 Star Wars Merchandise help boost revenues in 2005 |
Falling sales of Star Wars products have eaten into revenues at Hasbro, the second-largest toy company in the US. The second quarter saw the firm ship $61.8m (�33.4m) of Star Wars products such as lightsabers and action figures, compared to $146.6m one year earlier.
The sky-high sales in 2005, the firm said, had accompanied the release of the final film in the six-movie series, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
"It's a non-movie year," said Hasbro chief executive Alfred Verrecchia.
"It'll come down from a year ago. The question is how much it will come down," said Mr Verrecchia.
'Great movie'
Meanwhile North American revenues, which comprise all toys and games in the US, Canada and Mexico, were $362m, down from $388m in the same period in 2005.
The fall was partly countered by an increase in sales from Playskool, Littlest Pet Shop, Nerf, GI Joe, and Transformers, the firm said.
The firm hopes that film-related merchandise will help sales in 2007.
A film based on Hasbro's boys' action toys Transformers, and Spider-Man 3 - for which the firm will also make toys - will both be released in 2007.
"What we want is a great movie to push the brand forward," said Mr Verrecchia.
The news comes a week after toy firm Mattel saw its quarterly profit beat expectations, helped by good sales of toys linked to 2006 film releases Cars and Superman Returns.
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What we want is a great movie to push the brand forward
