Hasbro facts for kids
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Formerly
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| Industry | Toys and entertainment |
| Founded | December 6, 1923 |
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U.S.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$5.86 billion (2022) |
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Operating income
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US$407.7 million (2022) |
| US$203.5 million (2022) |
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| Total assets | US$9.2959 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | US$2.8619 billion (2022) |
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Number of employees
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5,600 (2021) |
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Hasbro, Inc. is a huge American company that makes toys, games, and entertainment. Its name, Hasbro, is a shorter version of its original name, "Hassenfeld Brothers." The company is based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in the United States.
Hasbro owns many famous brands you might know, like Transformers, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, Monopoly, Nerf, Play-Doh, and My Little Pony. They also own popular kids' shows like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks. Hasbro even creates TV shows and movies based on its toys and games!
The History of Hasbro
Starting as Hassenfeld Brothers
Hasbro was started in 1923 by three brothers: Herman, Hillel, and Henry Hassenfeld. They were from Poland and began their business in Providence, Rhode Island. At first, they sold leftover fabric.
Over time, they started making pencil cases and school supplies. By 1942, their business had mostly become a toy company. During World War II, they even helped people from their hometown in Poland by giving them jobs.
Their first really popular toy was Mr. Potato Head, which they bought from its inventor, George Lerner, in 1952. In 1954, they started making toys based on Disney characters.
In 1960, Henry Hassenfeld passed away. His son, Merrill, took over the toy company. In 1964, Hasbro created the G.I. Joe toy. They called it an "action figure" so boys would want to play with it. G.I. Joe quickly became a huge success!
Becoming Hasbro Industries
In 1968, the company changed its name to Hasbro Industries. Around this time, the Vietnam War was happening, so Hasbro made G.I. Joe less about war and more about adventure.
In the 1970s, Hasbro tried making other things, like a nursery school chain and cookware. They also had some toy problems. Two toys, "Javelin Darts" and "The Hypo-Squirt" (a water gun shaped like a needle), were recalled because they were not safe.
In 1979, Merrill Hassenfeld passed away. His son, Stephen Hassenfeld, became the new leader. Stephen made some big changes to help the company. He focused on simpler, less expensive toys like Mr. Potato Head. This helped Hasbro avoid problems when electronic games became less popular in the early 1980s.
In 1982, Hasbro brought back G.I. Joe, making them a special forces team. Two years later, they launched the very popular Transformers toy line, along with a cartoon show.
In 1984, Hasbro bought the Milton Bradley Company, another big toy and game maker. This added famous games like The Game of Life and Twister to Hasbro's collection. The company was briefly called Hasbro Bradley before changing its name again.
Hasbro, Inc. Today
Growth and New Brands (1985–2007)
On June 6, 1985, the company officially became Hasbro, Inc. In the mid-1980s, Hasbro became the largest toy company in the world! They tried to compete with Mattel's Barbie doll by introducing fashion dolls like Jem and Maxie.
Hasbro also started selling toys in other countries, which helped their sales grow a lot. In 1989, Hasbro bought Coleco, another toy company. Stephen Hassenfeld passed away that year, and his brother, Alan, became the new leader.
In 1991, Hasbro bought Tonka Corp., which included Parker Brothers (makers of Monopoly) and Kenner Products. This made Hasbro even bigger!
In 1995, Hasbro started a video game company called Hasbro Interactive. They released a Monopoly game for computers. In 1998, Hasbro bought Avalon Hill and Galoob. In 1999, they bought the rights to make Pokémon toys and also bought Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.
Expanding Entertainment (2008–2018)
In 2008, Hasbro bought Cranium, Inc., a game maker. They also made a deal with Universal Pictures to turn some of their toy brands into movies.
In 2009, Hasbro created Hasbro Studios to make TV shows and movies. They also worked with Discovery to create a TV channel called The Hub (now Discovery Family). This channel became very popular, especially with the new My Little Pony cartoon, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
Hasbro continued to grow by making deals for popular toys like Marvel Comics and Star Wars figures. In 2014, Disney chose Hasbro to make dolls for their Disney Princess line.
In 2016, Hasbro bought an animation studio called Boulder Media Limited. They also started their own fan convention called HasCon in 2017, where fans could celebrate all things Hasbro.
Recent Changes (2018–Present)
In 2018, Hasbro bought the Power Rangers brand and other entertainment properties from Saban Brands. They also started making deals for hotels and entertainment centers based on their brands, like a Monopoly hotel and NERF Action Xperience centers.
In 2019, Hasbro bought Entertainment One (eOne), a company known for shows like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks. This helped Hasbro create even more entertainment content.
In 2021, Hasbro changed its structure to focus on three main areas: Consumer Products (toys), Entertainment, and Wizards & Digital (games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering). The Wizards of the Coast part of the company became very successful.
Sadly, Hasbro's longtime CEO, Brian Goldner, passed away in 2021. Chris Cocks, who used to lead Wizards of the Coast, became the new CEO in 2022.
In 2023, Hasbro sold most of Entertainment One to Lionsgate, but they kept the family brands like Peppa Pig. In late 2023, Hasbro announced they would be reducing their staff as part of a plan to save money and focus on their most profitable areas, like their digital games division.
Hasbro's Products
Hasbro makes many different kinds of toys and games for all ages.
Toys and Action Figures
Here are some of Hasbro's well-known toy lines:
- Action Man
- Beyblade (with Tomy)
- Dungeons and Dragons figures
- Easy-Bake Oven
- Furby
- G.I. Joe
- Ghostbusters
- Jurassic Park
- Littlest Pet Shop
- Mr. Potato Head
- My Little Pony
- Nerf
- Play-Doh
- Power Rangers
- Stretch Armstrong
- Star Wars
- Transformers (with Tomy)
Hasbro also used to make some toys that were later stopped, like Flubber and Javelin Darts (which were discontinued for safety reasons).
Board Games and Card Games
Hasbro is the biggest maker of board games in the world! This is because they own many famous game companies like Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, and Wizards of the Coast.
Some of their most popular games include:
- Axis & Allies
- Battleship
- Candy Land
- Clue (Cluedo)
- Dungeons & Dragons (role-playing game)
- The Game of Life
- Guess Who?
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- Magic: The Gathering (a popular card game)
- Monopoly (one of the best-selling board games ever!)
- Mouse Trap
- Operation
- Ouija
- Risk
- Scrabble (in the US and Canada)
- Trivial Pursuit
- Trouble
Hasbro makes many different versions of their games. For example, you can find many different Scrabble games, like "Scrabble Junior" or "Scrabble Deluxe Edition."
They also make skill games like Bop It and Jenga, and the memory game Simon.
Video Games
Hasbro used to have its own video game company, Hasbro Interactive, but they sold it in 2001. Now, Hasbro works with other video game companies like Activision and Electronic Arts to make video games based on their brands. Many of their games are also available for smartphones and tablet PCs.
Other Products
In 2005, Hasbro announced a musical toothbrush called Tooth Tunes, which plays music through your jawbone while you brush!
In 2023, Hasbro made a deal with Ageless Innovation to create toys and games for older adults. These "Generations" versions of games like Scrabble and Life will have larger print and pieces, and content that is fun for different age groups.
In 2024, Hasbro launched new Star Wars figures for the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace. They also announced a new crowdfunded Transformers figure called Omega Prime.
Hasbro Conventions
HasCon (2017)
HasCon was a special event created by Hasbro for fans of their brands like Transformers, G.I. Joe, and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The first HasCon was held in September 2017 in Rhode Island. A HasCon event planned for 2019 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hasbro Pulse Con (2020–Present)
Since 2020, Hasbro has held a virtual convention called Hasbro Pulse Con. Fans can attend online through the Hasbro Pulse website.
Images for kids
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Wordmark used since October 1, 1998
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Logo used from October 1, 1998 to 2009, the wordmark is still in use
See also
In Spanish: Hasbro para niños
