Adults who refuse to grow up are becoming increasingly important to a toy industry promoting adolescence as a lifestyle choice.
Among the toys at this week's giant Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair are smartphone-operated flying machines clearly aimed at so-called "kidults" - particularly male ones.
"Kidults are not defined by age, they are defined by attitude," says Kenes Cheung, business development manager for Hong Kong's E-Supply International, which produces WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled vehicles.
"We're seeing a lot more products for the older player who has a smartphone," says Christopher Byrne, content director of timetoplaymag.com, a toy industry website.
"Guys especially have this inherent need to play. They never really grow out of it," he says.
"Smart-tech" toys are an increasingly important segment for the industry, say economists, citing declining birthrates in places such as Japan and South Korea that are pressuring producers to seek other markets - such as grown men with disposable income.
These consumers have high spending power, says Wenda Ma, an economist with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which hosted the showcase of products from nearly 2,900 exhibitors.
Collectables ranging from high-quality action figures to replica assault rifles and cars were among the more adult-oriented items on display.
"A growing number of companies are introducing two lines for the same product, one for kids and the other for collectors," says Ma.
The Hong Kong fair brings together a global array of buyers and manufacturers in an event that reinforces China's status as a production base, despite rising labour costs and competition from the likes of Indonesia and Vietnam.
The popularity of smartphones and tablet computers has lead developers to make more toys that combine physical objects with apps or other devices.
"Whatever product it is, it must have this kind of technology," says Yeung Chi-kong, a 51-year veteran of Hong's toy industry and vice chairman of Blue-Box Holdings which produces infant and preschool toys, electronics and collectables.
While some in the industry say children are more quickly ditching physical toys in favour of smartphones and tablets, tactile classics such as Lego remain popular.
And while British company Hornby has updated its Scalextric car racing sets to reflect the influence of console and smartphone racing games, it believes there's still a market traditional toys.
"There's a big market for things that are hands-on, for something you can build yourself," says Philip Deery, international sales manager.
"It's not all about this virtual world."
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