The play industry goes Hollywood or is it the other way around?

When Hasbro decided to sire its own television cable channel I thought to myself, Hasbro is going Hollywood. They are moving from being a toy company to becoming a media company. After reading a small article in the New York Times entitled “Game Firms Seem Mighty Appealing,” I am beginning to think that that may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Here is what the article had to say: “Are video-game makers Hollywood’s next takeover bait? With their business models under threat and shares in the doldrums, Electronic Arts and its rivals look ripe for the picking by media groups like Walt Disney…”

The article compares the video game companies to the movie studios, saying: “Most of the major studios already have been driven into the arms of the News Corporation, Sony and other media conglomerates. These companies could lay claim to content and corporate synergies that offset the volatility of the film business.”

So, if it can happen to movie studios and video game companies, why not toy companies? After all, toys now frequently dictate the actual plot elements of movies. If Hasbro or Mattel think a particular toy would make sense, a basis for that toy will be written into the movie. 

My thought is that Hasbro may be getting into some deep, deep water where big fish like Sony, Disney and News Corporation have the deep, deep pockets to match. A Hasbro, a Mattel or a Jakks might start to look like a tasty meal to a big shark who is interested in expanding its synergy to toys.

Now this could be real interesting.