Paper Money

MattelMattel’s fourth quarter gross sales were 3 percent higher in 2015, absent the impact of currency exchange rates, compared to the same period in the previous year. Full-year gross sales were up 1 percent in constant-currency terms, buoyed by 7 percent growth in Fisher-Price and a 22 percent rise from Hot Wheels. Mattel’s entertainment business, which includes both the digital and tabletop games categories, grew 16 percent.

A recently announced “strategic partnership” will see Stronghold Games handling all English-language games of eggerspiele in North America.

The two Toys “R” Us stores in Ireland are shutting down just 6 months after opening.

Queen Games has begun providing its games direct to distributors in North America, ending its distribution arrangement with Asmodee NA. Queen Games will use Ship Naked for fulfillment, with Hit Point Sales also providing an alternate sales vehicle.

For its part, Asmodee has acquired Nordic and Dutch distributor Bersgala Enigma and is renaming the company to just “Enigma”.

Patch Products of Beloit, Wisconsin has acquired STEM and construction toy company, Roominate. Patch also changed its name to Playmonster.

Spin Master has acquired the Etch A Sketch and Doodle Sketch brands, including all related patents, trademarks, tooling, and inventory, from The Ohio Art Company.

Bay Tek Games has purchased Skee Ball.

Playmore Games of Finland announced the closing of an Angel round of funding with €250,000 from Nolwenture Ltd. and Davigia Ltd. The investment will be used to expand the company’s distribution network for tabletop games, as well as to develop its Dized application for enhancing tabletop games with digital content.

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Passport Partners With Pegasus

Passport Game Studios announced this week a partnership arrangement with Pegasus Spiele and eggertspiele through which it would bring some of the German companies’ games to the United States. The first two products under the deal, Hospital Rush and Grog Island, should arrive as early as July. Both are already available in Europe.

Hospital RushHospital Rush has players take on the role of interns competing for hospital positions with cures, sound medical care, and a healthy dose of dirty tricks. It’s a worker-placement game for 3-5 players.

Grog IslandIn Grog Island the players are retired pirates investing their saved loot in businesses and ventures close to a pirate’s heart: peg-leg shops, voodoo dolls, parrots, and treasure chests. Central to the game is an auction where players bid their dice.

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