Toys

SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM™ UNLEASHES FULL GAME EXPERIENCE ON IPAD, KINDLE FIRE AND ANDROID TABLETS DAY-AND-DATE

WITH CONSOLE VERSION

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – AUGUST 12, 2014 –Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) announced today that it will bring the complete Skylanders Trap Team videogame to tabletsⁱ at launch, marking the first time a full Skylanders® game will be available on iPad®, Kindle Fire and Android tablets day-and-date with the console version. The tablet version of the game delivers the same experience with console-quality graphics^i[i] and comes with its own high performance controller, delivering yet another significant technological leap to the Skylandersfranchise.

The Skylanders Trap Team Tablet Starter Pack will include a Bluetooth® Traptanium Portal^TM; an embedded Bluetooth® controller to provide the best gameplay experience possible; a built-in tablet stand; two Skylanders characters; two Traps and a display tray that lets Portal Masters keep track of the Traps they’ve collected and which villains they have trapped.

“Skylanders has become an incredibly appealing brand and franchise for kids around the world. And the tablet has become an incredibly appealing gaming platform for kids around the world. But we haven’t been able to bring the full Skylanders experience to the tablet until now,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “We always want to deliver breakthrough experiences, and we also always want to be wherever gamers want to play. This is a chance for us to bring the magic of Skylanders to a whole new platform and audience. Whether you want to sit on the couch and play with the wireless controller, or play on the go using just the tablet itself, this provides a great experience for gamers.”

Skylanders Trap Team brings a ground-breaking innovation to the Skylanders franchise by reversing the magic of its signature Toys-To-Life™ play pattern to let kids bring life to toys. Skylanders Trap Teamallows Portal Masters to seek out the most wanted villains in all of Skylands, defeat them and pull them out of the game into their living rooms by capturing them in magical Traps. Fans can then play as both heroes and villains who join the forces of good in an all-new adventure. Now, for the first time in franchise history, fans can experience a full Skylanders game on the go, wherever and whenever they want.

The tablet version of Skylanders Trap Team upholds the same gameplay-driven adventure as the console version with console-quality graphics,[ii] complete with lush, expansive environments that push the technological boundaries of select tablet devices. Like the console version of the game, all toys will be cross-platform compatible, with all skills and upgrades intact.

Skylanders Trap Team on tablet can be experienced two different ways:

·         “Controller” –– Fans can play the game just like the console version using the Bluetooth TraptaniumPortal and toys with the custom Bluetooth Skylandersgame controller included in the Tablet Starter Pack.

·         “Touch Controls” – For players who prefer to use touch controls instead of a controller, fans have the option to play the game just using on-screen touch controls.

The Skylanders Trap Team Starter Pack will be available on October 5^th in North America, October 10^th in Europe and October 2^nd in Australia on the following platforms: a variety of iPad®, Kindle Fire and Android tablets; Xbox One and Xbox 360 games and entertainment systems from Microsoft; PlayStation®4 system; PlayStation®3 system; Nintendo’s Wii™ system and Nintendo’s Wii U™ system. A different, unique adventure also will be available on the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system.

About the Skylanders^® Franchise

The award-winning, $2 billion Skylanders franchise pioneered the Toys-to-Life category in 2011 with the debut of Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure®. The game originated a new play pattern that seamlessly bridged physical and virtual worlds across multiple platforms. In October 2012, Skylanders Giants™ further evolved the genre and added the mega-sized Giant Skylanders and LightCore® characters to the collection of interaction figures. Skylanders SWAP Force launched in October 2013 and introduced an all-new play pattern – swapability. The Skylanders franchise was the top selling kids’ videogame of 2013¹, and is now one of the top 20 videogame franchises of all time².Skylanders Trap Team, the newest installment due out in North America on October 5, 2014, reverses the magic of bringing toys to life – incredibly letting kids pull characters out of the digital world into the physical world. For more information, please visit:www.skylanders.com andActivision.com/presscenter.

About Activision Publishing

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website,www.activision.com.

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The Optimus Prime PlayStation Transformer is expected to be out next year in Japan.

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Solid Snake Nendoroid Figure
By Good Smile Company

Pre-painted Posable ABS & ATBC-PVC Figure
Scale: NON Scale
Size: Approx. 3.95″ (10cm) Tall

[Set Contents]
-Main figure
-Base
-Handgun
-Assault rifle
-Danboard box
-Low polygon face part

From “METAL GEAR SOLID” comes a Nendoroid of the main character of the series, the infiltration specialist ‘Solid Snake’! The rough look of his character has been preserved while still giving him the cuter appearance provided by the Nendoroid design! 

He is the first ever Nendoroid designed to be posed in a prone position, allowing you to display him sneaking around just like in the game! Optional parts include his handgun, an assault rifle as well as a cardboard box to keep him hidden! An optional low-polygon face part is also included, allowing fans of the original game to enjoy the classic Snake once again!Product Number: GSC10564 
Shipping Weight: 0.70 pounds

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One of the most highly anticipated Marvel movies to date, Guardians of the Galaxy, is in movie theaters now, and response has been so great that a sequel is already  in the works for 2017! The newest series of Marvel Minimates based on the film is getting a great response as well, and it is currently available in Toys “R” Us stores, with an exclusive Minimate not available anywhere else!

Three two-packs are in Toys “R” Us stores now, as well as on Toysrus.com:
– Star-Lord and Ronan
– Drax and Groot (with Rocket micro-figure)
– Yondu and Sakaaran Trooper (Toys “R” Us exclusive)

Later this month, comic shops and specialty stores will get their own assortment, with two exclusive two-packs of their own:
– Star-Lord and Ronan
– Drax and Groot (with Rocket micro-figure)
– Gamora with Nova Corpsman (specialty exclusive)
– Nebula with Sakaaran Trooper (specialty exclusive)

Visit your local Toys “R” Us store or toysrus.com today, and pre-order the sets you need with your local comic shop or favorite online retailer! Find your nearest comic shop atcomicshoplocator.com!

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DARK HORSE DELUXE GRANTED LICENSE TO MANUFACTURE REPLICA SHIPS AND VEHICLES FROM THE HALO FRANCHISE!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SAN DIEGO, CA –  It was announced during Dark Horse’s “The Art of Video Games” panel at this year’s Comic Con International that Dark Horse would develop and manufacture a line of replicas based on the ships and vehicles which have appeared in the multi-million selling video game franchise, “Halo®!”

Furthering the arrangement between 343 Industries and Dark Horse, which has to date, produced two blockbuster comics series with canonical storylines written by writers from the video game franchise, this news is sure to excite gamers and collectors alike!

The product category was created in 2005 with the massively successful line of ships from Joss Whedon’s “Serenity,” which was soon followed by a popular line based on Bioware’s “Mass Effect” series, to great success and the unanimous approval of gamers, collectors, and comic fans!

“We are excited to be working with the team at 343 Industries,” Dark Horse product development head David Scroggy said. “We have already had some fruitful planning meetings. We are discovering we have a similar vision toward crafting a well thought-out program of ship and vehicle replicas that will resonate with the Halo community.”

“Dark Horse is already doing an amazing job bringing the Halo universe to life with us in the comics and we’re excited to partner with them in a brand new way to keep the surprises coming for fans,” said Kevin Grace, Halo Franchise Manager at 343 Industries.

While 343 Industries and Dark Horse are not yet ready to disclose which ships and vehicles will be included in the program, fans and retailers are encouraged to keep an eye on the news in the coming months for more information!

The “Halo” Franchise:
The “Halo” franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have transcended video games and grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001), the critically acclaimed and record-shattering series of games have reinvented how people think about video games and has since built a fan base of millions worldwide and inspired multiple New York Times best-selling novels, a live-action digital series, comic books, action figures, apparel and more.

Published by Microsoft Studios, the “Halo” franchise of games is exclusive to Xbox platforms, Windows 8 PCs, tablets, and Windows Phone 8 devices. To date, more than 60 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving over 6 billion hours of gameplay by fans connected to Xbox Live.

About 343 Industries:
343 Industries is the developer of the blockbuster “Halo” series of video games and, as part of Microsoft Studios, oversees the “Halo” franchise, including games, linear programming, novels, comics, licensed collectibles, apparel and more. 343 Industries is home to world-class talent that delivered award-winning titles like “Halo 4” and “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,” as well as the action-shooter “Halo: Spartan Assault” and the live-action digital series “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.” The studio is currently developing “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” and the next installment in the legendary saga of the Master Chief, “Halo 5: Guardians,” while continuing to transform entertainment experiences across the “Halo” universe with groundbreaking projects, including an upcoming television series and the all-new digital series “Halo: Nightfall.”

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WIZKIDS ANNOUNCES FIRST ANNUAL WIZKIDS OPEN TOURNAMENT EVENT
 

One of the year’s biggest events is coming! Prepare to unleash your impressive skills on the tabletop and win fantastic prizes!

 
HILLSIDE, NJ – July 24, 2014 – WizKids Games, the leader in collectible gaming, is pleased to announce the first annual Wizkids Open tournament event, to be held at participating retail locations across the U.S. this fall.  
 
Featuring some of the hottest games of the year, includingMarvel Dice Masters: Avengers vs. X-Men, HeroClix, andStar Trek Attack Wing, players will compete in head-to-head battles to earn glory, exclusive prizes and their rightful place in the 2015 National Championships.
 
“HeroClix has grown tremendously each year for the past 5 years.  We literally can’t get more space at the bigger conventions,” said Justin Ziran, President, WizKids Games. “Dice Masters acceptance is off the charts and Attack Wing has been a steady grower with a dedicated player base.  With each of these products we hear from fans everywhere that they wish they could get something like what we do for GenCon more often and closer to their homes.“
 
The WizKids Open is WizKids’ first ever officially sponsored regional gaming event. This year’s event will be hosted at seven stores, spanning from coast to coast.  Most will support regional championships for HeroClix, Dice Masters and Attack Wing as well as smaller events and the ability to buy product that was typically only available for purchase from conventions.
 
What is the WizKids Open (WKO)?
A great way to come together with fellow fans to play the games you love and a chance to win cool stuff not generally available.
 
This year’s WizKids Open event includes seven of the biggest stores from across the country.  Each location will be offering for-sale exclusive items and awarding special participation prizes to players as well as providing the opportunity to compete with the best players in their area.
 
 
When is the WizKids Open?
Each store is holding their WizKids Open on different dates and times. For more information, visit the WizKids Event System and select your nearest participating store.
 
Where can I find information about participating locations?
For the official list of participating stores, visit the WizKids Event system.
 
How do I register for an event?
Registration for WizKids Open events will take place at participating store locations. Space is limited so head over to the WizKids Event System to find out which stores are participating.
 
What sort of events should players expect at the WizKids Open?
During the WizKids Open, you’ll be able to play Marvel Dice Masters: Avengers vs. X-Men, Star Trek: Attack Wing, and HeroClix!
 
Will there be any exclusive items for sale during the WizKids Open?
Yes! Each store will have exclusive items for sale during the event. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your hands on some of the coolest games and collectibles around.
 
What can players expect?
Great gaming, great prizes and a good time!
 
Are there exclusive prizes?
Yes! For the official list of prizes, visit the WizKids Event system.
 
Are winning tournaments the only way to attain prizes?
Although WizKids reserves the most elite of prizing for the tournament winners, that doesn’t mean they don’t have something for everyone.
 
Is this going to be a yearly thing?
It will depend on the turn out and overall success of the 2014 Open, but that is the goal.
 
I run a store and would like to be a part of the WizKids Open. How do I get in on the action?
There are many worthy stores across the country that may qualify for future events of this type.  Criteria for determining future participation will include: WizKids event system registration participationNumber of events held and level of player participationProduct ordering for the lines that will be held at the WizKids OpenLocation of store, gaming space, general layout of storeHistory of running events of this type 
Will any WizKids Open events be held in international markets?
If everything goes well, WizKids does expect to roll this program out internationally  once a working blueprint for the event series has been established. The first event will be vital to working out any issues, which will pave the way for international rollout. The selection criteria for any future international event will follow the same performance based criteria as noted above.
 
Please visit www.wizkidseventsystem.com/wko for more information.
 
About WizKids  
WizKids/NECA, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NECA, is a New Jersey-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating games driven by imagination. WizKids first pioneered the Combat Dial system featured in HeroClix, the leading collectible miniatures game on the market, with over 500 million miniature game figures sold worldwide. WizKids continues to produce new proprietary game platforms and properties including the award-winning fantasy board game Mage Knight, the groundbreaking Dice Building Game engine used in the critically-acclaimed game Quarriors and the launched in the first part of 2014 Dice Masters, as well as its widely hailed execution of Star Trek: Attack Wing. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.

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