturing dates especially unusual, if they aren't unusual already, is almost all of the days that are listed by the code fall on a Monday, with a very rare occasional Tuesday. This means in order for me to find one that was manufactured on my birthday, September 26, the only way is to find a 2011 unit, and hope that it has the code, 12691•. Other Bop It versions like the Bop It! (2019) were manufactured on a Wednesday sometimes, but the 2009s are more worthy of identifying in my opinion. The manufacturing date on the cover of this blog post is from my very first Bop It. So, if Bop It! (2009) units started manufacturing in 2009, then that means the media has been lying to everyone, and that I was right that Bop It! (2009) actually was 2009 and not 2008 like the copyright year on the shell says...   These are only a few of the favorite things I've discovered or some viewers have discovered. But I have influenced them and hyped these discoveries, because a kid that has a Bop It doesn't think about these kinds of things with their Bop It; the fun enjoyment of the game is all that matters to them. But in reality, their favorite game went through a lot behind the scenes, not just research and development or concept markups, but actual manufacturing and programming, to become what has made a tremendous impact in their life. As well as mine... ♡

  Ashley Eckstein Hosts "The Force of Play," a TAGIE Celebration Kicking off the 50th Anniversary of Star Wars   CHICAGO, IL | November 9, 2026 — People of Play™ (POP), a division of The Toy Association™, revealed the winners of the 19th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE®) Awards during a ceremony held November 6 at Joe’s Live Concert Venue in Rosemont, IL. The event honored the inventors, designers, suppliers, retailers, marketers, and PR teams whose creativity, passion, and collaboration continue to shape and inspire the global toy and game industry.   This year’s event also brought attendees to a galaxy far, far away to kick off the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. Themed “The Force of Play,” the evening was hosted by Ashley Eckstein, actress, entrepreneur, founder of Her Universe, and the original voice of beloved Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano. In recognition of the iconic franchise's milestone anniversary in 2027, guests received specially created commemorative coins featuring the Star Wars 50th anniversary emblem and the TAGIE Awards logo.   The celebration also included a special video message from Dave Filoni, President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm Ltd., who thanked the toy industry for its years of support and for helping bring the Star Wars galaxy into the hands of fans around the world.   “The TAGIE Awards are a celebration of the creativity, passion, and collaboration that make the toy and game industry so extraordinary,” said Robb LaFlamme, Director of Hardlines at Disney Parks Retail and Development and Chairman of the TAGIE Awards Committee. “This year’s theme, ‘The Force of Play,’ took on a special meaning as we kicked off the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, a franchise that has sparked imaginations and inspired generations through the power of storytelling and play. It’s a wonderful reminder of the lasting impact a single idea can have, and a fitting tribute to the innovators we honored. Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners!”   Winners were determined by a public vote by consumers and the industry. The 2026 TAGIE Award winners are listed below:   Honorees: Lifetime Achievement Award: Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl Industry Game Changer Award: Elan Lee & Matthew Inman, co-founders of Exploding Kittens   Award Winners: Toy Innovator of the Year - Ages 0 - 13: Alex Wilde, Cody Hampton, & Jessica Kaups for Disney: Batuu Adventure Buddies, Ewok Toy Innovator of the Year - Ages 13+: Goliath's Clickeez Team for Clickeez Series 3: Bubble Pops Game Innovator of the Year - Ages 0 - 13: Joe Barron, Sophia Ricciardi, David Yakos, Brady Peterson, Danielle Standring, & Grant Lyon for Cross the Line Game Innovator of the Year - Ages 13+: The Spin Master Games Team with Inventors Don Ullman & Bob Driscoll for Murder Phone, Rubik's Rush and Jumanji Ultimate Level Electronic Board Game Licensed Product Innovator of the Year: KAYOU for KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards Young Innovator of the Year: Bryce Mikolajczak for Cell Quest Most Innovative Designer of the Year - Art & Visuals: Matthew Inman & the Exploding Kittens Team for Dead Therapist Most Innovative PR & Marketing Team of the Year: Amanda Rubinos Luna & Ali Way for Disney Lorcana: Curator's Collection, Heroines Edition — A Disney Park & Disney Store Exclusive Sales Innovator of the Year: Tyler Williams & the ZB Designs Sales Team for Wigglitz Most Innovative Partner of the Year: Bang Zoom Design Ltd. for Peekimo, Bitzee Interactive Aquarium, & PAW Patrol Megasaurus Dino Vehicle   During the event, JoAnn McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Licensed Product Design & Development at Disney Consumer Products, and Brad Schoeneberg, Vice President of Vertical Product Design and Development at Disney Parks Retail and Development, delivered welcome remarks. This year’s awards were sponsored by Disney (Presenting Sponsor), Duracell, Kickstarter, Hasbro, Mattel, University Games, Longshore Ltd., Super Impulse, KenKen, Nextoy, The Play Makers, Backdrop.com, Brown Creative, Baby Paper, and Design Edge.   Founded in 2008, the TAGIEs celebrate the outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world. The awards ceremony takes place annually in the fall in conjunction with People of Play’s annual POP Week (November 5 to 8 in Rosemont, IL), including the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, Young Inventor Challenge, and Chicago Toy & Game Fair.   About People of Play™ peopleofplay.comPeople of Play (POP), a division of The Toy Association™, leads the global toy and game industry in promoting innovation, creativity, and connectivity. A one-stop source of community for industry professionals, aspiring inventors, and people of all ages who love to play, People of Play hosts a play platform packed with resources, the largest toy and game directory in the industry, and a wide range of events, including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIEs) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge®, the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, and more.   About The Toy Association™ toyassociation.org / toyfoundation.org / peopleofplay.com / thegeniusofplay.org / playsafe.orgFounded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the business trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $155.7 billion, and its roughly 800+ members drive the annual $45.6 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry's voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play's positive impact on childhood development. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, governments, consumers, and the industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned Toy Fair™ in New York City; hosts marketplace activities in Los Angeles; engages in state, federal, and international advocacy on behalf of its members; supports the inventor and design community through People of Play™ and its numerous assets and events, including the consumer-facing Chicago Toy & Game Fair; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America's widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard. The Toy Association's philanthropic arm is The Toy Foundation™, a 501 (c)(3) children's charity that acts as the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry. To date, The Toy Foundation has delivered the joy of play to 33 million children in need worldwide.