The company hasn't said how much this will affect the roadmap for its toys, although it's difficult to see the firm giving up its lucrative connection to Disney. The education shift is intended to play on Sphero's strong points, as it believes it's at its best when it can "100-percent own" the creation of a product.

This isn't a calamity for Sphero. However, it shows that success is far from certain, even when you combine clever remote control technology with some of the most coveted licenses in the toy world. Education may be a safer bet simply because it's more predictable, and isn't as prone to the whims of gift-givers.