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Tag: Hasbro

  • Angry Birds Transformers Mash-up Is a Real Thing That’s Happening

    Because the world needed the word ‘Deceptihog’, Rovio and Hasbro have teamed up once again to bring you a new Angry Birds mashup that will spawn a new game, a new product line, and more branded toys.

    This time, it’s the Transformers.

    “We’re really excited to combine the iconic Transformers universe with the quirky world of Angry Birds” said Blanca Juti, Chief Marketing Officer of Rovio. “This mash-up is going to appeal to those who grew up with the brand in the 80s, as well as fans of the brand today. People are going to love it!”

    Yes, there will be ‘Autobirds’ and “Deceptihogs’.

    “Angry Birds Transformers provides fans worldwide with a fun, new story and characters, and innovative ways, like our TELEPODS platform, for consumers to engage with the brand” said John Frascotti, Chief Marketing Officer at Hasbro. “We collaborated with Rovio to create opportunities for kids and families to experience Autobirds and Deceptihogs across multiple formats and entertainment platforms, for a completely immersive branded experience.”

    No word yet on exactly when the new Angry Birds Transformer mobile app will launch, but there’s a teaser site you can go check out right now. Other than a big graphic, all you’ll find is the tagline Birds disguised as robots in disguise.

    Image via Hasbro, Twitter

  • Monopoly Rules To Incorporate “House Rules”

    Monopoly rules are changing, and with a little help from you.

    Ever sat down as family or friends to play a game of monopoly and used some rules that might not be in the rulebook? Do you get a wad of cash when you land on free parking or travel between railroads or auction off properties that haven’t been bought up quickly?

    You may be playing by “house rules,” rules that you, your family and friends have thought up and incorporated into the classic game for time and eternity. But now you get your chance to add the rules to a special edition of Monopoly called “Monopoly: House Rules Edition,” all by joining the debate.

    Starting today through April 3, fans and players of Monopoly, from the experienced to the novice, can join in on a Facebook debate about which house rules should be added for the house rules edition.

    According to Hasbro, the following rules will be debated during the ten-day period:

    Free Parking, Fast Cash: All taxes and fees will be collected in the middle of the game board, if you land on Free Parking, collect all the money from the middle of the board.

    Dash for the Cash: Land on Go! and you get to double your salary, 400 dollars from 200.

    Frozen Assets Rule: When in jail, a player cannot collect any rent money from other players.

    Lucky Roller: Roll Snake Eyes and odds are in your favor—collect 500 dollars.

    3’s a Crowd: If there are three players in a row on three unique properties, each player gets an extra 500 dollars.

    Cash Advance: With this House Rule, players can make loans between each other to co-own properties.

    Break The Bank: At the start of the game, leave half the money in the bank. Then mix up the other half of the money in the center of a board. On the count of 3 every player grabs what they can.

    Mum’s the Word: Mum always gets out of jail free.

    See the Sights: Players must travel around the board one complete time before they can begin buying properties.

    Property Boom: With this rule, players do not have to own a complete set of properties before they start to build houses.

    Nine hours ago, the action already started with a discussion about the “Frozen Assets Rule”:

    Post by Monopoly.

    Monopoly is a board game where players accumulate properties and build on them to collect “rent” from other players. Players are eliminated when they have no more money and the winner is the man or woman left standing at the end.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons, Facebook

  • Furby Boom is Hot Holiday Toy for 2013

    The Furby Boom is Hasbro’s 2013 edition of a toy that has become a modern classic.

    Hasbro is pushing the app component of the Furby Boom this holiday season. The app is available for iOS devices through iTunes and for Android devices through Google Play.

    New app features offer the ability to name your Furby and to monitor its vital stats. Among the new ways to play with Furbies touted on the Hasbro website:

    “Collect, hatch, and raise Furblings!”

    “Fill your Furblings city and get the golden egg!”

    The Furby Boom looks a little different from previous versions of the toy. It’s available in six new color schemes, its ears feature cut outs, and its feet are plastic versus cloth.

    It also has five new personalities, which change as the Furby is played with.

    The Furby Boom has made top toy lists at retailers like Amazon and Target and is being featured in Black Friday sales across the nation.

    It will be available for $29 in Walmart’s Black Friday sale and is one of only 21 “Doorbuster” deals covered by the retail giant’s 1-Hour In Stock Guarantee.

    On its social media channels, Hasbro is putting out images of the Furby with pop culture references:

    The Furby was launched in 1998, causing “near riots” during the holiday season that year. New models were released in 2005 and 2012.

    Image via Facebook

  • New Monopoly Token Proves That Cats Still Rule The Internet

    In August of 2013 Hasbro Inc. announced that they would be replacing the iconic iron game piece in the classic Monopoly board game with a cat. And not just any cat; a democratically picked cat which was chosen through an internet poll.

    Gizmodo released a rather lengthy and cheeky review saying, “This cat is the product of democracy in action. This cat is America.”

    Since the replacement, the social sphere has been a buzz with tweets, videos, opinion pieces and even Gizmodo’s cat Photoshop contest. It seems that everyone has an opinion of this new fan-chosen feline.

    Not all Monopoly fans are happy about the change though. What about their fond childhood memories?

     

     

    Even local news reporters are getting in on the social debate:

    A new Monopoly Commercial was launched to introduce the new game piece. The gaming company may even be poking fun at itself, or cat fans.

    http://youtu.be/RRigRBCNg7A

    [Video Source: PassGoMonopoly]

    In the 1950’s Hasbro replaced the rocking horse, purse and lantern tokens with the wheelbarrow, horse and dog. Too bad the internet wasn’t around then; it would’ve been interesting to see the uproar. Or did Monopoly fans just simply embrace the new dog token back then?

     

    What do you think? Should the internet mascot officially be the cat?

    [Main Image Source: Hasbro]

  • Rovio Partners With Hasbro For Even More Angry Birds Toys

    Anyone who has casually perused a toy store lately can attest that the Angry Birds brand has grown to become one of the largest current toy brands. The birds and their pig nemeses can be found on everything from plush toys to lunch boxes – and there is even an Angry Birds-branded soda.

    This wildly successful merchandising didn’t come about by chance, however. In the three years since the release of Angry Birds, Rovio has strategically partnered with companies to put their brand in the hands children in both Europe and the U.S. – and they won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

    Rovio announced this week that it has expanded its licensing agreement with Hasbro. The toy company will continue to manufacture Angry Birds toys, including ones related to the lucrative Angry Birds Star Wars property.

    “Angry Birds is one of the most recognizable entertainment franchises in the world and we’re thrilled Rovio has chosen Hasbro as its premier toy and game licensee,” said John Frascotti, CMO at Hasbro.

    In addition to the Hasbro deal, Rovio also announced that it intends to expand its merchandising reach with even more partnerships. The Finnish company has partnered with Power A to provide mobile and video game accessories, with Thermos to create Angry Birds storage containers, and with Pez to create new Pez dispensers. In addition, Gemmy Industries will be creating inflatable toys and Halloween costumes, while Natrol will create Angry Birds multivitamins for kids.

    “We are thrilled to have these companies onboard with us,” said Naz Cuevas, SVP of Global Consumer Products Licensing at Rovio. “We are committed to developing great products for our fans with our dedicated partners, resulting in even deeper retail integrations.”

  • Check Out Hasbro’s Toy Workshop Complete With 3D Printers

    Hasbro is in the business of making toys. Some of the most beloved franchises of our youth – Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, and others – all come out of the behemoth toy maker. These toys are generally made in China, but the company now creates its prototypes and production models here in the U.S. with 3D printers.

    Gizmodo recently got a tour of Hasbro’s workshop that’s nestled in its Providence, Rhode Island headquarters. It’s here that toy makers create the next generation of Transformers with the help of 3D printers. It’s an incredibly fascinating look at how 3D printers are helping to reduce the time required to move a toy from prototype to full on production model.

    GIZMODO – Inside Hasbro: Model Shop Magic from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

    It’s safe to assume that toys were a major part of your childhood, as they were mine. It’s nice to see that toy companies are on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to 3D printers and stereolithography machines.

    [h/t: 3ders]

  • Hasbro to Make Tetris-Themed Jenga, Bop It Games

    One of the most-popular video games ever created, Tetris, is about to get some real world ports based on its famous block-building structures.

    Hasbro and The Tetris Company have just announced a partnership that will see two physical games based on Tetris produced before the end of the year.

    The first is called BOP IT TETRIS, which “tests players to match the traditional TETRIS block shaped lights as the challenges get faster and the levels go higher.” The second is JENGA TETRIS, which is pretty self-explanatory. Towers of lego shapes, anyone?

    “For almost 30 years, the TETRIS game has been played by hundreds of millions of players across nearly every mobile and video gaming platform,” said Henk Rogers, Managing Director of The Tetris Company. “We’re thrilled to be teaming up with Hasbro to expand the TETRIS brand and give our fans fun, challenging face-to-face formats to experience the ‘Tetris Effect’ in a unique way.”

    As you may remember, Hasbro partnered with Zynga last year to launch physical version of popular online games like FarmVille, Draw Something, and Word with Friends. They also recently announced a partnership with EA to bring Popcap’s popular Bejeweled game to the physical world.

    You can expect to see the new Tetris Jenga and Tetris Bop It hit store shelves (globally) this August.

    [Photo courtesy Loozrboy, Flickr]

  • Mattel And Hasbro Terrified Of Tablets Moving In On Their Turf

    Mattel and Hasbro are household names when it comes to toys. I grew up playing with action figures made by the companies, and I’m sure any person born in the 80s or early 90s has fond memories of G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, He-Man and others. Despite being giants in the toy industry, these companies are now facing a new kind of challenger in the form of tablets.

    An analyst with Needham and Company are saying that toy companies are starting to get a little scared for their futures. Kids are becoming increasingly interested in tablets and other technologies instead of the toys that generations past were so invested in. In fact, a recent survey of children found that many wanted iPads, iPhones and other devices for Christmas. Of course, the survey only asked about interest in technology-related gifts, but it could be inferred that kids really do want tablets instead of toys.

    For their part, Mattel and Hasbro are putting on a brave face. The companies say that nothing is wrong, but you can see the signs of change in their core business. The biggest toys retailer in the U.S., Toys-R-Us, unveiled its own tablet for kids in September called the Tabeo. It’s pretty obvious that what’s considered fun and entertaining for children is changing when even the toy stores are starting to give premium exposure to tablets.

    So what can these companies do to stave off their own demise? Get with the times and offer more technology related toys and products. There are ways to tie toys into tablets and video games. Activision proved that last year with the amazingly successful Skylanders that makes kids buy toys to unlock more characters in the game. Mattel could start up a new He-Man toy line and tie it into the latest mobile title for additional unlocks or bonuses. There are plenty of ways for traditional companies to embrace technology while staying true to their core focus. It’s just a matter of finding a solution.

    [h/t: BGR]

  • Zynga, Hasbro Launching FarmVille, CityVille, & Words with Friends-Themed Board Games

    If you are looking for a new type of board game to play over the course of the holiday season, Zynga and Hasbro hope that you’ll give their new offerings a chance.

    Social gaming company Zynga and longtime physical game maker Hasbro have teamed up to produce a line of board games inspired by the online Zynga games played by millions around the world. This partnership was first announced back in February, and we’re now getting a picture of what the games will look like.

    Some of the games are entirely based on a Zynga property, and some combine classic board games with the Zynga properties. For example, one of the offerings is a straight up physical adaptation of Draw Something – and another is a mashup called “CityVille Monopoly.”

    You also have FarmVille Hungry Hungry Herd (a Hungry Hungry Hippos mashup), FarmVille Animal Game featuring Memory, and FarmVille Old Maid & Go Fish.

    And yes, there will be a Words with Friends board game available – which will of course resemble Scrabble, but with slightly different point values and letter distributions.

    Zynga isn’t completely abandoning digital with this partnership, as many of the games include digital values – for instance, a purchase of the Words with Friends board game give players access to a bunch of new digital features.

    “We are proud to team up with Hasbro and excited for our players to experience their favorite Zynga games in a new way,” said Barry Cottle, Executive Vice President, Corporate and Business Development, Zynga. “Our hope is to enhance relationships through play through our web and mobile social games and now with the new games from Hasbro, we can make those connections even stronger for our players.”

    “We are thrilled to be working with Zynga to give their millions of fans an exciting experience with the Zynga games they love,” said Eric Nyman, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Leader, Hasbro Gaming. “Gaming brings people together, especially during the holidays, and we can’t wait to offer friends and families even more great options to play.”

    Zynga and Hasbro are definitely hoping for a big holiday hit. In all, eight games will be launched this fall with price points around $19.99 to $24.99.

    You can expect to see many of these games hit the shelves this month in the U.S., and later this fall in the U.K., Australia, and Canada.

  • It May Not Be LEGO, But This KRE-O U.S.S. Enterprise Is Amazing

    There’s no getting around it – I love it when LEGO and nerd properties collide. That’s why I’m so adamant on getting that Portal LEGO set out of committee and into the hands of my fellow nerds everywhere. There are other non-LEGO bricks that have deals with nerd properties that demand your attention as well though. One of those will be coming to Comic-Con.

    KRE-O, which is essentially Hasbro’s take on LEGO, nabbed the license to Star Trek a while back and will be premiering the sets they’ve cooked up at the San Diego Comic-Con. As toy companies regularly do before a major release, they have teased their new license with the first picture of the U.S.S. Enterprise set.

    Gut reaction: It’s beautiful and I want it. I’ve always had a thing for ships, whether they be naval or stellar, and the KRE-O Enterprise does not disappoint. Sure, it’s not LEGO, but it’s the next best thing. At least it’s not Mega Bloks and their awful Halo line.

    What makes this reveal even more special is that Hasbro has recreated the Star Trek reboot’s teaser trailer completely out of KRE-O. The fact that the fake MPAA notice at the beginning of the trailer says “The following preview has been approved for all toy loving audiences” fills me with a kind of joy that I haven’t experienced in a long time. As for the actual trailer itself, it has a Robot Chicken quality to it that’s pure delight.

    As previously mentioned, we’ll get our first look at the set this year at San Diego Comic-Con. Unfortunately, it won’t be hitting stores until Spring 2013. Here’s hoping that Hasbro reveals more than just the U.S.S. Enterprise at Comic-Con and perhaps some sets based on the older movies. I would do horrible things for a William Shatner LEGO look-alike figure.

    [h/t: Collider]

  • Transformers Are Now Real Courtesy Of Japan

    Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had somewhat of a fascination with Transformers. While I may have been more of a G.I. Joe fan, Transformers at least made me think. How could a robot twist and turn like that to become a humanoid after being a truck just seconds before? I passed it off as being impossible and turned my brain off as I watched the Autobots kicking the Decepticons’ collective asses.

    It appears that I may have jumped the gun though as an Intrepid Japanese inventor has created what may be the first autonomous Transformer. This isn’t some cheap gimmick or trick of the camera. What we have here is a fully functional transforming robot that goes from car to humanoid robot.

    According to the video, the robot if fully functional with 22 motors that power its movements. Those motors power an amazing array of movements from walking to full on punching power. This little guy even pulls off a massive uppercut that would shatter a Decepticon’s jaw.

    The video says that this is version 8 of the robot with version 9 coming soon. That means that there are at least seven of these robot prototypes lying around. I think we all know what this means: Hasbro needs to hire this guy as their new toy lead. I haven’t purchased a Transformers toy in years after what Michael Bay did to the franchise, but I would buy one of these in an instant.

    Check out the video yourself and tell us what you think:

    [Thanks Reddit]

  • G.I.Joe Retaliation Releases 8 Awesome Posters

    Who is your favorite Joe? Roadblock? Duke? Snake Eyes? Well those guys are all here in these awesome new movie posters! This movie managed to land a couple of big stars for the seqel including the Rock and Bruce Willis.

    G.I. Joe Retaliation is set to be released on June 29, 2012. It stars Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock, Channing Tatum as Duke, Bruce Willis as General Joseph Colton, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, RZA as Blind Master, Arnold Vosloo as Zartan
    D.J. Cotrona as Flint, Elodie Yung as Jinx, Eddie Hargitay as Tunnel Rat, Matt Gerald as Zandar, Joseph Mazzello as Mouse, Jonathan Pryce as the President of the United States, and Walton Goggins as Warden Nigel James.

    Cobra Commander

    (image)

    Snake Eyes

    (image)

    Roadblock

    (image)

    Duke

    (image)

    Storm Shadow

    (image)

    Lady Jaye

    (image)

    Joe Colton

    (image)

    Jinx

    (image)

    Here is the official trailer for the movie:

  • Hasbro Signs Multi-Year Deal with Netflix

    Hasbro Signs Multi-Year Deal with Netflix

    It was announced today that toy maker Hasbro has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to stream all of it’s huge 80’s hits such as Transformers and G.I. Joe. The monetary value of the deal was not immediately available, but a bunch of shows are available right now!

    “We are very excited to be working with Hasbro Studios,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Content Acquisition at Netflix. “This deal allows us to offer even more great kids’ programming to our members, both adults and kids alike, including new seasons of My Little Pony, Transformers Prime, and Pound Puppies after the season finale airs on The Hub.”

    Transformers Prime, My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, G.I. Joe: Renegades and The Adventures of Chuck & Friends are now available to instantly watch on Netflix. JEM & The Holograms, Transformers: Generation 1, G.I. Joe: Real American Heroes, Transformers: Beast Wars and Transformers: Rescue Bots will follow later in 2012.

    “We are pleased that consumers will now be able to watch our award-winning programming on Netflix, the leading internet subscription service,” Hasbro Studios President Stephen Davis said. “We are making our content easy to access, anytime, anywhere and on all platforms where audiences are consuming content and this is a big step forward with our all screen strategy.”

    @Magiz
    Phil Harris    I’m actually excited to hear about this…Netflix signs multi-year deal with Hasbro — and knowing is half the battle http://t.co/IsKhO8BB 2 hours ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @iDavey
    David M.D.    Wooooooo, Transformers Beast Wars, the best Transformers series ever, is coming to Netflix!!! 25 minutes ago via Twitter for iPad ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @ScreamManDan
    Dan Miller    Original Transformers and GI-Joe shows to come to Netflix this year. I’m a little more than excited. #nerd 4 minutes ago via UberSocial for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Hasbro Brings Cartoons to Netflix

    Hasbro Brings Cartoons to Netflix

    Hasbro Studios has just partnered with Netflix for a multi-year deal, bringing ten cartoon franchises to the content streaming platform’s Just For Kids section.

    Below is a clip of Hasbro’s “Transformers Prime,” now on Netflix:

    As of now, Netflix offers Hasbro shows Transformers Prime, My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, G.I. Joe: Renegades and The Adventures of Chuck & Friends, in its 12-and-under section. Later in the year, JEM & The Holograms, Transformers: Generation 1, G.I. Joe: Real American Heroes, Transformers: Beast Wars and Transformers: Rescue Bots will be available.

    Below is a sample of the “delightfully fast-paced, song-filled adventures” of “Chuck & Friends:”

    And finally, Hasbro will resurrect JEM & The Holograms on Netflix in the coming months. The migraine-inducing theme song can be heard in the video below:

    Just recently, Netflix lost some of their Just For Kids content in Canada for a short time, due to a licensing issue.

  • Zynga, Hasbro Partner To Make FarmVille Toys A Reality

    The people behind FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Mafia Wars are teaming up with the people behind Transformers, Nerf, and My Little Pony to produce a line of real-life toys and games based on the popular social games.

    The two companies just announced the agreement, which give Hasbro the license to create and distribute “wide ranging product lines based on Zynga’s game brands.” This means toys, games, and other real life products based on Zynga’s massive catalog of online games.

    I know what you’re thinking – does this mean that a Words With Friends board game is a possibility? You know, Scrabble?

    “It’s exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games,” said Mark Pincus, founder, CEO and chief product officer of Zynga. “This partnership is so special because it represents an exciting leap forward in enabling people to connect their virtual and real worlds. Hasbro has inspired play through their famous toys, games and action figures and we look forward to working with a company that continually creates meaningful and fun brands.”

    Hasbro is looking to benefit from Zynga’s 200+ million monthly active users.

    “Hasbro is thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Zynga’s immensely popular social games to life in a variety of creative and new expressions that reflect consumers’ growing desire to surround themselves with gaming brands they love anytime, anywhere together with their friends and family,” said Brian Goldner, President and CEO of Hasbro. “Zynga is bringing more games to mainstream culture and is redefining how people play. At Hasbro, we’re proud to help bring their games to even more people around the world. This strategic alliance plays off of both Hasbro’s and Zynga’s proven strengths and is emblematic of the new innovations and new platforms we are creating across our entire gaming portfolio.”

    The deal also leaves open the possibility for co-branded ventures – My Little Pony on The Pioneer Trial, anyone?

    The first products are expected to roll off the production line sometime in the Fall of this year.

    Zynga has taken a little flak recently for a series of accusations that they were stealing from indie game developers. They later came out and defended their development strategy.

    If you want to really grasp just how huge Zynga is on the social gaming sphere, just think about this: In their IPO filings, Facebook revealed that Zynga accounted for 12% of their total revenue last year.