Mattel hopes spinoff of Uno game is a big draw
Dos, which took two years to develop, will be launched in March.
What’s next for Uno? Dos, of course.
Mattel Inc. is launching the new card game Dos next month in hopes of giving its nearly 50-year-old Uno brand a second life. Dos’ rules are similar to Uno’s, except players make two piles of cards and can throw down two cards at a time instead of one.
It comes as Mattel tries to turn its business around, mainly by updating classic brands, such as Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars. The toy maker’s revenue fell 11% last year, hurt by the bankruptcy filing of Toys R Us and the changing tastes of kids, who are increasingly reaching for a tablet instead of a toy.
Uno, however, was a bright spot: The company says Uno sales were up 12% in 2017 from the year before. Mattel, based in El Segundo, has sought to sell Uno in more places, including dollar stores and video game shops. It also has been chasing trends, releasing Uno cards with emojis, baby animals or unicorns. An Uno smartphone app is in the works for the spring, and Mattel already has launched a version of the game that can be played through Facebook Messenger.
It may follow a similar a strategy with Dos, said Ray Adler, who oversees Mattel’s games unit.
Dos, which costs $5.99, will first be sold at Target in March and then roll out to other stores in August.
It took two years to develop Dos, mainly to make sure playing the game was different enough from Uno. But don’t expect to see Tres anytime soon, Adler said.
“We’re happy where we are with Dos right now,” he said.