Iam Hasbro Game Design Leads, Ben Rathbone and Randy Klimpert AMA!

Why have you had no hit games in years?

Hi WillCreary. We have an up and coming game called Monopoly. Randy here: what do you consider a hit?

I mean Monopoly is a very fun game, it's just been around forever. I mean, what's next on the agenda? Can you ever hope for more games as successful as Monopoly?

Ben: Obviously Monopoly has the history and longevity. With more and more new games coming to market every year, it’s always going to be a struggle to get something as big as that without giving it the time to grow and breathe, but that’s our goal!

We can see other games like Catan and Ticket to Ride heading in that direction, but only after having grown their fan base.

Randy: But, It’s tough to beat a classic that’s been a favorite for 80 years.

What do you think about those new (mainly european) designer games (such as "seven wonders", "ticket to ride", "zombicide", "agricola")? does it interfere in your market?

We believe all of these are great for the gaming market as a whole. The more people that play games the better.

Has the rise in popularity of more adult oriented games, such as Cards Against Humanity, changed the way your thinking of game design?

Ben: Absolutely. Especially the way we think about party games and how adults play. The content of the game combined with the fast and open ended game play is a winning combination which we have seen spark off a whole new genre of gaming.

Randy: The landscape of gaming is evolving constantly. We try to adapt with games, gamers, and play patterns as they change.

Ben, since you listed a game like Caverna as one you played recently, does Hasbro have plans to produce games in that "euro" vein? They are obviously gaining in popularity in the U.S. but I don't know if the numbers make it viable for a company like Hasbro.

Ben: I'd love to do that if we could make numbers viable. We are seeing more strategy-type games come to mass market in the US. Never say never.

What games do you play?

Randy: Jenga, Scrabble, Dixit, and Cranium. I’m a big pub trivia fan.

Ben: Wow, tough question. Easy way to answer: games I’ve played recently are Sheriff of Nottingham, Whoonu, and Caverna. Also, can’t wait for Fallout 4!

How can someone get a job working with/for you creating and designing games?

Does your current employer, Lucifer, have a non-compete? Getting too hot for you down there?

Ben: But seriously, we’re always looking for new game design talent. It’s one of the key skills we look for. Another opportunity to work with us is our gaming challenge at hasbrogaminglab.com

For our current job openings, look at jobs.hasbro.com.

Do you find the games based on a "simple idea" stand the test of time or do people crave complexity in gaming, just as much?

Randy: I am drawn to games that are simple to learn, easy and quick to play, and infinitely snackable and repeatable.

Ben: I tend to agree that the simplest ideas last the longest. But there will always be an audience for complex gaming. Because that audience is smaller, they don’t stand the test of time as well. What do you consider complex? Personally, I have simple favorites like Love Letter, which meets Randy's criteria. I also have some more complex favorites like Arkham Horror, but I don't play them as often because of time constraints.

Ben: I am a big fan of Magic the Gathering, the game is currently doing well, but I feel the property has a lot of room to grow digitally and as a competitive game.

Is Hasbro interested in having Magic compete with things like Hearthstone and League of Legends?

Can you please send some truckloads of money to Wizards of the Coast to make MTGO and event coverage top notch?

Ben: I don’t work on the card game, but we just released the board game, which I was part of (and are really excited about). We also announced the first expansion at PAX Prime.

What kind of Magic coverage would you like to see?

I am a huge fan of Avalon Hill games. I know they are not as popular as the classic family board games are, but what are the chances that we might see a resurgence of this brand? Maybe a new Axis & Allies game or some reprints of classic AH titles?

Ben: Always great to hear from Avalon Hill fans. We are looking at ways to bring some of these titles back.

This has been really great. We really love the enthusiasm we’re hearing about our games and the gaming community as a whole. It’s been a great pleasure sharing the process and stories. Ben and Randy, signing off!

Questions for both.

Which game/toy was the most enjoyable to work on and why?

What is your favorite hasbro and non-hasbro game to play?

RoboRally. No expansions. Why?

Favorite pizza topping?

Ben, what warhammer army did you start with and do you still play?

Randy: 1. Catch Phrase. From the inception, it was a game that you throw around. Working on it as an inventor and submitting it to Hasbro and seeing it come out on the market was awesome. 2. Jenga and Dixit. 4. I like simple games and simple toppings. I like meat.

Ben: 1. Heroquest. It was the first game I worked on at Hasbro and it taught me a lot about game design. 2. Monopoly Deal and Race for the Galaxy. 3. Hey potatoguy! Great to know you’re a fan of Robo Rally. Keep your potato eyes peeled for news next year… 4. BBQ Chicken. It’s that easy. 5. When I played, I played dwarves. My GW preference was Blood Bowl, which I still play when I can.

with children using technology at such a young age do they still love board games ?

Randy: Technology will never be a substitute for socialization. Board games offer face-to-face interaction, which technology can augment, but never replace.

What has been your favorite game to work on? And what is your favorite game you haven't worked on?

Ben: My favorite game I haven’t worked on is Dungeons and Dragons.

Randy: I love working on Twister and Jenga because I think the possibilities are endless for both. I wish I had been around in the 1960’s when the classics were being invented and worked on, like Mouse Trap, Simon, and Operation.

How come Hasbro stopped making WWF wrestling figures in the mid-1990s?

Ben: ಠ_ಠ

We're talking about games here!

If you found $300 on the ground. What would you spend it on?

Randy: I once found $300 on the ground. It was all muddy at a flea market. It was pounded down into the dirt. I think I kept it.

Ben: Games. It’s cash so my wife would never find out.

How do you play test your designs? How do you decide when a design is ready for market?

Which games that you have worked on were the hardest to design?

The new Star Wars Risk has a lot of designer mechanics that se it apart from other hasbro titles, does hasbro have any plans to develop more mechanic heavy or european style (catan, Dominion, Ticket to Ride) games?

Legacy games are back in the spot light, are there any plans to make a sequel to Risk legacy or add the legacy format to other titles?

Randy: Designers play test first as we iterate the game. We kitchen play test with other designers at Hasbro. Then, we play test with kids. By the end of every game, dozens of different people have played.

I would say the simplest games are the hardest to design. It’s always tempting to add more rules, which doesn’t often make for a better game.

Ben: Hopefully you’ve also played our Magic the Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers board game that was released this year. We have more plans for Risk that we’ll be demoing at Essen Spiel in October. We are very proud of Risk Legacy (the original Legacy game). We are always looking at other potential opportunities.

Are there any games you guys have made that you would consider failures? And if so, obviously you wouldn't intentionally make a bad game, so what was the surprise that caused the game to flop?

Ben: Cluedo Secrets & Spies, which had a texting feature in it. Looking back, it was probably before its time and people didn’t really understand what it was. It taught us to consider carefully integrating technology into board games and to really think about where and when it works.

Randy: Most failures never see the light of day. We work on 30-50 times the number of product that ever makes it to the market.

Any updates in the near future for Battleship?

Battleship turns 50 in 2017! We wonder how we’ll celebrate…

I believe it was Hasbro with the "family game night" concept. And for families, it really is a good idea to bring everyone together (aside from dinner table time - which is TOUGH in this age of long work hours and homework, sports, distractions from devices, etc.)

My question: Are you focused more on traditional board games or video game/app development? Will we eventually see VR games from Hasbro, such as the Oculus Rift VR device?

Ben: The current focus for Randy and I is face-to-face board games. We work closely with our digital team looking for cross-over opportunities with new technologies like VR.

Randy: With one of the largest gaming portfolios in the world, we create gaming experience that cross all platforms.

Also, with the Hasbro Gaming Lab challenge - if my idea is chosen as a finalist can I add some more team members to help me with my project (mainly for artwork purposes, etc.)? I know some great artists, but I didn't list them as part of my "team" in the submission as I am not at that point yet in my development. However, I will likely bring them in to help me if things really start moving in order to meet the Ingiegogo deadline.

Just want to follow the rules.

We're pumped that you've entered the challenge. If you have questions about your Hasbro Gaming Lab submission, e-mail [email protected].

Hi there! Thanks so much for doing this AMA.

What are your plans to stay relevant in a world of independent game design and Kickstarter?

Ben: Great question, Lighetto! We are constantly looking at new cultural and gaming trends to bring the best games to the gaming community. One great example of this is our recent game challenge with Indiegogo that you can find here.