All The Right Moves
If the game fits, the pieces will fall into place
By Tina Benitez -- Playthings, 7/1/2007
Whether it's Monopoly, Chutes & Ladders, chess or checkers, most of us have a connection to a game that gave us endless hours of fun when we were kids, and throughout the years. Many games have that lasting power, but, with an ever-growing selection of game categories on the market, it can be difficult for retailers to choose the right games from such an abundance and for manufacturers to get their games into scarce retail space.
The games category saw a decrease in sales in the past year, according to market research firm The NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., with a 2 percent drop in sales of puzzle and games in 2006, compared to 2005—but when it comes to classic, DVD and word games, it can be the perfect opportunity for retailers to find a unique niche, and a chance for manufacturers to show what makes their games really move.
Ellen Roth, president of San Francisco's Rex Games, knows how tough the market is today. The company has built its business around flagship game Tangoes, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Games will always be a viable segment of the market because they help children develop skills and encourage family playtime, says Roth, who sees a big move toward making games more interactive with online or computer elements. However, strategy games that “teach the mind to think” are still more popular choices, she says. “There's more focus on skill development, cognitive, problem- solving,” she says, noting that skill development through games can be addressed a lot of the time “without bells and whistles.”
This year, the company will launch a new Travel Tangoes version for on-the-go play, yet retains the standard Tangoes play concept of assembling the puzzle pieces into different objects. Rex Games is also launching this fall another strategy board game, Idol Quest, in which players compete to build a path to the jungle along the playing board. It's always a challenge to get a product into retail, according to Roth, but once you have it in a store, demos for customers is something that works, particularly in specialty. “It's overwhelming for a consumer when they walk into a specialty store and they see all the games on the shelf to decide what is appropriate or most appealing.”
Mike Kilbert, co-owner of Complete Strategist, the New York-based games store, says game samples and game days are great opportunities to introduce new titles, particularly those that are more complex, to consumers. At his shop, Kilbert focuses primarily on strategy game titles, which makes it easier for him when choosing from the bevy of games currently on the market. “There's a social interaction that you don't get with computer games,” he says. “You can actually interact with other people.”
For Los Angeles-based Imagination Games, the DVD and board game manufacturer wants to focus on smaller, niche retailers like Complete Strategist this year. To that end, the company has a new game in the works, Mind Twist, designed specifically for specialty. Also new this year is Backwords, a game inspired by the world's fastest backwards talker, David Suhrer. Imagination Games executive vice president Dean Bolte says that, when approaching retailers, it's important to understand the buyers and who their customers are before you walk into stores with a game. Everyone has different customers, he says.
When Jacobe Chrisman used to work for Cranium, he gained a real education in what works and what doesn't in the category and applied it to his new company, Seattle-based I Can Do That! Games. Currently, the company is launching its first set of three Dr. Seuss games, including You to the Rescue, based on the Horton Hears a Who! tale about an elephant who wants to protect microscopic creatures from harm; I Can Do That with The Cat in the Hat; and Sing Your Heart Out, featuring play activities from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Each of the games incorporates a traditional board plus role-play items, which are used to recreate moments from the books.
The company's game plan of “play test, play test, play test!” has been critical, says Chrisman. “When you create toys, you have to think about a lot more than was it fun. Was there too much competition? Was it too short? Was it too long? There's that moment when you see a child has done something that they have never done before, and you know you have something unique, that's one of the advantages of play testing.”
Roth adds, “It's a competitive segment, but I think there's always a place in the market for board games, especially ones that add a [more] fun element for kids than roll and move. It's a category that always faces challenges, but it's been around since the stone age!”
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