Toymaker Hasbro Inc.
HAS 0.68%
reorganize to capitalize on a pandemic-fueled boom in old school board games, creating a separate section around the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
Dungeons & Dragons, the fantasy role-playing game, and Magic, a collectible card game, were a highlight for the maker of Monopoly and Transformers action figures. Their publisher, Wizards of the Coast LLC, generated revenue of $ 816 million last year, a 24% increase over 2019, fueled by what Hasbro says were record years for the two brands.
Overall, Hasbro’s net revenue fell 8% last year to $ 5.47 billion, in part due to retail shifts related to Covid-19.
Retail in the era of Covid-19
Under the new structure, which the company will unveil at an investor event on Thursday, Hasbro will be split into three units. Consumer products include toys like Transformers action figures and classic board games like Monopoly. Entertainment will be devoted to the licensing, distribution and production of film and television content. Wizards & Digital will house the assets of Wizards of the Coast and focus on expanding existing games, creating new games and overseeing digital licensing for the entire business.
Hasbro hopes the reorganization will make it possible to replicate the success of Wizards of the Coast in digital games and licensing in other parts of the company and strengthen other properties such as GI Joe, Ouija and Transformers, according to a person familiar with with the case. According to Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner, the Wizards unit is on track to double revenue from 2018 to 2023.
Hasbro acquired Renton, Wizards of the Coast, in Washand, in 1999, in a total transaction worth approximately $ 325 million. His flagship games are designed to be played around a table and tend to reward social interaction in the real world. Last year, when coronavirus lockouts made personal game nights impossible, fans turned to digital solutions such as Zoom teleconferencing for virtual encounters.
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“Now is the perfect time for role-playing, people have more time in their hands. If you want to relax and see your friends, this is the best way to do virtual games,” said Satine Phoenix, a former Wizards community manager. of the, said. Coast now working as a writer, D&D living hunger and trainer for ‘dungeon master’.
Wizards of the Coast says it has attracted new players by joining other fantasy and science franchises. In 2020, the company released new Magic Cards featuring characters from the AMC television program “The Walking Dead” and giant monsters, including Godzilla from the Japanese film company Toho. Co.
Another limited set of maps contains paintings licensed from the estate of TV host Bob Ross.
Hasbro will announce new partnerships during its Thursday event, including an agreement with the Games Games Workshop Group in the UK 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, Hidden Path Entertainment and Boston-based OtherSide Entertainment.
Write to David M. Ewalt by [email protected]
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