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Wizards, druids and open game licenses: The fight over the unique Dungeons & Dragons economy

Mar 3, 2023
When Hasbro wanted to change D&D's open game license to get a cut of third-party company profits, the game's fans went to battle.
Fantasy game enthusiast Mark Warren poses next to a life-size replica of a Dungeons & Dragons character.
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After a flurry of toy purchases fueled by the pandemic, toy company Hasbro recently reported layoffs and cratering sales.
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Mattel isn't having much fun these days

Oct 29, 2019
Rival toymaker Hasbro reported disappointing earnings last week, and Mattel faces similar headwinds from tariffs and store closures.
Mattel's offices in El Segundo, California, in 2009.
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Hasbro's poor earnings report tells a trade war story

Oct 22, 2019
Tariff-related uncertainty caused chaos on the cusp of the company's most important season.
Hasbro toys on display at a Target store in 2019 in San Rafael, California.
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Hasbro bets $4 billion on content by purchasing Peppa Pig's producer

Aug 26, 2019
A company that turns toys into movies and TV buys a company whose cartoons make great toys.
A boy holds a "Once Upon a Time Princess Rose" Peppa Pig toy at Hamleys in London in 2015.
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New movies drive toy sales, but threat of tariffs looms

Jul 25, 2019
The industry is living under threat of tariffs on toys manufactured in China.
Hasbro toys are displayed at a Target store in February 2019 in San Rafael, California.
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Mattel, Hasbro to offer snapshot of toy industry

Feb 7, 2019
Mattel and Hasbro will both report their earnings this week. Mattel reports Thursday after the market closes, and Hasbro reports Friday. Combined, these two companies will give us a sense of how the toy industry fared during the all-important holiday season and how they’re coping with the closure of retailer Toys R Us.
There are more than 20,000 variations of Hot Wheels, according to Mattel.
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For public good, not for profit.

Toy manufacturers adjust to a post-Toys R Us world

Oct 23, 2018
The retail giant's bankruptcy has Hasbro and other toymakers scrambling to prepare for the holidays.
Shoppers crowd Toys R Us in Times Square on Nov. 23, Black Friday, in 2007 in New York City.
Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images

Toy manufacturers adjust to a post-Toys R Us world

Oct 23, 2018
The retail giant's bankruptcy has Hasbro and other toymakers scrambling to prepare for the holidays.
Shoppers crowd Toys R Us in Times Square on Nov. 23, Black Friday, in 2007 in New York City.
Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images

With Toys R Us gone, Hasbro's finding new retail shelves

Jul 23, 2018
Toymaker Hasbro will report second-quarter earnings later this morning. Earlier in 2018, the company reported that first-quarter revenue had fallen by 16 percent compared with the same period last year. It’s been a tough couple of months as retailer Toys R Us went bankrupt and closed hundreds of stores. But Hasbro is finding new shelves […]
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