Editing Avalon Hill (section)

== History ==
=== The Avalon Game Company ===
[[File:Avalon Hill house.jpg|thumb|left|Home of Charles S. Roberts, founder of the company during the 1950s, located on a hill in the Avalon neighborhood of [[Catonsville|Catonsville, Maryland]]. The Avalon Game Company sold mailorder games from the garage for six years 1952–1958. Photo 2020.<ref name="The General">{{cite journal|title=The General Index and Company History|journal=The General Magazine Index and Company History|date=1980 |url= https://archive.org/stream/GeneralMagazine_GeneralIndexVolumes1to16/General%20Index%20Volumes%201%20to%2016#page/n3/mode/2up |access-date=August 5, 2015}}</ref>]]
Avalon Hill was started in 1952 outside [[Baltimore]] in Catonsville, [[Maryland]], by [[Charles S. Roberts]] under the name of "The Avalon Game Company" for the publication of his game ''[[Tactics (game)|Tactics]]''. It is considered the first of a new type of war game, consisting of a self-contained printed map, pieces, rules and box designed for the mass-market.<ref name=ubm/><ref name="The General"/> Other war games published over the prior half-century, from which Roberts drew inspiration, were either not designed for the commercial market and/or used miniatures with self-made maps/terrain.<ref name=caffrey>{{cite journal |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/newport-papers/43/ |format=PDF |title=On Wargaming: How Wargames Have Shaped History and how They May Shape the Future |publisher=Naval War College Press |author=Matthew B. Caffrey Jr. |journal=The Newport Papers |year=2019 |pages=77–78 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125165749/https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1043&context=newport-papers&usg=AOvVaw05cUmvNMyrDxrB_h2ZvgB5 |archive-date=2020-01-25 |url-status=live}}</ref> Roberts sold ''Tactics'' by mail from his home in the Avalon neighborhood of Catonsville; his house overlooked the [[Patapsco River]] valley and [[B&O Railroad]] for which Roberts, his father and grandfather worked.<ref name="The General" /> 

Following the success of ''Tactics'', Roberts changed the name upon incorporation from "The Avalon Game Company" to "Avalon Hill" in 1958 because of a naming dispute with another company, and the Avalon house was on a hill.<ref name="The General" /><ref name=ubm /> The number of games released per year was erratic until 1964 as the company released anywhere from 1 to 7 games.<ref name="The General"/><sup>5-8</sup>

The first game published by the company under the name of "Avalon Hill" was ''[[Gettysburg (game)|Gettysburg]]'', published in 1958, it was also the first board wargame to simulate a historical battle. AH published two other games that year, the second edition of ''Tactics'', titled ''Tactics II'', and the railroad game ''Dispatcher''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=They're Fighting It All Over Again! |journal=[[The General (magazine)|The General]] |first1= |last1= |date=May 1, 1964 |volume=1 |number=1 |page=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/the-general-vol-01-no-1 |quote=Incorporated in 1958 Avalon Hill's first games were Gettysburg, Tactics II and Dispatcher (chronological appearance on the market for each game is indicated by the code number printed on the box; Gettysburg - 501, Tactics II - 502, etc.)}}</ref> 

In 1959, Roberts moved Avalon into an office space on Gay Street in Baltimore and took on its first outside designed game, ''Verdict'', by two corporate lawyers. After another office move, in {{dts|1960|8}} Thomas N. Shaw, a high school friend of Roberts, was hired to design games.<ref name=ubm/><ref name="The General"/><sup>6</sup>

In 1960, Avalon published the first mostly dice-less sports game in ''Football Strategy'' designed by Thomas N. Shaw which was followed by two sister games, ''Baseball Strategy'' and ''Basketball Strategy''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Arneson|first1=Eric|title=Football Strategy|url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/gamehistories/p/fball_strategy.htm|access-date=July 15, 2015|work=About Board Games|publisher=About|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715064904/http://boardgames.about.com/od/gamehistories/p/fball_strategy.htm|archive-date=July 15, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Arneson|first1=Eric|title=Best Football Board Games|url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/football/tp/best_football.htm|website=About Board Games|publisher=About|access-date=15 July 2015|archive-date=27 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127222418/http://boardgames.about.com/od/football/tp/best_football.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Of this sports strategy line, the football and baseball versions were previously privately published by Shaw in 1959.<ref name="The General"/><sup>7</sup> With a recession occurring, debt began to pile up starting in 1961.<ref name=ubm/>

Avalon launched a pre-school children's line in 1963 with four games, ''Imagination'', ''What Time Is It?'', ''Doll House'' and ''Trucks, Trains, Boats & Planes'', which flopped. Roberts gave up and planned to file bankruptcy on {{dts|1963|12|13}}.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p7</sup> Instead his creditors, Monarch Office Services and J.E. Smith & Co., interceded and took over. Monarch had printed all but the boxes, which were done by J.E. Smith.<ref name=dd>{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|175}} The company was reorganized by retaining only one staff member, Shaw, moving, cutting costs and appointing J.E. Sparling as president.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p7,8</sup> In 1964, AH set a two-game per year release schedule.<ref name="The General"/><sup>5-8</sup>

Avalon Hill published ''[[Blitzkrieg (game)|Blitzkrieg]]'' in 1965. This game was an abstract combat game, featuring two sides (red and blue) and some neutral countries. Many rules variants were created for ''Blitzkrieg''. The company also published simulations of actual battles and campaigns, such as ''[[Midway (1964 game)|Midway]],'' ''[[Afrika Korps (game)|Afrika Korps]],'' and ''[[Battle of the Bulge (1991 game)|The Battle of the Bulge]].''

Avalon Hill published ''[[PanzerBlitz]]'' in 1970, designed for the company by [[Jim Dunnigan]]'s [[Simulations Publications, Inc.]] (SPI) on a royalty basis from SPI's ''Tac Force 3'' game.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p9</sup>

=== Monarch Avalon division ===
Monarch bought out J.E. Smith & Co., Avalon Hill's co-owner, on {{dts|1971|11|30}}. Thus the company became a division of a renamed Monarch Office Services, Monarch Avalon.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p10</sup> Coinciding with the purchase, an additional warehouse was opened in historic downtown Baltimore at [[List_of_streets_in_Baltimore#Guilford_Avenue|1501 Guilford Ave.]], complementing the original building at [[Maryland Route 147|4517 Harford Road]].<ref name="TheGeneralV9I2">{{cite journal |title=Infiltrator's Report |journal=[[The General Magazine]] |date=July 1972 |volume=9 |number=2 |pages=2, 14 |url=https://archive.org/details/GeneralMagazineVol9i2/page/n13/mode/2up?q=%221501+Guilford+Ave%22 }}</ref> [[Don Greenwood (game designer)|Don Greenwood]] joined in 1972.<ref name="TheGeneralV9I2" />

The company acquired several successful games including ''[[Acquire]]'', ''[[TwixT]]'', and ''[[Feudal (game)|Feudal]]'' from the purchase of [[3M bookshelf game series|3M Games]] in {{dts|1976|2}}.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p5,12</sup><ref name=abt>{{cite web|last=Arneson|first=Erik|title=Hasbro - Brief History|url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/a/hasbro_history.htm|website=About Board Games|publisher=About.com|access-date=July 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415170800/http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/a/hasbro_history.htm|archive-date=2008-04-15|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''Sports Illustrated'' (SI) line of sports games were purchased in {{dts|1976|12}}. Both lines increased the retail outlets that would take AH games. The Aladdin Industries game line was another acquisition in {{dts|1977|3}}. With the SI line, the company started a sports game division in {{dts|1977|5}} with Bruce Milligan hired to head the division and launch ''All Star Replay'' sport games magazine. While from the 3M line, ''Facts in Five'' became its top selling game.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p5,12</sup>

During the 1970s, Avalon Hill published a number of popular games such as ''[[Outdoor Survival]]'', ''[[Panzer Blitz]]'', ''[[Squad Leader]]'', the ''Statis Pro'' sports line, and ''[[Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1942]]''.<ref name=ubm/>

Avalon Hill also purchased many games from smaller companies and republished them. Heritage Models sold AH its [[Battleline Publications]] in {{dts|1979|10}}.<ref name="The General"/><sup>p5,15</sup> Many of the Battleline products, including ''[[Wooden Ships and Iron Men]]'' and ''Machiavelli'' (a variant of ''[[Diplomacy (game)|Diplomacy]]'' set in Renaissance Italy), was republished by Avalon Hill, along with the popular ''Diplomacy''. AH also acquired [[Jedko Games]]' ''[[The Russian Campaign]]'' and ''[[War at Sea]]'', and [[Hartland Trefoil]]'s ''[[Civilization (1980 board game)|Civilization]]''. The railroad building game ''[[1830 (board game)|1830]]'' was developed by Avalon Hill, based on [[Francis Tresham (game designer)|Francis Tresham]]'s European game ''[[1829 (board game)|1829]]''; the AH version was so successful it spawned an entire [[18XX]] genre of games.

''[[Gulf Strike (board game)|Gulf Strike]]'' was introduced by the company in {{dts|1983}}. It was based on the [[Iran–Iraq War]], then updated after the cease-fire in 1988. ''[[Dr. Ruth]]'s Game of Good Sex'' was released in 1985.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board Sex Spices Sex for the Bored |website=[[Sun Sentinel]] |date=July 19, 1985 |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1985-07-19-8501290839-story.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Newsmakers: Dr. Ruth Gets Around |date=August 17, 1985 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2CQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Dr.+Ruth+Game%22&pg=PT18 |via=Google Books}}</ref> A Baltimore distributor said: "I'm going to have to compare this to ''[[Trivial Pursuit]]''. The orders overshadow anything we've had in our company's 100-year history."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Geist |first=William E. |title=Merchandising Dr. Ruth |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 1, 1985 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/01/magazine/merchandising-dr-ruth.html}}</ref> It then dropped off.<ref name=bs2>{{cite news |last=Easton |first=Thomas |title=Games on war, debt aimed at capturing public mood |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=February 13, 1991 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/02/13/games-on-war-debt-aimed-at-capturing-public-mood/|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref>

Facing an economic downturn in 1990 and a three-year period of losses, Monarch Avalon closed its New York office, sold its toy division, and reduced inventory. AH also published its timely game expansion, ''Desert Shield'', that sold out in weeks after its {{dts|1990|10}} release such that a second print run hit the market in {{dts|1990|12}}.<ref name=bs1>{{cite news|last=Singletary|first=Michelle|title=Local firm's games sales aided by war|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/03/20/local-firms-games-sales-aided-by-war/|access-date=August 6, 2015|work=Baltimore Sun|date=March 20, 1991}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Kim|title=Surviving tough economic times is no child's play for toy-makers Companies search for new markets|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1990/12/09/surviving-tough-economic-times-is-no-childs-play-for-toy-makers-companies-search-for-new-markets/|access-date=August 6, 2015|work=Baltimore Sun|date=December 9, 1990}}</ref> In 1991, Hobbycraft Canada was sharing office space with Monarch Avalon.<ref name=bs2/>

[[World Boardgaming Championships|The AvalonCon World Boardgaming Championships]] was first held by AH in 1991, in the Baltimore area.<ref>{{cite news|last=Keyser|first=Tom|title=Game maker makes right move with convention|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1994/08/07/game-maker-makes-right-move-with-convention/|access-date=August 5, 2015|work=Baltimore Sun|date=August 7, 1994}}</ref>

===Roleplaying games===
In 1974, a new game developer attempted to pitch his concept to Avalon Hill. [[Gary Gygax]] and [[Dave Arneson]] had co-developed a new type of co-operative game that used [[roleplaying game|role-playing]]. But when Gygax pitched ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' to AH, the largest company in wargaming did not understand the concept of role-playing, and turned down his offer.<ref name="Fads">{{cite book |last=Hoffmann |first=Frank W. |author2=Bailey, William G. |year=1991 |title=Sports & Recreation Fads |publisher=[[Haworth Press]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/sportsrecreation0000hoff/page/109 109] |isbn=1-56024-056-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/sportsrecreation0000hoff/page/109 }}</ref> Gygax responded by founding [[TSR Inc]] to self-publish his game. In less than five years, TSR would be the dominant player in the new RPG market.

Avalon Hill entered the [[role-playing game]] market a decade later by publishing ''[[Powers and Perils]]'' in 1983 and ''[[Lords of Creation (role-playing game)|Lords of Creation]]'' in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=John H.|title=RPG Company List: A: Avalon Hill|url=http://www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/companies/alphabetical/A.html#avalonhill|website=Role-Playing Game Companies|access-date=August 5, 2015}}</ref> The licenses to ''[[RuneQuest]]'' and the board games ''White Bear & Red Moon'' (republished as ''Dragon Pass'') and ''Elric'', were acquired in a complex agreement in 1983 with [[Chaosium]], and Avalon Hill published the 3rd Edition in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=John H.|title=R: RuneQuest|url=http://www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/encyclopedia/alphabetical/R.html#runequest|website=RPG Encyclopedia|access-date=August 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Appelcline|first1=Shannon|title=Chaosium: 1975-Present|url=http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory3.phtml|access-date=August 5, 2015|work=A Brief History of Game|issue=3|publisher=RPG.net|date=September 4, 2006}}</ref> None of these role-playing games achieved the popularity of the long-established competitor, ''Dungeons & Dragons''.

===Video games===

Avalon Hill became an early publisher of [[Video game|computer games]] in 1980<ref name="wilson199111">{{cite news | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=88 | title=A History of Computer Games | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=November 1991 | access-date=18 November 2013 | author=Wilson, Johnny L. | pages=10}}</ref> with its video game division Microcomputer Games, adapting some of its [[boardgame]] titles to various computer platforms ([[TRS-80]], [[Vic-20]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Apple II]], etc.) on several data formats ([[cassette tape]] and [[Floppy disk#The 5.BC-inch minifloppy|5¼" disk]]). Sales of these products were decent, but the only outstanding success was ''[[Achtung Spitfire!]]'', published relatively late in the company history.

In December 1992, AH hired Jim Rose to lead its computer game division,<ref name=jimrosehired>{{cite journal | author=Rose, Jim | title=Silicon Simulations | journal=[[The General (magazine)|The General]] | page=57 | volume=28 | issue=4 | date=1993 }}</ref> with the goal of reviving this part of the business in the face of flagging board game sales.<ref name=greenwood>{{cite journal | author=Greenwood, Don | author-link = Don Greenwood (game designer) | journal=[[The General (magazine)|The General]] | title=The Avalon Hill Philosophy Part 161: A Tale of Two Companies |date=1994 | volume=29 | number=2 | page=3 }}</ref> AH reentered the computer game market in 1994 with a good review of "Flight Commander 2". The company added [[Pogs]] to its game line up in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|title=Monarch Counts On Pc Games|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1995/02/17/monarch-counts-on-pc-games/|access-date=August 5, 2015|work=Baltimore Sun|date=February 17, 1995}}</ref> By June 1995, Rose had left the company to found [[TalonSoft]].<ref name=emrich5>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=Dealing with the Fog of War; G-2 |date=June 1995 |issue=131| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=153, 154 }}</ref> In 1995, Monarch Avalon placed Avalon Hill up for sale but it was later withdrawn.<ref name=bs>{{cite news|last1=Leffall|first1=J.|title=Monarch Avalon to sell game unit to Hasbro In wake of loss, local company to get $6 million in cash|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1998/08/05/monarch-avalon-to-sell-game-unit-to-hasbro-in-wake-of-loss-local-company-to-get-6-million-in-cash-acquisitions/|access-date=August 5, 2015|work=Baltimore Sun|date=August 5, 1998}}</ref> Avalon Hill's return to computer games proved unsuccessful: Terry Coleman of ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' reported in late 1998 that "no AH game in the past five years [had] sold even 50,000 units worldwide".<ref name=buyinggame>{{cite magazine | author=Coleman, Terry | title=The Buying Game | date=November 1998 | issue=172 | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=54, 55, 370 }}</ref>

=== Hasbro subsidiary ===
Monarch sold Avalon Hill to Hasbro on August 4, 1998, for $6 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://home.earthlink.net/~pdr4455/fah.html |title=The Fall of Avalon Hill |access-date=2015-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129025756/http://home.earthlink.net/~pdr4455/fah.html |archive-date=2016-01-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Coinciding with the purchase, Hasbro laid off AH's entire staff.<ref name=hasbro>{{cite web | author=Ocampo, Jason | url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/013/137/avalon_hill_bought_by_hasbro.html | title=Hasbro Buys Avalon Hill | work=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | date=August 4, 1998 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050206091542/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/013/137/avalon_hill_bought_by_hasbro.html | archive-date=February 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Hasbro, seeking popular board games that could be converted to computer versions, purchased the rights to the Avalon Hill trademarks, copyrights, inventory, tooling and divisions, Avalon Hill Software and Victory Games,<ref name=bs/> and placed them under its video game subsidiary, [[Hasbro Interactive]]. Avalon Hill Games, Inc. was incorporated by Hasbro on {{dts|1998|3|2}}.<ref name=mcs>{{cite web|title=Business Entity Summary: AVALON HILL GAMES, INC. |url=http://corp.sec.state.ma.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?FEIN=050497148&SEARCH_TYPE=1 |website=Corporations Division Corporate Search |publisher=Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth |access-date=August 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060001/http://corp.sec.state.ma.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?FEIN=050497148&SEARCH_TYPE=1 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=":0"/>

In 2001, Hasbro Interactive was sold to [[Atari SA|Infogrames]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/news/28701.html|title=Infogrames to Acquire Hasbro Interactive|date=December 6, 2000|website=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011119190727/http://pc.ign.com/news/28701.html|archive-date=November 19, 2001|url-status=dead|access-date=September 30, 2019}}</ref> Avalon Hill was not included in the sale and Hasbro later transferred control of the company to its subsidiary, [[Wizards of the Coast]], in 2004.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jLqXM3U_pzEC&q=avalon+hill+subsidiary+1999&pg=PA53|title=Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society|last=Carlisle|first=Rodney|publisher=SAGE Publications|year=2009|isbn=9781452266107|pages=53}}</ref>

Hasbro has released new titles under the Avalon Hill name, and added the Avalon Hill imprint to older titles such as ''[[Axis and Allies]]'' that were not originally made by Avalon Hill.

On September 8, 2020, Hasbro announced that it would move the management of Avalon Hill from Wizards of the Coast to Hasbro Gaming in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 9, 2020|title=Management of Avalon Hill Board Game Brand Will Move From Wizards of the Coast to Hasbro|url=https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/46496/management-avalon-hill-board-game-brand-will-move-from-wizards-coast-hasbro|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-10|website=[[ICv2]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909211313/https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/46496/management-avalon-hill-board-game-brand-will-move-from-wizards-coast-hasbro |archive-date=2020-09-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geeknative.com/93123/wizards-of-the-coast-lose-a-brand-in-hasbro-reshuffle|title=Wizards of the Coast lose a brand in Hasbro reshuffle|date=September 10, 2020|website=GeekNative}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wpn.wizards.com/en/article/changes-avalon-hill-management|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922084721/https://wpn.wizards.com/en/article/changes-avalon-hill-management|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 22, 2020|title=Changes to Avalon Hill Management|date=September 8, 2020|website=Wizards Play Network}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=February 25, 2021|title=EDITED TRANSCRIPT HAS.OQ - Hasbro Inc Investor Event 2021|url=https://investor.hasbro.com/static-files/de97af26-93c3-4bfe-92d6-fbc9e0196fe1|url-status=live|access-date=October 11, 2021|website=Hasbro|quote=This year, we'll bring the relaunch of the AVALON HILL brand within the Hasbro Gaming portfolio|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227072457/https://investor.hasbro.com/static-files/de97af26-93c3-4bfe-92d6-fbc9e0196fe1 |archive-date=2021-02-27 }}</ref>