Parker Brothers Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Parker Brothers
Logo designed by Arnold Ferdinand Arnold, 1964
Formerly	George S. Parker Company
Former type	Division
Industry	Entertainment
Fate	Purchased by Hasbro in 1991; merged with Milton Bradley to be reincorporated as "Hasbro Games" (now Hasbro Gaming) in 1998. Remained as a brand until 2009
Successor	Hasbro Gaming
Founded	1883
Founder	George Swinnerton Parker
Defunct	1998; 27 years ago (1998) (company)
Headquarters	Salem, Massachusetts , US
Products	Board games Electronic games
Brands	Cluedo Monopoly Scrabble
Parent	Hasbro

Parker Brothers was a famous American company. It made many popular toys and games. In 1991, it became part of Hasbro. Outside North America, it was known simply as Parker.

Since 1883, Parker Brothers published over 1,800 different games. Some of their most well-known games include Monopoly, Clue (called Cluedo outside North America), Sorry!, and Risk. They also made Trivial Pursuit, Ouija, Aggravation, Bop It, and Scrabble. Eventually, the Parker Brothers name was no longer used. Their old games are now sold under the "Hasbro Gaming" brand.

The Story of Parker Brothers
Some Games Published
Images for kids
See also

The Story of Parker Brothers

How the Company Started

Parker Brothers was started by George Swinnerton Parker. He believed games should be fun. Before him, many games tried to teach lessons. George thought games should just be for enjoyment.

He created his first game, Banking, in 1883. He was only 16 years old then. In Banking, players borrow money from a bank. They try to get rich by guessing how well they will do. The game had 160 cards that showed if players would succeed or fail.

His family and friends loved Banking. His brother, Charles Parker, told him to publish it. George tried to find publishers in Boston, but they said no. Not giving up, he spent $40 to make 500 copies of Banking. He sold almost all of them and made $100 profit!

Growing the Business

George started his game company in 1883. It was first called the George S. Parker Company. It was in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. In 1888, his brother Charles joined the business. The company name then changed to Parker Brothers. A third brother, Edward H. Parker, joined in 1898.

For many years, George designed most of the games. He also wrote all the rules himself. Many games were based on big events of the time. For example, Klondike was about the Klondike Gold Rush. War in Cuba was about the upcoming Spanish–American War.

The game industry was growing fast. Parker Brothers became very successful. In 1906, they released Rook. It quickly became the best-selling game in the country.

Surviving Tough Times with Monopoly

During the Great Depression, many companies struggled. But Parker Brothers found huge success. In 1935, they published a new board game called Monopoly. They had actually turned down the game in 1934.

Monopoly was a massive hit! The company had trouble making enough games to meet demand. Parker Brothers kept growing over the next decades. They produced games like Cluedo (called Clue in North America), Risk, and Sorry!.

Puzzles and New Owners

Parker Brothers also made jigsaw puzzles. They started selling them in 1887. They made puzzles for kids and different adult lines. They stopped making most of their puzzles by the late 1970s.

George Parker's family owned the company until 1968. Then, a big company called General Mills bought Parker Brothers. After this, Parker Brothers created the first Nerf ball. In the 1970s, they also made games in the UK.

In 1977, the company built its main office. It was located in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Electronic Games and Hasbro

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Parker Brothers started making electronic games. They made electronic versions of their popular board games. They also tried to enter the toy market. In 1979, they released an electronic action figure called Rom the Spaceknight. The toy was not very successful.

Parker Brothers also made video games in the early 1980s. They created home versions of arcade games. These included Frogger, Popeye, and Q*bert. They also made some of the first video games based on the Star Wars movies.

In 1985, General Mills combined Parker Brothers with another company they owned, Kenner. This new company was called Kenner Parker Toys Inc. In 1987, a company called Tonka bought Kenner Parker Toys Inc.

Finally, in 1991, Hasbro bought Tonka for about $516 million. Hasbro also owned the Milton Bradley Company. After the purchase, Parker Brothers kept its offices in Beverly. But game production moved to Milton Bradley's headquarters.

In 1998, Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley joined together. They formed Hasbro Games. This new company was based in the old Parker Brothers headquarters. Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers became separate brands of Hasbro. In 2009, these brands were retired. Now, their games are sold under the main Hasbro brand.