Parker Brothers originally developed Nerf, beginning with a four-inch (102 mm) polyurethane foam ball. In 1969, Reyn Guyer, a games inventor, came to the company with a volleyball game that was safe for indoor play. After studying the game carefully, Parker Brothers decided to eliminate everything but the foam ball. In 1970, the Nerf ball was introduced as the "world's first official indoor ball". Marketed that one can "Throw it indoors; you can't damage lamps or break windows. You can't hurt babies or old people." The ball filled a strong consumer need and by the year's end more than four million Nerf balls had been sold. The four-inch (102 mm) ball was followed closely by a large version called "Super Nerf Ball". Shortly after, in 1972, a basketball game called "Nerfoop" and the Nerf football joined the family. The football quickly became the most popular Nerf ball.
The company continued to add to the Nerf line until they handed the ball to Kenner Products, a sister company, in 1991, when Hasbro acquired the Nerf line through the acquisition of the Tonka Corporation. Over the years, the company has continued to expand the line, adding new looks to existing products. The current line of Nerf products range from various sport balls, blasters with both dart, rocket, arrow and ball ammunition, and, now, onto even video game accessories.
(Info from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerf)
2 comments:
Nerf rules. I had a Nerf basketball hoop in my room for years as a kid
It's amazing that an empire as expansive as Nerf all started with a little foam ball. Really goes to show how big things really can come from small beginnings.
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