“So You Want To Invent A Game”

The 2003 book The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers, from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit* is a fun read. Covering the history of the game company, Parker Brothers, one of the things that is most striking is how the founder, George Parker, thought of games and gameplay. It’s a truly incredible read and recommended for anyone interested in the history of the toy and game industry.

It was spotting this article in a 1949 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance that made me think of the book. Now I wasn’t around in 1949 — even my parents weren’t alive then — but I am positive that this article about submitting games to Parker Brothers would have excited me if I’d been there in the forties. Best part of the article? Info that Parker Brothers wouldn’t produce a game unless they thought it could sell at least 5,000 units. That’s a very low number for today’s Hasbro, the company that acquired the Parker Brothers rights back in the nineties when they bought Tonka and Kenner-Parker Toys.

Related articles

• 1984 Risk Boardgame Ad (battlegrip.com)
• August, 1997 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance on Mattel and Hasbro (battlegrip.com)
• Star Wars, Strawberry Shortcake, and More in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (battlegrip.com)