[perrych]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlasjr

you're right. Hasbro is not now nor will it be in the near future a threat to Disney. But the same was true of Apple when Microsoft had to bail them out in the late 90's.

Hasbro is not in trouble. G.I joe one made a mere $300 Million. Why would you expect number two to perform less well?
Yes trandsformers 4 is a couple of years off. I guess they'll have to rest on their $2.5 billion take so far. But lets not forget about Battleship. (Everytime I hear someone say that looks good I have to look around for Rod Serling)
The reccession comments are funny. The $9.00 for toys will send people away in droves but the vacation resort community will do better in a recession?
Hasbro and Disney are both doing fine. Comparing the two is fruitless.

As for the main theme of the thread, Mattel isn't going to take on the Marvel lic. They don't want to do anything with DC anymore never mind Marvel.

Hasbro is ok - not great, but doing ok based on their own internal comments. GI Joe is on the ropes - the movie made some money - it earned 300 million but that was before taking out costs - but not as much as Paramount or Hasbro hoped. Most folks that follow GI Joe think this movie is its last hope. Just look at most stores and see how little they carry of GI Joe - and particularly of how little is new. On the other hand, TFs popularity waned in terms of toys last year because most of it wasn't new or particularly good - and what was couldn't be found easily. Still, overall they are doing well - just not great.

About the movies and tv show, Hasbro said themselves that the Hub is struggling. About the movies, you have to remember that the money is split between Paramount, Dreamworks, and Hasbro - and then the risiduals that the actors and director and producers get on the back end. And I have not seen worldwide numbers like what you are suggesting - more like half (but that doesn't count toys, books, etc). But one movie doesn't make a studio - at least, not for long. And that series appears to be drying up for a while, with the profits going into two blockbusters that look iffy in a summer full of big named comic book characters (Joe and Battleship vs Batman, Spider-man, Avengers, MIB3, etc).

To your comment about vacation resort vs $9 toys in a recession, it makes complete sense. People love Disney and put aside money that they don't have to go there each year. I've met people who were staying there a month (from Europe). Trust me, the parks are still full. Toys for $10 are easier to pass on for collectors and kids alike. A vacation can be timeless; a toy is easily forgotten. It's not a hard step of logic to take.

To be clear, Hasbro is not in trouble. But it is making costly decisions that time will tell if they work out for them (television, rising toy prices with less articulation, and more movies this summer that are pretty risky blockbusters). How they work out will determine if the company is growing or is hurting. Right now, they are doing little of either.