INTERVIEW
With children, grandparents, friends, for real or on video, the French are playing more than ever in this period of confinement. Hasbro, a giant in the sector, is following the trend and is launching a new online platform for confined families on Tuesday. "We are trying to inspire children, to suggest new ways for them to use their toys," said Europe 1 Mikaël Berthou CEO of Hasbro France on Tuesday. In full containment, the game maker has set itself the task of distracting young and old.
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The new Hasbro platform, which is completely free, does not yet allow you to play board games online. Its designers, on the other hand, tried to stick as closely as possible to the new daily life of the French, by offering indoor activities, such as plasticine tutorials or coloring models. "We try to be close to people, to adapt our games to confinement", specifies Mikaël Berthou.
The gaming sector is also suffering from the health crisis
The fact remains that despite the craze, the gaming sector is suffering, like a large part of the French economy, from the health crisis. "We are at -40% since the start of confinement," laments Mikaël Berthou. Only board games benefit from a jump in sales. "In this sector, we are around + 80%. It is at the Christmas period for certain board games," he explains.
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Monopoly has not surprisingly recorded a particular boom: + 100% sales in one month of confinement. "It celebrates its 85th anniversary this year, and people still take it for granted, but differently. We play it with grandparents, for example, by videoconference."