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07 Feb
Posted by David Miller as Card Games, CCGs, Electronic Games, Modern Board Games, Other
Hasbro reported Monday a 7% increase for net revenue in 2011 over the previous year. Major drivers of the record $4.29 billion total were a 19% growth in international revenue (16% excluding the impact of foreign exchange) and a 35% increase in the boys category. The girls category declined 11% and games and puzzles dropped 10%.
While the results in games overall were disappointing, two standout successes were Beyblade and Magic: The Gathering.
Beyblade is one of the top three producing brands for Hasbro. With strong growth overseas, Beyblade saw $477 million dollars in revenues in 2011. Looking forward, in the fall Hasbro will introduce a new play pattern to the game, Beywheels.
After doubling sales over the last 3 years, Magic: The Gathering is now Hasbro’s largest game brand in the United States. CEO Brian Goldner stated that a major new brand initiative for MtG will be announced by Wizards of the Coast at Toy Fair.
Regarding the remainder of the company’s game business, Goldner predicted a stable 2012, with growth returning in 2013. To achieve that, he explained that Hasbro is focusing on innovation—developing new brands and applying new technologies to eight of the top ten existing brands. He sees the combination of face-to-face and digital elements as key to success with games, and he cited recent experience with MtG as an example of that.
Some of the other interesting tidbits revealed Monday include:
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