Game sellers make run for the boarder

By Cindy Krischer Goodman
Knight Ridder News Service

•	NEW GAMES A sampling of 2004 board game releases for adults. Prices range from $20 to $40. June "Wheel of Fortune Live Play" (Hasbro) "Like Minds" (Pressman Toy Co.) "Cranium Turbo" (Cranium) "Sopranos Trivia" (Cardinal) "So Sue Me" (New York Game Factory) "Trivial Pursuit 1990s Edition" (Hasbro) July "Snapple" (Pressman) November "Law and Order" (Cardinal)

"I'm a game freak," said Rainuzzo, who frequents the toy section of his local discount store regularly to scout out new games.

Adults who play board games are getting new attention from the companies that make them. Through the end of this year, toy makers will release at least a dozen new games for adults.

Some of these new games involve a high-tech twist. Others test knowledge of favorite TV shows or update the classics. All are aimed at adults who appreciate the art of play and rise to the challenge of a board game.

With toy sales flat for several years, manufacturers are desperate for ways to pump up sales. Board game sales have made their way into coffee shops, book stores and even grocery stores. Getting in the right places led to about $165 million to $175 million in adult board-game sales in 2003, according to the NPD Group, which tracks toy sales.

"One reason why board games have become highly popular with adults is that they are available at Barnes & Noble and Borders, places they normally go," said Eric Poses, a Miamian who founded a board-game company in California.

Poses' company, All Things Equal, has 12 products, including the popular "Loaded Questions game. He says adults still play traditional games such as "Monopoly" but are open to new ones. They are a way for adults to reconnect with their past, he says.

"Everyone played games when younger. It's a rediscovery of what they used to do. Board games are a cheap alternative to a movie and dinner. If you serve some drinks and some food, it's a good evening," Poses said.

APPEALING TO ADULTS

Hasbro Games is riding the momentum. It has an entire division devoted to creating new games for adults. Earlier this year, the company released its "Trading Spaces" board game based on the hit cable-TV show. This fall it will launch "Wheel of Fortune Live Play," its first game using wireless technology.

The game offers "Wheel of Fortune" TV show fans the experience of being the fourth contestant. The technology links the player's handheld game unit into the televised show. When the game is over, new puzzles download automatically from the show. The player with the most money in the bank at the end wins.

Mark Morris, a Hasbro Games spokesman, says the company introduced interactive technology last fall with its "Trivial Pursuit DVD Pop Culture Edition," a board game that's played using a DVD.

Andrea and Tom Bircheat of Miami, both in their 30s, often invite friends over or go to their homes to play "Balderdash," "Pictionary" and other board games.

"It's something to do on a Friday night that's less expensive than going out," Andrea said. "You can spend time with friends talking and playing and it's much better than being in a crowded restaurant where you can't even hear what your friends are saying."

Cranium now understands the renewed fascination with board games. The company found itself overwhelmed by the success of its board game, sold prominently in most Starbucks as well as mass merchandisers. The company says it has more than 5 million Cranium fans. This month, the manufacturer released "Cranium Ziggity," a card game.

LOYAL CRANIACS

Coming this fall: "Cranium Turbo Edition." This version takes the game to a new level with an electronic timer that uses music and lights. Players must now make puppets of their friends, read each others' minds, noodle over uncommon facts, gaze at close-up images and figure out which items are not like the others, while racing against the clock.

Cranium expects its new game to be an instant hit with its existing fan base, a loyal group known as Craniacs.

And, while "Friends" may have ended, the board game lives on. Cardinal Industries says it is introducing five new games this year that play off popular TV shows. Others include "Sopranos," "Sex and the City" and "Law and Order" games.

"You just have to have a show that the consumer cares about," said Joel Berger, president of Cardinal Industries.

Of course, there are games with tie-ins to hit movies too, such as "Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit."

"The kids' market is contracting but the adult market is wide open," Berger said.

In this time-pressed society, newer games differ from ones such as "Monopoly" and "Risk" in that they often can be played in less than an hour, rather than taking all day. Still, the classics live on and designer versions of old favorites are hot sellers.