The
Future of Pokemon Is 'Crystal' Clear: New Games,
Toys, TV Episodes, Third Movie Drive the Frenzy
Into 2001
Nintendo
Unveils Next Wave of Pokemon Franchise at Toy
Fair 2001
While video gamers gear
up for a year of unprecedented industry
excitement with the release of next-generation
hardware systems, including the Nintendo GAMECUBE
and Game Boy Advance, one thing remains constant:
Pokemon(R) continues to rule the children's
entertainment sales charts.
In
2000 six of the industry's 10 top-selling video
games(a) were Pokemon titles, representing 12
percent of all game unit sales. This year,
Nintendo will build on the continued success of
the Pokemon franchise with the release of two new
video games: Pokemon Stadium 2(TM) for
Nintendo(R) 64 this March and Pokemon(R) Crystal
for Game Boy(R) Color this fall.
On
the entertainment front, Pokemon continues to
rule the airwaves. The new "Johto
Journeys" animated TV episodes on Kids WB
have been ranked No. 1 among kids, 2 to 11, and
boys, 6 to 11, since the Oct. 14, 2000 debut.(aa)
The next movie installment, "Pokemon(R) 3
the Movie," is being distributed by Warner
Bros. and opens in theaters nationwide on April
6. Koch Entertainment is following up their
platinum seller, "2 B A Master," with
"Totally Pokemon." Produced by 4Kids
Productions, the collection features music from
the TV show and upcoming movie.
On the toy front, Hasbro
will introduce new toys, games and collectibles
this year. These will join the multitude of
Pokemon-branded merchandise from household names
such as Kellogg, Kraft Foods, Good Humor Breyers,
Rexall Sundown, Colgate-Palmolive, American
Greetings and many others.
"Pokemon
is much more than a phenomenon -- it's now a
children's entertainment staple here in America
and globally," says Gail Tilden, Nintendo's
vice president, responsible for overseeing the
Pokemon brand. "From the video games, to the
toys, to the TV series, Pokemon's staying power
is evident in its multifaceted appeal to its
broad fan base."
Pikachu
and Pichu
Click
here for more pictures of Pichu and the parade
Pokemon's
beloved character Pikachu(TM), joined by the
adorable new Pichu, will kick off Toy Fair in the
opening day parade on Sunday, Feb. 11. The parade
begins at 3 p.m. near 24th Street and Madison
Avenue. Pokemon trainers Ash, Misty and Brock
will accompany Pikachu and Pichu to the front
door of the Toy Fair Building, 200 Fifth Avenue,
along with 10 customized Pokemon vehicles --
Pikachu Volkswagen Beetles and Lugia(TM) PT
Cruisers. At the end of the parade route, the
characters will perform "My Best
Friend" from the recent production,
"Pokemon Live!"
Nintendo
originally launched Pokemon in Japan for the
world's best-selling Game Boy video game system
in 1996 and watched the original 150 creatures
evolve into a cultural phenomenon. The franchise
arrived in North America in September 1998 with
the release of the Pokemon(R) Blue and Red Game
Boy games and has grown into a multi-billion
dollar industry worldwide. There are a total of
12 Pokemon games for both N64 and Game Boy. To
date, nearly 27 million Pokemon video games have
been sold in the United States and more than 74
million worldwide. Nintendo of America retains
Leisure Concepts Inc., a division of 4Kids
Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:KDE), as its exclusive
licensing agent for the property, as well as
4Kids Productions that handles the adaptation of
the original Japanese television show and movies.
Nintendo
Co., Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged
worldwide leader in the creation of interactive
entertainment. To date Nintendo has sold more
than 1 billion video games worldwide, has created
such industry icons as Mario(R) and Donkey
Kong(R) and launched franchises like The Legend
of Zelda(R) and Pokemon(R). Nintendo manufactures
and markets hardware and software for its popular
home video game systems, including the Nintendo
64 and Game Boy -- the world's best-selling video
game system. As a wholly owned subsidiary,
Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond,
Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's
operations in North America.
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