Tom Dusenberry’s work is about play

By ELIZABETH ROSS WHITE
Special to Essex County Newspapers

Ever since he was a boy, Tom Dusenberry has loved to play games. Today, he puts his thirst for competition into play at the helm of Hasbro Interactive, an entertainment software publisher based in Beverly.

The 5-year-old company creates and markets computer games and software products for children and families. Founded by Dusenberry in 1995, and a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., of Pawtucket, R.I., it is considered a rising star in the North Shore business community.

Since earning $35 million in revenues in its first year, sales have climbed a dramatic 800 percent. This year, revenues are expected to top $300 million. That's an impressive record for a new publishing venture and its 45-year-old president.

"I happened to be at the right place at the right time," says Dusenberry, "and was able to see the mass market and see that a broad part of society was going to accept the computer" as a vehicle for entertainment.

Dusenberry's instincts were correct. Given the variety of computer games on store shelves today, it's clear that computer users want more than spreadsheet programs. And Dusenberry has learned how to tap into the demand.

The 25-year veteran of the game industry has published some memorable hits, including an interactive version of Monopoly _ Hasbro Interactive's first million-unit seller.

The company's big hit is Frogger, reintroduced for PCs two years ago. Two million copies of the game have sold so far. The company's other popular software games include Scrabble, Clue and more recently, Monopoly Star Wars.

Hasbro Interactive aims to offer something for everyone. That, says Dusenberry, means creating software not only for 10-year-old kids but for preschoolers, adults and even senior citizens.

This year, the company is counting on the success of some old and new ideas. One title Dusenberry expects to be a hot seller is the 3-D video game Pong. Originally introduced in 1972 as a flat, two-dimensional Atari arcade game, Hasbro Interactive has transformed Pong into a three-dimensional, multicolored game experience for PC and Playstation use.

Another big title is Rollercoaster Tycoon. Players build their own amusement parks using a combination of creativity and strategy.

"It's one of the most fun, addictive games I have ever played," says Dusenberry. This past June and July, according to PC Data magazine, the game became the No. 1 entertainment title.

Dusenberry attributes his success to hard work and a long track record at Hasbro's Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley. He originally started out on the loading dock at the Parker Brothers branch in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.

Over the years, he's held company jobs in manufacturing, sales, marketing, research and development, and new business development. He maintained a focus on electronic products, and in 1995, while working at Hasbro's Milton Bradley, he was given the opportunity to create Hasbro Interactive.

A disciplined managerial style earned him early success. Describing himself as "aggressive, high-paced, with a focus on winning and an absolute will to succeed," Dusenberry concludes, "I'm a decision maker, I'm a motivator of people, and I can see the market and get us there."

Hasbro Interactive's newest venture is in the sports arena. A new company division will sell cutting-edge, sports-related software products. First on the list is motor sports racing, which follows a licensing agreement with NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing).

"This is an opportunity for us to go after a very big, important part of the market," says Dusenberry. "We're stretching the limits of marketing by introducing racing games plus co-branded products such as Trivial Pursuit NASCAR and interactive toys using a NASCAR digital camera. After motor sports racing, we plan to get into every major sport as well as compete in the extreme sports area."

Taking on new endeavors isn't unusual for Dusenberry. In 1998, he brokered the acquisition of game companies Atari, Microprose and Avalon Hill. Last summer, the company purchased Europress, a European publisher of education and lifestyle software. "A great little acquisition," says Dusenberry. "This gives us the opportunity to expand beyond entertainment and go into new categories, "

In early 1999, the company debuted a line of games, such as Scrabble, Battleship and chess that can be played via e-mail

But life isn't all computer fun and games. Dusenberry and his wife, Debbie, have two sons, Matthew, 12, and Michael, 6. Photos of the boys appear occasionally in company catalogues. And the boys offer feedback on some games.

Dusenberry also serves on the board of the Interactive Digital Software Association and is a member of the board of directors of the North Shore Medical Center.

He and his family live in Marblehead where he serves on the board of directors of the Goldthwait Association, a group that protects coastal land.

"I have a strong affection for the North Shore," says Dusenberry, who finds New England especially lovely with its mountains, shoreline and seasonal changes. "I'm one who loves four seasons and there's nothing like four seasons on the North Shore."