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Ahh?nothing like going to a toy store and looking at boxes and boxes of games, and inside each of those boxes are hours and hours of fun and entertainment for you and your friends and family. There are always the classics to choose from, such as Checkers, Chess, Monopoly, and maybe even a simple bag of Marbles. Or how about discovering a new game you've never played before? So many games to chose from, but which one?
To get help with this question, we went to one of the largest game and puzzle manufacturers in the world, Milton Bradley
. Established in 1880, Milton Bradley
(now a division of Hasbro
) has brought many classic games into our homes. The Game of LIFE, Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland have been played by people of all ages. The Milton Bradley Company
believes games are an important part of growing up. We all have some sort of favorite childhood game. And maybe these are games we still enjoy today. What's the fascination about playing games? Is it about winning? It's partly about winning, but mostly games teach people, young and old, how to think ahead, how to play as a team, how to compete fairly, and how to be good sports. And most importantly, they're FUN!
So what goes into creating fun games? Milton Bradley
asks itself some pretty simple questions when thinking about new games to invent. And these are some questions you might want to keep in mind the next time you're in a toy store and can't decide which game to bring home.
Is the game fun? Is this game going to give you and your family and friends countless hours of fun and laughter? What about challenging? Does this game challenge you to think ahead or create new strategies to beat your opponents? If a game is too easy or ends too quickly, you probably won't play it over and over again. A game that gives you a sense of accomplishment or challenges you to learn something new is always exciting. What's the goal or reward at the end of the game? In almost every game or contest, there's a goal, something that players keep focused on. Is the game easy to understand and easy to learn? If a game is frustrating to learn and difficult to win, then it's not really fun and there's no incentive to continue playing. Will players want to play this game over and over again? Your favorite game has probably become well worn from many playing sessions; maybe you even had to tape it together to get some extra use out of it. A good game is one that always challenges players to find new ways of winning. |
