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Seattle, long the coffeehouse hometown of the ultrahip, is alsohome to some of the hottest board games. Entrepreneurs have pickedup the torch lit by Seattle-based games like Pictionary and TrivialPursuit. Is there something in the air that inspires gamecreativity? "Seattle is a magnet for smaller companies,"says Jonathan Albin, marketing director of The Game ManufacturersAssociation. Even VCs are taking notice.
- Cranium Inc., makersof Cranium:
- Founders Richard Tait, 40, and WhitAlexander, 42, got their start in 1998, and their game became acultural phenomenon among the Starbucks crowd-it's sold 3.5million copies as of December 2003. Named "Game of theYear" by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) in 2001, Craniuminvites players to compete at 14 different activities-fromsketching to spelling backward. They've recently raised $21million in venture capital to expand into 20 international marketsand create new games for adults, families and children. Successfulwith a children's line (Cranium Cadoo was "Game of theYear" in 2002), Tait notes Seattle "has always been apioneering market." With cool weather and emphasis on family,says Tait, "you have a city with a hotbed of gamingproductivity."
- Screenlife LLC, makersof Scene It?:
- Dave Long, 42, and Craig Kinzer, 47,started their company in 2001. At a 1992 Halloween party, Long cameup with the idea of showing horror movie clips to guests; the teamguessing the correct movie title wins. It was a hit, but thelimitations of VHS technology made it hard to go further. When Longbought a DVD player in 2000, he realized it was possible to watchclips in a nonlinear way. Securing licensing rights from moviestudios was priority No. 1. They partnered with Mattel todistribute the board/DVD game-which was in 8,500 stores in 2003-andraised $10 million in venture capital to distribute the gameworldwide. "Our [annual] flight to the Toy Fair in New YorkCity [a TIA event] is filled with [Seattle] game companies.There's camaraderie-it's great to get together witheverybody."
- Entspire, makers ofDerivation:
- After a discussion with friends on theorigin of words and phrases like "happy as a clam," and"the whole kit and caboodle," Brad Chase, 43, set out tomake a board game based on the idea. In fall 2002, he created hiscompany. He says Seattle is a hotbed for online and board games.With his own game sold in retail stores Wizards of the Coast andThe Game Keeper, and online via Toysrus.com, Chase is thinkinglocally and globally: He plans to devote 25 percent of profits tocharity.
