Hasbro toy manufacturer Inc.
HAS 0.68%
is reorganized to take advantage of a pandemic boom in old-school board games, creating an independent division around the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
Dungeons & Dragons, the fantasy role-playing game, and Magic, a collectible card game, have been bright spots for the creator of action figures Monopoly and Transformers. Its publisher, Wizards of the Coast LLC, posted revenue of $ 816 million last year, 24% more than in 2019, fueled by what Hasbro says were record years for both brands.
Overall, Hasbro’s net revenue fell 8% last year to $ 5.474 billion, due in part to Covid-19-related retail outages.
Retail at the age of Covid-19
Under the new structure, which the company plans to unveil on Thursday at an investor event, Hasbro will be split into three units. Consumer products will include toys like Transformers action figures and classic board games like Monopoly. The entertainment will be dedicated to licensing, distribution and production of film and television content. Wizards & Digital will house the assets of Wizards of the Coast and will focus on expanding existing games, creating new ones and overseeing digital licensing for the entire business.
Hasbro hopes the reorganization will allow it to replicate the success of Wizards of the Coast in digital gaming and licensing in other parts of the company and increase other properties such as GI Joe, Ouija and Transformers, according to someone familiar with the matter. According to Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner, the magicians ’unit is on track to double revenue from 2018 to 2023.
Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast, based in Renton, Washington, in 1999, in a $ 325 million securities deal. Their flagship games were designed to be played around a table and tend to reward real-world social interaction. Last year, when coronavirus blockages made face-to-face gaming nights impossible, fans turned to digital solutions like Zoom teleconferencing for virtual meetings.
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“Right now is the perfect time to do role-playing games, people have more time on their hands, and if you want to relax and see your friends, the best way is to play virtually,” said Satine Phoenix, former community manager of Wizards of the Coast, who now works as an author, live D&D broadcaster and coach of the “master of the dungeons”.
Wizards of the Coast says it has attracted new players by joining other fantasy and science fiction franchises. In 2020, the company released new Magic Letters featuring characters from the AMC TV show “The Walking Dead” and giant monsters, including Japanese film company Toho’s Godzilla. Co.
Another limited set of letters featured paintings licensed by TV presenter Bob Ross.
Hasbro will announce new alliances during its event on Thursday, including an agreement with UK-based Games Workshop Group to bring its war game “Warhammer 40,000″ to Magic and an agreement with Middle Earth Enterprises for a theme ” The Lord of the Rings”. expansion. New video game projects include games developed by Bellevue, Washington-based Hidden Path Entertainment and Boston-based OtherSide Entertainment.
Write to David M. Ewalt to [email protected]
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