no. 2-0021

Hasbro Interactive
In 1995 at the Tokyo Toy Fair, Alan Hassenfeld, chief executive of toy and game company Hasbro, decided it was time once again for his company to take a risk on interactive games. The company had been stung when betting on the notion that consumers would spurn traditional board games in favor of the electronic variety. However, the personal computer, with its improving multimedia capabilities, looked to be the future of gaming. Mr. Hassenfeld spoke with Tom Dusenberry, an ambitious rising star from Parker Brothers, a game company that Hasbro had acquired in 1991. Familiar with Mr. Dusenberry’s work, Mr. Hassenfeld admired his creativity and capability. Mr. Dusenberry believed that interactive games had a brilliant future. He was also a talented visionary, proficient at activating others’ enthusiasm for futuristic ideas. His effusiveness accelerated Mr. Hassenfeld’s interest, and soon Mr. Hassenfeld charged Mr. Dusenberry with building a new division, to be named Hasbro Interactive. He was to write a business plan, form a team, and go to market, starting with a handful of existing CD-ROM products that Hasbro’s long-standing toy and game divisions had developed in a decentralized fashion. Over the course of his career at Parker Brothers, Mr. Dusenberry gained direct experience in most aspects of the game business. He had started working on a loading dock and had been promoted several times through positions in manufacturing, marketing, and sales. He survived the consolidation that followed Hasbro’s acquisition of Parker Brothers and was promoted again, this time into product development. Throughout his career, he had remained connected to developments in interactive gaming. Running Hasbro Interactive would be his first experience as a general manager, and it was the break he had been waiting for. He recalled: “My career goal was to end