One more item I found that should provoke some discussion: In an article in the LA Times on the new “Hub” network—a joint venture of Discovery and Hasbro: “The Hub’s original-series lineup is heavy with Hasbro tie-ins such as “Family Game Night,” an hourlong show in which contestants play giant-size versions of the company’s familiar games including Cranium, Twister and Yahtzee.”
This got me thinking. Hasbro is the borg of gaming: they also own Wizards of the Coast and Avalon Hill. Can you imagine if they extended the concept to their adult gaming line? Aside from shows based on Dungeons and Dragons (which has been done before), imagine the possibilities:
- A drama of global warfare and conflict, based on Risk
- A drama of World War II, based on Axis and Allies
- A drama set in the early days of Las Vegas, pitting tycoons against each other to raise the status of their casinos, based on Vegas Showdown
- A horror series based on Betrayal on the House on the Hill
But keep thinking. Support Hasbro got beat up for only featuring their games. Now suppose they went to the other manufactures: Days of Wonder, Queens games, etc. Just imagine games based on Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, 10 Days in Africa, Agricola, Traumfabrik, Power Grid. What would your favorite board game look like, if it was turned into a TV series?
