Hasbro has spent about $1 billion over the past eight years building its video game business, but the company is not putting its first major push behind live service games. CEO Chris Cocks says Hasbro wants to prove it can make strong PC and console games before trying to chase the larger but riskier Games as a Service market.
The company owns major brands such as Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Monopoly, Clue, My Little Pony, and Peppa Pig. That gives Hasbro a wide set of properties to turn into games, but Cocks said the company has chosen to focus first on core PC and console games with more traditional business models.
Hasbro wants Exodus and Warlock to show it can build strong games without relying on live service trends
Hasbro has already seen how powerful one major success can be. Baldur’s Gate 3 turned Dungeons and Dragons into a major force in modern gaming again, but that success came from Larian Studios. With Larian moving on, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast now need to show they can build major games through their own studios and partners.
Cocks pointed to upcoming games such as Exodus and Warlock as part of that first wave. He said traditional games may not usually make billions, but they offer a safer risk and reward balance than live service projects. In his view, a well funded premium game has a better chance of earning back its money than a costly live service game that could fail completely.
| Area | Hasbro’s current approach |
|---|---|
| Investment | About $1 billion over eight years |
| Main focus | Traditional PC and console games |
| Key upcoming games | Exodus and Warlock |
| Live service strategy | Not the first priority |
| Major existing success | Baldur’s Gate 3 through Larian Studios |
| Long term goal | Build a decade long game pipeline |
The company is not ignoring live service completely. Monopoly GO has already shown that Hasbro can benefit from mobile and service based games. But Cocks said the chances of building a billion dollar live service hit are very low, while the downside can be severe if a project fails.
Hasbro also has to deal with the cost of premium game development. Large PC and console games are expensive, and a traditional model does not guarantee profit. Still, Cocks said the near term goal is not only profit. He wants Exodus and Warlock to help establish Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast as companies that know how to make great games.
The update also comes with a setback. Hasbro has reportedly canceled the Dungeons and Dragons action adventure game that was in development at Giant Skull, the studio founded by Stig Asmussen. That shows the company’s gaming push is still facing hard choices, even as it tries to build a stronger long term foundation.
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