Hasbro Celebrates National Family Game Night Tonight

This evening, families across the country will be buying properties, shouting "Sorry!” and planning triple word scores during the first official National Family Game Night. As the makers of popular family games including THE GAME OF LIFE, CLUE and CONNECT 4, Hasbro has challenged American families to pause from hectic schedules and take part in an evening of game play to reconnect and reenergize relationships. Scheduled during Turn Off Week, a grassroots effort that promotes switching off electronic distractions for a short time, this at-home gaming event will give families a chance to interact face-to-face and experience quality time together.

"One of the best ways to spend active time with friends and family away televisions, computers and game stations during Turn Off Week is to play games. Board games start conversations, get people laughing and build strong bonds leading to fuller lives,” said Robert Kesten, Executive Director for the Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness. "Turn Off Week is not about turning off, it is about finding the excitement of doing things in real time with real people.”

For families on a budget, National Family Game Night provides an opportunity to share an affordable night in. Buying a new game costs significantly less than many other entertainment options, such as dining out or attending a sporting event, and Hasbro games can be played year after year providing hours of entertainment. When planning your family game night, consider some of America’s favorite Hasbro games, most of which are available for less than $20: MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE, OPERATION, YAHTZEE, GUESS WHO?, BATTLESHIP or CRANIUM. Or, if you’re looking for a new game, try PICTUREKA!, a fast finding picture game that provides fun for the whole family.

Some of Hasbro’s classic favorites have also been updated this year, adding a new dimension of play to each game. For example, MONOPOLY Family Game Night: Championship Edition gives players the opportunity to host a Championship showdown at home, complete with tournament style rules and a Mr. MONOPOLY trophy for the victor. CLUE: Secrets & Spies Edition is a new suspense-filled game of global espionage where players work undercover and decode secret messages sent through real time cell phone text messages. And CONNECT 4x4 is the first double grid, four-player game of CONNECT 4, introducing more competition and strategy to the classic game of four in a row.

"Family game night invites families everywhere to turn off the outside world for a short time and create memories together,” said Belisa Anzalotti, Director of U.S. Marketing for Hasbro Games. "Hasbro has established National Family Game Night to designate one evening where American families are encouraged to play games and share in learning and laughter.”

In addition to offering hours of fun and entertainment, games also provide countless learning opportunities. Playing games reinforces patience, turn taking and teamwork, as well as losing gracefully and following directions. MONOPOLY, for example, is a great way to start teaching kids and young adults budgeting skills, while BOGGLE and SCRABBLE help with spelling, and CLUE helps with deductive reasoning. Spend an affordable night in with any Hasbro game for an educational and enjoyable experience that will be remembered for years to come.

For additional information about National Family Game Night, as well as age appropriate game suggestions, visit www.familygamenight.com.

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com © 2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

To download broadcast quality footage of families participating in family game night, visit: http://newsinfusion.com/video_details.php?videoId=355.