Hasbro Provides Fun and
Games for Children and Families This Holiday Season; Line
Highlights to be Showcased at 3rd Annual PlayDate Event
Hasbro, Inc.'s
(NYSE:HAS) holiday lineup offers a full range of toys and
games designed to let kids do what they do best - play!
Hasbro's classic brands such as G.I. JOE, TONKA and
MONOPOLY, combined with exciting licenses, including
Monsters, Inc., Harry Potter and Bob the Builder, provide
just a glimpse of what Hasbro has in store this holiday
season.
Highlights of the line that will
be showcased at PlayDate, a one-day exhibition of the
industry's hottest toys, games and entertainment
products, at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th
Street, in New York City from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.,
include:
BOYS
For nearly four decades, the G.I.
JOE brand has stood for patriotism, honor and courage.
Now, a whole new generation of kids is discovering the
original action figure and Hasbro introduced the G.I. JOE
DOUBLE DUTY line -- new, cool mission-themed figures.
Each figure comes fully equipped with all the gear to
complete not one, but two pulse-pounding missions --
giving kids twice the fantasy, twice the gear, and twice
the fun! The G.I. JOE DOUBLE DUTY line includes four
12-inch figures, each with different action-packed themes
- GATOR BLAST, TIGER HAWK, MOUNTAIN EYE and JUNGLE
SHIELD.
(Approximate retail price:
$9.99-$19.99; Ages 5 & up)
Children love construction and
trucks, and no one does them better than the TONKA brand!
For more than 50 years, TONKA trucks have put children in
the driver's seat of real "roll up your
sleeves" construction play. The TONKA 2001 product
line builds on the brand's success of adding personality
and electronics for an enhanced "tough" play
experience. This year's lead item is Dusty My Talkin'
Tool Bench, a fun and friendly hands-on tool bench that
reacts to all the activity around him, responding
enthusiastically to kids' hard work and hard play.
Featuring over 25 different phrases, Dusty My Talkin'
Tool Bench is ready to get to work right out of the box.
(Approximate Retail Price $34.99;
Recommended age: 3 and up.)
There are robots and then there
are ROBOTS IN DISGUISE! Hasbro has brought back the
original theme that launched the TRANSFORMERS brand in
the early 1980s through television programming on Fox
Kids and an exciting product line now available on store
shelves. This year's line is reminiscent of the original
`80s figures and a must-have for any fan that is ready to
face the challenge of vehicles that transform to awesome
robots! Included in the line are basic and deluxe
vehicles, and "mega," "ultra" and
"super electronic" figures. (Approximate retail
prices of the line range from $4.99 for the basic figures
to $29.99 for the electronic super figures.)
HASBRO GAMES
The POX game redefines
traditional electronic play. By utilizing Radio Frequency
(RF) wireless technology, game play can take place in a
way never before experienced. POX game players can battle
one another almost anywhere up to 30-feet, through most
walls and floors. The game unit - portable with sound
shut-off - allows for stealth play anytime and anywhere,
without anyone knowing except those who have battled.
Only the name of the winning POX character in the POX
Containment Unit (PCU) of the defeated players will offer
a clue as to the victor's identity. Players can also
build and battle enemy characters in 17 levels of the
solo game play.
(Approximate Retail:
$24.99/Availability: now/Ages: 8 & up)
The favorite children's song is
the theme for this fun and unique memory game, WHEELS ON
THE BUS. The electronic musical bus is moved around the
board from player to player. The bus "tells"
the player what part it needs, such as "wipers"
or "wheels." The player draws two cards to
attempt a match with the needed part, and the first to
collect four matches wins! At the end of the game, the
bus plays the entire "Wheels on the Bus" song
for everyone to sing along.
(Approximate Retail:
$19.99/Availability: now/Ages: 3 to 6)
MONOPOLY: THE DISNEY EDITION
combines the ultimate fantasy of wealth and success with
the magical world of Disney. Standard MONOPOLY rules
apply and the object of the game is to collect Disney
films to build color groups and acquire Disney dollars.
The gameboard spaces and corresponding Title Deed cards
contain vintage films like STEAMBOAT WILLIE and 101
DALMATIONS to modern classics such as THE LION KING and
TOY STORY.
(Approximate Retail:
$29.99/Availability: now/Ages: 8 & up)
Even the most confident of
puzzler fans will be intrigued by the challenge of
NEMESIS FACTOR. NEMESIS FACTOR, the electronic talking
puzzler, shaped innocently enough as a pyramid with five
colored buttons, tests a player's undefined skills such
as, familiar musical sequences, the order of the planets
and using a healthy dose of logic and guessing. The
biggest challenge of NEMESIS FACTOR may be trying to put
it down.
(Approximate Retail:
$19.99/Availability: now/Ages: 10 & up)
At a time when families are
constantly on the go, board games have become an escape
from the daily grind. Board games provide a fun way to
spend fun, quality time together. In a 1997 study, Hasbro
learned from both kids and parents that if given the
opportunity, they would love to play games as a family.
As a result of these findings, Hasbro Games introduced
Family Game Night in 1998. Hasbro's Family Game Night is
a suggestion to parents to set aside one night each week
and use games as a fun and effective conduit to create
family contact. Familiar classics such as the MONOPOLY
game, SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game, and THE GAME OF LIFE
are included Hasbro's line of family games. Other titles
included in Family Game Night are: CLUE, SORRY!, YAHTZEE,
PAYDAY and BOGGLE.
TIGER ELECTRONICS
HITCLIPS Micro Music System
changed the way kids collect and listen to their favorite
artists, such as Britney Spears, `N Sync, Destiny's
Child, Backstreet Boys, Dream and more. These
postage-stamp sized chips are played on innovative
players. HITCLIPS have become the rage and a new
lifestyle product for kids. To date over 12 million
HITCLIPS have sold. Kids can choose from an extensive
music library with over 50 titles and new hardware that
will keep the line fresh.
(Approximate retail: $3.99 -
24.99; Ages 5 & up.)
Tiger is top dog once again with
the introduction of I-CYBIE. I-CYBIE is the ultimate
robotic pet packed with artificial intelligence. This is
a fully motorized and trainable dog. I-CYBIE responds to
the owner's voice, clap and remote commands and reacts to
light, touch and sound. He has full range of movement
with 16 computer-controlled motors. He can walk, sit,
stand and can even do a headstand, push-ups and swim.
I-CYBIE can sense movement and determine where sounds are
coming from. He will also interact with all of Tiger's
ROBO-CHI pets. Owners will be amazed by the amount of
interaction, movement and advanced robotic technology.
(Approximate retail price:
$199.99. Ages 14 & up.)
Tiger brings the excitement of
BATTLEBOTS to the toy world! BATTLEBOTS is the emerging
sport of live robotic combat seen on Comedy Central and
pay-per-view events. BATTLEBOTS contestants design and
build radio-controlled robots that employ an array of
destructive weaponry such as hammers, saws and spikes.
This is the ultimate robot fighting contest where the
goal is survival! Tiger's CUSTOM SERIES BATTLEBOTS allow
you to take control of four of the toughest competitors
ever seen on BattleBots: Vlad the Impaler, Minion,
Killerhurtz and El Diablo. These Bots feature
full-function tabletop radio control, and each Custom
Series Bot comes with additional parts to allow you to
further customize the weapons and armor. Every Bot is
compatible with all the others.
(Approximate retail:
$24.99-44.99; Ages 5 & up.)
Tiger's popular ROBO-CHI line
continues in 2001! POO-CHI was the #1 toy and #1 robotic
dog in 2000; MEOW-CHI the interactive cat and CHIRPY-CHI
the interactive bird later joined the ROBO-CHI family,
which soon became "The" brand for robotic toys.
This year, each will interact with a full line of fellow
ROBO-CHI robotic toy offerings, including DINO-CHI, ROBO
BABY and PETAL CHI flowers have an LED face that changes
expression and responds when you talk and
"water" it. All ROBO-CHI robotic toys contain
advanced bio-rhythmic technology to create realistic
emotional responses that adapt and change as you play.
(Approximate retail:
$19.99-29.99; Ages: 4 & up.)
WOW WEE
B.I.O. MECHANICAL BUGS are the
first toy line to incorporate advanced 'nervous network'
technology. 'Nervous net' technology was developed more
than ten years ago and has been used by the U.S.
government to create robotic creatures. So, rather than
think about the task at hand, they react to the stimuli
they confront. A new breed of artificial intelligence,
B.I.O. MECHANICAL BUGS can autonomously act by
themselves, identify friend or foe and have the ability
to avoid or climb over obstacles in their path -- they
mimic real insect behavior.
(Approximate Retail Price: $
39.99; Age: 6 years and up)
PLAYSKOOL
Electronic Talking Scoop with Bob
the Builder figure comes alive with an expressive face
and 20 different phrases from the show. When kids press
SCOOP's smokestack, he'll lift his bucket high in the
air, rear up on his back wheels and say the show's
signature phrase "Can we fix it? Yes we can!"
There are five ways to activate SCOOP's voice, sounds and
motion: lift the front bucket, move the backhoe, roll the
vehicle back and forth, press the smokestack and snap Bob
onto SCOOP.
(Recommended for ages 3 and up;
Approximate retail price: $29.99.)
Developed with a child
educational specialist, THE MAGIC SCREEN LEARNING DESK is
an interactive learning toy that has a unique animated,
light-up screen and three fun play and learn keyboards.
Children can discover letters, numbers, shapes and colors
in the "Learning Lab", create songs and musical
instrument sounds in the "Music Studio", and
explore animal sounds, favorite foods and more in the
"Animal Academy"...all while the objects come
to life on the screen. Children can also test their
memory with "Professor Mouse".
(For ages 12 months and up.
Approximate retail price $49.99.)
GIRLS
With Hasbro's e-kara(TM) REAL
KARAOKE, it's easy to live the fantasy of being one of
today's hottest pop stars. Plug e-kara into any standard
TV or VCR and perform to your heart's content. e-kara
fits easily into a backpack, book bag or duffle. Just
connect the e-kara microphone into the audio and video
plugs of any standard TV, press the button and sing! Each
main microphone unit comes with a music cartridge
featuring five different songs made famous by today's top
pop artists. And, up to ten individual duet microphones
can be linked together - daisy-chain style - for group
karaoke-ing.
(Approximate retail price is $60;
each additional duet microphone is $20. To keep the fun
going, additional cartridges, each with 10 of the hottest
songs will be available for $20 each. Ages 6 & up.)
Destiny's Child is one of the
best-selling female groups of all time. They have sold
more than 25 million albums and singles worldwide. Now,
Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle - a.k.a. Destiny's Child -
are topping girls' toy wish lists everywhere, with their
new DESTINY'S CHILD DOLLS. DESTINY'S CHILD DOLLS cost
approximately $12.99 each, and are available at retailers
nationwide.
MONSTERS, INC.
While holiday shopping can
sometimes be a scary experience, this year the scares are
a huge part of the fun with Hasbro's new Monsters, Inc.
toy and game line. Featuring everything from action
figures and plush toys to board games and candy for both
boys and girls, this line allows children to bring home
the excitement of Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc., slated
for release on November 2, 2001.
Key items in Monsters, Inc.
product line, that are available now, include:
GLOWING BEDTIME SULLEY, a soft
lovable monster with a nighttime glow feature to protect
kids and calm their fears.
(Approximate Retail Price:
$29.99; Age: 3 & up)
When kids give BABBLIN' BOO a hug
or squeeze her belly, she babbles, laughs and says fun
phrases from the movie.
(Approximate Retail Price:
$24.99; Age: 3 & Up)
ACTION EYE MIKE Wazowski is a
one-eyed monster is a soft plush version of Sulley's
sidekick in the movie, and he has funny electronic
sayings and an eye-opening feature! Move his arm and his
eyeball moves, too, so he can keep his eye on you.
(Approximate Retail Price:
$19.99; Recommended Age: 3 & Up)
THE GAME OF LIFE IN MONSTROPOLIS
immerses players into the world and daily life of
monsters in Monstropolis. This marks the first time the
GAME OF LIFE has featured a licensed property.
(Approximate Retail Price:
$29.99; Age: 7 & Up)
HARRY POTTER
Hasbro is thrilled to offer
exciting games and toys based on the worldwide literary
phenomenon, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE. The
line includes electronic handheld games from TIGER such
as the HARRY POTTER BOOK OF SPELLS and ELECTRONIC
QUIDDITCH GAME, BERTIE BOTTS EVERY FLAVOR BEANS from CAP
CANDY and a trading card game from WIZARDS OF THE COAST
that captures the favorite characters, spells and
situations from the world of Harry Potter.
Highlights from Hasbro's HARRY
POTTER line include:
HARRY POTTER BOOK OF SPELLS: A
personalized electronic encyclopedia on Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone is the ultimate tool for fans!
Children can even learn all about the rules of Quidditch
and see how it is played. Also includes a quiz game and
built-in organizer functions.
(Approximate retail: $24.99; Ages
7 & up.)
HARRY POTTER ELECTRONIC QUIDDITCH
GAME: The game is sculpted like a Nimbus Two Thousand
Quidditch broom, that extends to 48 inches in length so
that kids can actually "fly" around the field
with Harry Potter!
(Approximate retail: $34.99; Ages
5 & up.)
Welcome to HOGWARTS! With the
HARRY POTTER trading card game, you join the other new
wizards at school in a duel. Then you summon creatures,
use magic potions and cast spells to make their cards
disappear first. If you do that you win!
(Approximate Retail:
$3.29-$9.99/Availability: Now/Ages: 9 & up)
The wizards at CAP Candy have
conjured up a line of interactive candy based on J.K.
Rowling's book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Leading the line are BERTIE BOTT'S EVERY FLAVOR BEANS, a
true artifact from the book and a treasure hunt of
unusual flavors like sardine, black pepper and booger in
every pouch.
(Approximate retail price:
$1.99-$7.99; Ages 3 & up)
WIZARDS OF THE COAST
MLB SHOWDOWN 2001 - MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL is more than a spectator sport now! With the MLB
SHOWDOWN 2001 sports card game, every pitch is yours to
make. Every swing is yours to take. And every victory is
yours to savor as the team owner and manager. If it's on
the diamond, it's in this game. Base stealing, sacrifice
flies and much more.
(Approximate Retail:
$3.29-$9.99/Availability: Now/Ages: 10 & up)
NFL SHOWDOWN 2002 sports card
game- The NFL SHOWDOWN 2002 sports card game simulates
actual football games and allows players to act as NFL
owners, coaches and players by drafting and building
teams, calling plays and developing overall game
strategy.
(Approximate Retail:
$3.29-$19.99/Availability: Now/Ages: 10 & up)
Hasbro (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide
leader in children's and family leisure time
entertainment products and services, including the
design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys
ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both
internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA,
MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, and WIZARDS OF
THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality
and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
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