4Kids Entertainment
Chaotic® Trading Card Game Launches Nationwide at Best Buy®
Wednesday 02 July 2008
CHAOTIC® TRADING CARD GAME
LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE AT BEST BUY®
NEW YORK (July 2, 2008) – The ChaoticÒ Trading Card Game, which integrates a collectible trading card game with a unique online multi-player experience, will launch at world-leading consumer electronics retailer Best Buy on July 6th.
Best Buy is re-entering the trading card space for the first time in several years, in part, due to the unique convergent game play of Chaotic’s patented technology that enables fans to replicate their cards online and collect, trade and compete in the fast-growing community at www.chaoticgame.com.
This significant milestone comes just as the new (third overall) Chaotic booster series, Silent Sands, becomes available at retail and comic and hobby stores with brisk pre-orders resulting in an effective “sellout” of the highly anticipated new series. This strong enthusiasm at retail is reflected in the continuing growth of the Chaotic Online Game Experience, which now tallies over 1.7 million unique visitors on the site, over 40 million page views and over 20 million Chaotic card codes registered since its October 24, 2007 launch.
“We expect ‘Chaotic’ to be a hit with Best Buy’s large base of gaming and electronics customers,” said Bryan C. Gannon, President and CEO of TC Digital Games. “With fan excitement surrounding ‘Chaotic’ at an all-time high, we are enthusiastic and honored to be launching at Best Buy, which will quickly become a significant new retail destination for fans.”
To support the demand for more Chaotic products at retail, 4Kids is developing a targeted licensing and marketing program for the property in several core categories including publishing, consumer electronics, computer and mobile accessories, collector figures and video games. Initial licensees already on board include Giant Merchandising for t-shirts, sweatshirts and track jackets, BioWorld for headwear, Prima Games for the Chaotic Trading Card Game strategy guide and Ultra Pro for trading card game accessories.
To add another exciting element to the Chaotic gaming experience, TC Digital Games recently launched Chaotic Battledrome Events, a national Organized Play program, at New York ComicCon, with additional events scheduled throughout 2008 at Wizard World Philadelphia, Origins Games Fair, San Diego Comic-Con, Gen Con Indy, Fan Expo Canada and Gen Con Australia.
Chaotic is the first property specifically utilizing patented technology to seamlessly integrate trading card game play with interactive Web-based functionality. Using this technology, each Chaotic Trading Card is enabled with a unique alphanumeric code that allows Chaotic players to upload their personal card collection onto the Chaotic Online Game at www.ChaoticGame.com for no additional cost. Additionally, the destination features interactive gameplay functionality, a Web-based trade sector that allows users to trade their Chaotic Cards online with other players as well as web-based messaging and forum discussions.
Complementing the Chaotic Trading Card Game is the Chaotic animated TV series, which airs daily in the Jetix block of Toon Disney and Saturday mornings in TheCW4Kids morning block on The CW Network. The series has been a top-rated Saturday morning show for Boys 6-11 on U.S. broadcast television, as well as a top performer in Canada on Teletoon.
About 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.
With U.S. headquarters in New York City, regional offices for its trading card business in San Diego, California and international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global organization devoted to the creation, development, production, broadcasting, distribution, licensing and manufacturing of children’s entertainment products.
Through its subsidiaries, 4Kids produces animated television series and films, distributes 4Kids’ produced or licensed animated television series for the domestic and international television and home video markets, licenses merchandising rights worldwide to 4Kids’ owned or represented properties, operates Web sites to support 4Kids’ owned or represented properties, and produces and markets collectible trading card games. Additionally, the Company programs and sells the national advertising time in a four-hour “4KidsTV” block which airs on nearly 200 affiliated FOX television stations Saturday mornings. Beginning in September 2008, the Company will also program and sell the national advertising time in the five-hour Saturday morning block on The CW television network.
Additional information is available on the www.4KidsEntertainment.com corporate web site and at the www.4Kids.tv game station site.
About TC Digital Games LLC
Headquartered in San Diego, California, TC Digital Games LLC, a subsidiary of 4Kids Entertainment Inc., is the designer, distributor and marketer of the Chaotic Trading Card Game™. Chaotic® is the first property in the trading card industry to combine traditional tabletop game play with a free integrated online game portal (www.ChaoticGame.com).
The information contained in this press release, other than historical information, consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These statements may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Important factors beyond the Company's control, including general economic conditions, consumer spending levels, competition from toy companies, motion picture studios and other licensing companies, the uncertainty of public response to the Company's properties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations.