Bloomberg: Takara's New Game of Life Taps Takeover Trend in Japan
In 1968, Takara Co. unveiled Japan's edition of Hasbro Inc.'s Game of Life, capturing the imagination of a hard-working nation enamored with U.S. prosperity. Four decades on, the company hopes to tap the spirit of a new age with a version of the game based on corporate takeovers. Takara, itself bought by competitor Tomy Co., plans to release Game of Life M&A to capitalize on the growing interest in takeovers sparked by 32-year-old Takafumi Horie's hostile attempt this year to gain control of Fuji Television Network Inc... The first version was a licensed translation of the original from Milton Bradley, now a Hasbro unit, including a roulette- style wheel and cards with various life events. When Japan's trade surplus sparked a confrontation with the U.S. in 1992, the company introduced a game in which players had to buy foreign cars and imported rice to ease diplomatic tensions. The 2001 version featured Internet dating and online gambling...Takara has sold more than 10 million boxes of the Game of Life in Japan, making the world's second-largest economy the biggest market for the game...more...
