New Games to Challenge Country Fans

Board games and card games have always been a very popular way to spend some quality time with friends and family on a rainy or snowy day. Now, there's a line of games that have a difinite slant toward the country fans around the world

Educational toy and game manufacturer McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds has  announced the official signing of a representation agreement with HSA–an independent team of music industry executives.  They plan the collaboration in order to work collectively and in alliance with McNeill Designs to produce and promote a new line of board games, card games and electronic games geared specifically toward country music enthusiasts.

The flagship product for McNeill Designs is a board game called You've Been Sentenced.  YBS! is a unique word game that has drawn overwhelming positive reviews from children, parents and educators alike.  With a number of themed add-on decks available to enhance the sentence variables, the first McNeill/HSA project will involve creating a country music sector of the word game that highlights its’ terminology.

“As active members of the Music City community, the ladies of HSA have their fingers on the pulse of country music,” said McNeill Designs’ President and CEO Donald McNeill. “This version of the game will embrace the popularity of the country music genre throughout the USA and globally. HSA will be instrumental in developing the language for this sector of the game, as well as opening the door to potential partnerships with industry associations and country music artists.”

Accounting for nearly 15% of music product sold since 2006 (in addition to CD sales and on the radio airways) country music has made its impression in various books, television, magazines and games; artists have been recognized with Presidential honors and appeared in movies; and corporate sponsors have come forward with multi-million dollar deals utilizing the country music platform to elevate product awareness.

So, why the sudden puch to include a country music theme to these board games?  Well, it's a numbers game, pure and simple.  And that number (when it comes to country fans) is growing exponentially.

For instance, according to the Country Music Association Research Report (2006):

• 31.7% of Country Music listeners reside in the top 25 DMAs
• More than 48.1 million adults listen to Country Music radio stations nationwide each
week, reaching more listeners than any other format
• More than 27% of adult radio listeners tune to Country Music radio

So, be looking for a counry-themed You've Been Served to be released sometime next spring.  I can't wait to see if they ever come up with a version of Monopoly that has a country theme.  THAT would be so cool.

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