EA's Hasbro Portfolio Sells 8 Million Units

Electronic Arts says its branding partnership with Hasbro has yielded a total 8 million units of worldwide retail sales since August 2007. Twenty of Hasbro's various board game and toy brands have appeared in EA-published games on consoles, websites like EA's Pogo.com, mobile and more since the companies struck the partnership. Most recently, the publisher rolled out Boggle Bash, Battleship and Monopoly Slots on its Pogo.com casual portal. Other major Hasbro brands that have received video game tie-ins through the partnership include Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Clue and Yahtzee, among numerous others -- EA says Pogo users played over 4.3 million minutes of Scrabble just in December 2009, or over eight years. EA credits "the growing mass appeal of family-friendly video games, the ongoing demand for video games designed specifically for girls, and the rich heritage and draw of Hasbro’s iconic toy and game properties" for the rapid growth of its Hasbro portfolio. The company also cites a recent Nickelodeon study that found 36 percent of families play video games together -- and specifically mentions a surge in audiences of girls ages 6-12, a major target for the partnership. "We really see these products extending the reach of interactive opportunities available for players today," says Chip Lange, senior VP and general manager of EA's Hasbro division. He continues: "They made the perfect gift for the holidays, and during the rest of the year, they are the ideal content for mobile gaming devices or to play and keep in touch with friends online."