history and business stuff in the parker brothers history book (the game makers)
history
people like George Parker and his brothers – values, their ability to find new games, financing, licensing games, p. 10-11 has his list of rules to run the company like a game – good rules for both game players and business people like seek help if game threatens to overwhelm you and be a gracious winner or loser – share what you learn and don’t be petty.
business
how the company’s fortunes afected by the economy, war, business climate (bought up, spun off, saddled with too much debt, looking for international partners, growing brand, trying to fit into some other corp. culture) – changed their business decisions on expansion/partnerships, changed the kinds of games they made, got into electronic toys and videogames, exhibited at world’s fairs, had offices in downtown manhattan to be in the heart of the toy industry, served on the board of the toy industry association, change in importance of marketing and r&d and advertising, role the company played in the town of Salem (fire, growingsize and number of employees, need to move manufacturing closer to transportation)
Games
all the games they developed that are still around – risk, boggle, monopoly, ping pong, ouija, nerf, mah-jongg, clue, soma, sorry; all the games they built based on licensed IP – pinocchio game from disney, mad magazine game – sometimes they had to make toys as well – long run of wooden puzzles
games affected by changing technology – machines to cut pieces, plastics,, celluloid, electronics, wanted games that would last so sturdy boxes. Started wrapping games so people wouldn’t take pieces, they had a guy who could cut the monopoly money by hand faster than the machinery,
importance of well-written rules, think thru game play so not too long, want people to get money’s owrth
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