Big time toy and software company Hasbro has announced that they are acquiring Wizards of the Coast, makers of the popular Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon card games, as well as the parent company of TSR, makers of Dungeons & Dragons. This move gives Hasbro some of the most lucrative RPG licenses in the gaming industry - last year's mega hit Baldur's Gate was made with a TSR license. Here's a snippit from the press release:

"Wizards of the Coast will enable us to significantly expand in the fast-growing games arena, which is a cornerstone of our growth strategy for the new millennium,'' said Alan G. Hassenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Hasbro, Inc. "This acquisition brings us not only incredibly popular content and exciting future gaming initiatives, but also a visionary senior management team and creative talent, expanded distribution channels and an opportunity to participate in location-based entertainment. There is no end to the opportunities we see from cross-fertilization of our respective game portfolios, including the fast-growing areas of interactive software and on-line gaming. Plus, the year-round nature of these businesses will help to balance the seasonality of our diversified portfolio,'' Hassenfeld continued.