Why ex-Activision Skylanders executive is marketing Osmo’s educational games

Skylanders inaugurated the “toys to life” industry that combined physical toys and digital games. It became a billion-dollar business for Activision, and John Coyne was one of the marketers who got to ride its wild rise — and fall. Last year, Activision decided to give the product line a year off after falling sales.
Coyne, meanwhile, hopes to ply his knowledge as a marketer of toys and games at Osmo, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company that combines physical toys with digital