Hasbro posts(Subscribe to this feed)
Hasbro suing Atari over alleged breach in D&D licensing agreement
It seems the Dungeons & Dragons franchise has brought more legal troubles upon Atari than it's probably worth. In August, Turbine Entertainment, developer of the MMO based on the tabletop game, sued the publisher for failing to "devote the necessary resources" to promoting and distributing the online RPG. Now, Hasbro, owner of subsidiary company Wizards of the Coast, which is the current owner of the D&D franchise, is suing Atari for allegedly breaching a licensing agreement the two parties struck up concerning Atari's use of the popular role-playing brand.
Hasbro's main complaint in the suit is that Atari might have taken part in an "unauthorized sublicensing relationship" with Namco Bandai during the latter's purchase of Atari's European distribution company this past March. According to the suit, Namco Bandai is a direct competitor to Hasbro and Wizards, and allowing them any access to the D&D license is a violation of the contract agreed to by Atari. Hasbro seeks compensatory damages, and also to terminate the allegedly violated licensing agreement, denying Atari further access to the brand.
In a press release statement, Wizards of the Coast president Greg Leeds said, "while unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand." Leeds later added, "we have been working for several months now to reach resolution with Atari, and they have left us with no other choice than to pursue legal action."
Atari isn't taking these complaints lying down -- the publisher just distributed its own statement through PRNewswire, claiming, "Hasbro has resorted to these meritless allegations, in an apparent attempt to unfairly take back rights granted to Atari." The statement goes on to say, "we regret that our long-time partner has decided to pursue this action. Atari will respond appropriately through its legal counsel in court."
Hasbro's main complaint in the suit is that Atari might have taken part in an "unauthorized sublicensing relationship" with Namco Bandai during the latter's purchase of Atari's European distribution company this past March. According to the suit, Namco Bandai is a direct competitor to Hasbro and Wizards, and allowing them any access to the D&D license is a violation of the contract agreed to by Atari. Hasbro seeks compensatory damages, and also to terminate the allegedly violated licensing agreement, denying Atari further access to the brand.
In a press release statement, Wizards of the Coast president Greg Leeds said, "while unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand." Leeds later added, "we have been working for several months now to reach resolution with Atari, and they have left us with no other choice than to pursue legal action."
Atari isn't taking these complaints lying down -- the publisher just distributed its own statement through PRNewswire, claiming, "Hasbro has resorted to these meritless allegations, in an apparent attempt to unfairly take back rights granted to Atari." The statement goes on to say, "we regret that our long-time partner has decided to pursue this action. Atari will respond appropriately through its legal counsel in court."
Battleship now syncing on iPhone

Adding to its growing roster of Hasbro board games retooled for board-less play, EA has christened the iPhone / iPod touch version of Battleship on its maiden voyage to the iTunes App Store. The game distinguishes itself through an animated play field, cutscenes depicting the damage being done to the enemy fleet and the fact that people won't stare at you on the train like they used to when you broke out the physical board game and started playing with friends.
Priced at $2.99, Battleship supports pass-around and local WiFi / Bluetooth multiplayer. We do not support playing the game near water, as Apple's touch-based devices have a moisture sensor to rat you out when you tell the Genius Bar you don't know why they stopped working.
Battleship ($2.99, EA Mobile):
Priced at $2.99, Battleship supports pass-around and local WiFi / Bluetooth multiplayer. We do not support playing the game near water, as Apple's touch-based devices have a moisture sensor to rat you out when you tell the Genius Bar you don't know why they stopped working.
Battleship ($2.99, EA Mobile):
ESRB rates Monopoly for PSP
Good news for PSP-toting board game fans: GamerBytes recently spotted an ESRB listing for a PSP version of Monopoly. With the addition of a new version of Monopoly for the PSP -- now rated by the ESRB -- EA is close to bringing a version of the classic board game to every available gaming platform (only the DS is left out at this point). There isn't much known about the PSP version, though it does have support for up to four players. It's not clear if it will be a full retail game or a PSP Mini, though the recently released iPhone version would probably make a prime target for the Mini market.
EA bringing Battleship, Connect 4, Monopoly to iPhone

In the meanwhile, feel free to head into the gallery below to check out screens from each title. If you're reading Joystiq on an iPhone, you can totally pretend you're playing the games!
Gallery: Connect 4 (iPhone)
Gallery: Battleship (iPhone)
Gallery: Monopoly (iPhone)
Reminder: Hasbro games 50% off this week [update: Sorry! discounted too]
Update: We've confirmed with Major Nelson that Sorry! should have been priced at 400
as well. The price will be updated on XBLM "very soon."
Just a quick reminder here to let everyone know that this week's XBLM Deal of the Week is discounted prices for nearly all of the Hasbro Family Game Night collection on Xbox Live Arcade. All this week, Gold Live members can pick up Boggle, Scrabble, Battleship, Yahtzee, Sorry! Sliders or Connect 4 for 400
($5) each (half off the usual 800
). Curiously, one game, the original Sorry!, has not been discounted and remains at 800
.
Still, if you've been waiting for a reason to pick up one of the other titles, this week looks like a good time to take the plunge.
Browse the Hasbro Family Game Night collection on XBLM (sign in to see discounted prices)
as well. The price will be updated on XBLM "very soon."Just a quick reminder here to let everyone know that this week's XBLM Deal of the Week is discounted prices for nearly all of the Hasbro Family Game Night collection on Xbox Live Arcade. All this week, Gold Live members can pick up Boggle, Scrabble, Battleship, Yahtzee, Sorry! Sliders or Connect 4 for 400

($5) each (half off the usual 800
). Curiously, one game, the original Sorry!, has not been discounted and remains at 800
.Still, if you've been waiting for a reason to pick up one of the other titles, this week looks like a good time to take the plunge.
Browse the Hasbro Family Game Night collection on XBLM (sign in to see discounted prices)
Microsoft details October's Xbox Live Deal of the Week specials [update]
Update: Houston, we have prices!
As you already know, this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week is none other than Prince of Persia's 'Epilogue' DLC. We're not here to talk about that, though -- instead, we're here to give you the heads up on what the rest of this month has in store for penny-pinching purchasers looking for goodies on Xbox Live. So let's get to it:
October 12
As you already know, this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week is none other than Prince of Persia's 'Epilogue' DLC. We're not here to talk about that, though -- instead, we're here to give you the heads up on what the rest of this month has in store for penny-pinching purchasers looking for goodies on Xbox Live. So let's get to it:
October 12
- Hasbro Family Game Night (Battleship, Connect 4, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Boggle and Sorry! Sliders discounted to 400
)
- Resident Evil 5's Versus mode (discounted to 240
)
- Fable II Pub Games (discounted to 400
)
Hasbro Family Game Night 2 arrives on Wii in October

For those with a collection itch, playing the various titles found in the game will unlock a slew of items for hosts Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head to wear -- and unlike at home, the items aren't stored up their ... oh my, let's just end here.
Spell the day away with Boggle on iPhone
EA Mobile certainly hopes your fascination with crafting words from letter-filled grids on your iPhone hasn't waned -- the developer recently released a port of Hasbro's Boggle onto the App Store. Though it lacks Word Scramble's robust multiplayer system (and free-ness), it does possess one feature that justifies its $2.99 price tag: Achievements. Lots of achievements. Seriously, wordsmithing hasn't been this rewarding since you won those tickets to Dollywood in your fourth grade spelling bee.
We take it back. This is way more rewarding than that.
Boggle ($2.99, EA Mobile):
We take it back. This is way more rewarding than that.
Boggle ($2.99, EA Mobile):
Joystiq interview: the EA/Hasbro game agreement
When it comes to the realm of board games, Hasbro is quite the ... player. Over the past couple of decades, it has absorbed Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, Avalon Hill, Wizards of the Coast, Cranium, and others. Chances are that any board game, not to mention toys, you used to play with as a kid are now owned by Hasbro.
In 2007, Electronic Arts signed an exclusive agreement with Hasbro to produce games based on some of the items in its vaults, and so far we've seen Scrabble, Hasbro Family Game Night, Trivial Pursuit, and more. EA also just announced Hasbro Family Game Night 2 for the Wii and DS, due out later this fall, which will add Pictureka, Bop-It, Operation, Jenga and others to the mix.
But where are the titles like Risk, Axis & Allies, and Dark Tower? We spoke to Steve Flege, Senior Marketing Director for Hasbro Digital and Kyle Murray, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Electronic Arts about the deal, the first games we've seen, the pricing structure, and what's coming up next. The good news: we might be getting Risk on next-gen consoles. It's been on the PC, the PS1, the PS2, and the original Xbox, so it's about time. Roll those sixes!
In 2007, Electronic Arts signed an exclusive agreement with Hasbro to produce games based on some of the items in its vaults, and so far we've seen Scrabble, Hasbro Family Game Night, Trivial Pursuit, and more. EA also just announced Hasbro Family Game Night 2 for the Wii and DS, due out later this fall, which will add Pictureka, Bop-It, Operation, Jenga and others to the mix.
But where are the titles like Risk, Axis & Allies, and Dark Tower? We spoke to Steve Flege, Senior Marketing Director for Hasbro Digital and Kyle Murray, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Electronic Arts about the deal, the first games we've seen, the pricing structure, and what's coming up next. The good news: we might be getting Risk on next-gen consoles. It's been on the PC, the PS1, the PS2, and the original Xbox, so it's about time. Roll those sixes!
Gallery: Hasbro Family Game Night: Xbox 360
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Hasbro Family Game Night

. Before the anger starts flowing, you should know that most of these games cost more in the real world. Check out the latest XBLA in Brief and decide if Hasbro Family Game Night deserves a shelf in your digital game closet.Download Hasbro Family Game Night
[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.
[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).
[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[M4V] Download the M4V directly.

Conservative Christian site decries Game of Life's 'gay agenda'
Uber-conservative Christian site WorldNetDaily recently published a hard-hitting investigative report into Hasbro's downloadable PC title The Game of Life, an adaptation of a board game created by Milton Bradley in 1860. Their qualm with the game stems from the fact that it allows players to have same-sex marriages. A WND representative elocuted his or her hang-up with a review on the game's hosting site, explaining, "Many sections of society accept this as normative, but many also would consider this too mature a theme for children. Others would consider this downright offensive."
According to the WND report, one unnamed "concerned mother" found that the inclusion of same-sex marriages raised questions in her six-year old daughter that she wasn't ready to answer. She posted a similar review containing these concerns, which was quickly deleted by an administrator for being "inappropriate." Her response to this censorship is where the story really jumps the shark -- "I had no idea how insidious they were being with pushing the homosexual agenda," she explained to WND.
It's great when parents keep an eye on their youngsters' gaming habits, especially when they play said games with them. We understand a parent not wanting to discuss sexuality with a toddler -- what we don't understand is how the mere inclusion of same-sex marriages in the PC version of Life is the same as endorsing, or insidiously pushing, an "agenda." As WND concedes, even the original Life board game allowed players to bond two same-colored (and similarly gendered) pegs in holy plastic matrimony.
[Via GamePolitics]
According to the WND report, one unnamed "concerned mother" found that the inclusion of same-sex marriages raised questions in her six-year old daughter that she wasn't ready to answer. She posted a similar review containing these concerns, which was quickly deleted by an administrator for being "inappropriate." Her response to this censorship is where the story really jumps the shark -- "I had no idea how insidious they were being with pushing the homosexual agenda," she explained to WND.
It's great when parents keep an eye on their youngsters' gaming habits, especially when they play said games with them. We understand a parent not wanting to discuss sexuality with a toddler -- what we don't understand is how the mere inclusion of same-sex marriages in the PC version of Life is the same as endorsing, or insidiously pushing, an "agenda." As WND concedes, even the original Life board game allowed players to bond two same-colored (and similarly gendered) pegs in holy plastic matrimony.
[Via GamePolitics]
Mr. Potato Head presents: Hasbro Game Night Achievements

The list of 70 milestones totals 1400 Gamerscore points, which may seem like a Gamerscwhore's dream, but know that the sum is calculated using all seven separate XBLA games. Mathematically, that's seven classic board games (which we're told will cost 800
each) multiplied by the Arcade's standard 200 Gamerscore, which gives us the 1400 total. That said, Evel Knievel Mr. Potato Head still approves of the digital board games.Hasbro Family Games to release mid-March, include Avatar support

Scrabble, Connect Four, Battleship and Yahtzee will be the first four Hasbro titles made available when Xbox Live's special Family Game Night Destination launches next month. Boggle, Sorry! and Sorry! Sliders will release later this year.
The press release also confirms Avatars will be supported and that each title can be purchased individually for 800
($10). If that wasn''t enough information, we're told the Family Game Night Destination lets players launch Hasbro games from their own customized game room. This uniquely decorated space accommodates Mr. Potato Head, can be shared with friends and sounds to be somewhat inspired by Home.Gallery: Hasbro Family Game Night (XBLA)
Yo Joe? More like: Oh no, G.I. Joe game impressions

EA is talking up its first G.I. Joe game, a movie spin-off, as "cross-generational." It's so easy to control that even "mom" can play. Which means, moms -- if you're reading -- not only will you be subjected to chaperoning a mission to the local theater to suffer through the G.I. Joe film adaptation this summer, you also may be expected to idle away your weekends with the game. Let's hope it's a short one.
G.I. Joe: The Game plays as any generic third-person shooter, with the bonus of the aforementioned base layer Mom Controls®. Literally, all that is needed to proceed is the left thumb steering the on-screen character and the right index finger, locked down on the designated shooting button -- just keep on holding it and the game will automatically target a new enemy once the current one has absorbed too many laser blasts and disappears into the well known in-game ether. Of course, "hardcore" gamers will find melee and character-exclusive secondary attacks, along with a rolling dodge and cover mechanic mapped to their controllers.
EA is throwing out some big-name inspirations for its game: Contra, Ikari Warriors and Ikaruga. We suppose you could consider G.I. Joe as a like-designed title in so far as it is built as an "arcade" throwback, with high scores being the ultimate reward. Actually, the ultimate reward is unlocking all twelve playable characters -- unlocking characters requires score points, though. Scoring is linked directly to difficulty setting and one's play. Dying, for example, decreases one's overall score, but, on the lowest difficulty setting, will not produce further setbacks. Think of this as a "no fail" setting -- you know, the one mom can play.
Scrabble is XBLA bound, Hasbro channel coming soon
After it was first rumored nearly a year ago (along with Monopoly), EA has announced that Scrabble is indeed heading to Xbox Live Arcade. The company also announced the creation of a brand new Hasbro Family Game Night "channel" in Xbox Live Arcade. The channel will serve as a "digital game closet," according to EA Hasbro general manager Chip Lange, where players can quickly access various Hasbro games without leaving the channel. Players will be able to "earn virtual trophies, furniture and themes" to decorate their closets by playing Hasbro games. In addition to Scrabble, other titles planned for the service include Sorry!, Sorry! Sliders, Battleship, Connect Four, Boggle and Yahtzee.
The Hasbro Family Game Night channel is set to debut this spring, though no specific dates have been given for any of the individual game releases. Oh, one more thing: No Monopoly mentioned, folks. Sorry.
[Via Joystiq]
The Hasbro Family Game Night channel is set to debut this spring, though no specific dates have been given for any of the individual game releases. Oh, one more thing: No Monopoly mentioned, folks. Sorry.
[Via Joystiq]




















