Games.com Delay

Though international sales and traditional toys helped Hasbro to post earnings of $.08 per share for the first quarter, delays and costs related to the company's online gaming ambitions added up to a charge of $.01 per share. Revenues from interactive software and games dropped to $22 million from a mark of $38 million in the same period last year, a drop Hasbro blames on an industry wide slowdown. Adding to Hasbro's interactive headache, the company is pushing back the launch of its major online gaming initiative, Games.com, from summer to fall because of an inability to recruit staff. "While we expect improved performance from interactive games, we do not expect a return to profitability this year," said Hasbro Chairman Alan Hassenfeld.