Hasbro press release

Monday, June 7th, 2004 8:28AM CDT

Categories: Press Releases, Company News
Posted by: Goblez Views: 71,039

Hasbro issued a press release this morning, announing various items, including
"Transformers: Cybertron". you can view it here and discuss it here.

June 07, 2004 09:15 AM US Eastern Timezone

Hasbro Properties Group Brings Global Toy and Game Brands to Licensing 2004
International

Licensing 2004
Booth #3417

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2004--The Hasbro Properties Group
(HPG), the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS),
arrives at Licensing 2004 International with one of the industry's richest
portfolios of brands that translates into a world of fun and excitement for
children and adults. This year, HPG launches new licensing programs and builds
upon its successes with properties such as DUEL MASTERS, WEEBLES, MY LITTLE
PONY, TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, CANDY LAND and ACTION MAN. HPG will support these
programs on a global or regional basis through a wide range of consumer products
categories, including publishing, digital gaming, entertainment, apparel and
accessories, footwear, food and beverage, sporting goods, housewares and
greeting cards.

"Licensing Show is a great opportunity to see the depth and breadth of Hasbro's
brands and their impact on our consumers," said Jane Ritson-Parsons, President
of the Hasbro Properties Group. "Many of our brands have global appeal and we
have been fortunate to work with many of the world's leading consumer product
and entertainment companies in providing consumers with rich experiences through
a host of publishing, lifestyle and entertainment platforms."

The following are some of the company's core brands that will be exhibited at
the Hasbro Properties Group booth (#3417) during this year's Licensing Show at
the Javits Center:

DUEL MASTERS

After topping the charts in Japan, the hot property DUEL MASTERS has arrived
full force in the U.S., Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The DUEL MASTERS
property launched in the U.S. and Europe with Dreamwave's comic book series, an
animated series on Cartoon Network and Wizards of the Coast's trading card game.
Hasbro's line of toys and board games will follow beginning in fall 2004 in both
the U.S. and U.K. Building upon the DUEL MASTERS property, the Hasbro Properties
Group will deliver a highly coordinated global licensing program targeted to
boys aged 8 to 12 that focuses on promotions, publishing, apparel, digital
gaming, sporting goods and accessories. In the works is a DUEL MASTERS Gameboy
game from Atari, Inc., a line of books from Scholastic, pending contract, and a
direct-to-video release due out next spring.

WEEBLES

Hasbro's Playskool brand announces the global return of those beloved, wobbly
characters--the WEEBLES! The world of WEEBLEVILLE will be bustling again this
fall as toys full of motion, music and brilliant colors inspire toddler's
imaginations and celebrate the simple joy of play. HPG is developing a licensing
program for the brand, including a promotion at Wendy's this fall. Plans for
2005 include, the wacky, new WEEBLES characters making their direct-to-video
debut and, pending contract, will be featured in a children's books series by
Penguin Young Readers Group's Grosset & Dunlap imprint.

MY LITTLE PONY

In 2003, the MY LITTLE PONY property returned as a highly popular lifestyle
brand for little girls. Since last fall, more than four million ponies and over
three million books have reached the U.S. marketplace alone. Around the world,
fans were able to make MY LITTLE PONY a part of nearly every aspect of their
lives with more than 135 licensees signed to date. As a credit to the success of
the licensing program, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers'
Association has nominated MY LITTLE PONY for three 2004 LIMA International
Licensing Excellence Awards, including "Best Character Brand License of the
Year."

This year, there is even more to look forward to as the MY LITTLE PONY brand
celebrates a new theme - FRIENDSHIP BALL. Little girls will enjoy these new pony
adventures with an in-pack video being distributed worldwide. The MY LITTLE PONY
story will also be told through the successful and growing publishing program.
This year, Simon & Schuster, Hemma, The Five Mile Press and Egmont Books will
work with HPG to bring publishing to multiple countries and more than double the
number of titles released.

Additional licensees for the brand in 2004 include Atari, Cohen & Wilks,
American Greetings, pending contract, and Fruit of the Loom, to name a few. In
spring 2005, look for a promotion with a major restaurant chain.

TRANSFORMERS

TRANSFORMERS is one of Hasbro's most popular global brands in the entertainment
category, as evidenced by the Cartoon Network animated program and Dreamwave
comic book series, which sold more than two million copies last year. To build
on this success, an array of merchandise based on the current TRANSFORMERS
ENERGON theme is due out this year, including the recent release of the highly
anticipated PlayStation 2 video game from Atari.

At this year's show, Hasbro will announce a new TRANSFORMERS storyline for 2005
- TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON. Fans will be able to experience this new theme through
a wide variety of entertainment, toys and licensed merchandise. This next
installment in Hasbro's legendary saga is a complex story of intrigue and
surprises, and will remind fans what it means to be "ROBOTS IN DISGUISE"!

G.I. JOE

Forty years ago, Hasbro revolutionized the way boys play by introducing G.I.
JOE, the world's first action figure. In 2004, kids embark with the G.I. JOE
team on another new and exciting adventure - VALOR VS. VENOM - which comes to
life like never before with the direct-to-video release of "G.I. JOE: VALOR VS.
VENOM," a new full-length feature packed with thrilling, non-stop action. The
movie is slated to be available on DVD and VHS in September from Paramount Home
Entertainment. One of the biggest marketing programs in the history of the G.I.
JOE brand will also support VALOR VS. VENOM with a McDonald's promotion and an
array of consumer products, including new publishing titles from Scholastic and
Devil's Due, which sold more than one million G.I. JOE comic books last year,
and camping and fishing gear from South Bend Sporting Goods.

SECRET CENTRAL

Fans of SECRET CENTRAL are already in the know about this cool new property with
an irresistible twist. Girls learn all about the day-to-day lives of the 20
classmates of the Class of '04 by picking up clues to what's really happening
through the handwritten notes that come with Hasbro's doll line, and on-line
stories that change every day at www.secretcentral.com. To continue the fun, HPG
is developing a focused licensing program for SECRET CENTRAL, including a
live-action direct-to-video from Executive Producer Tom Lynch to be released
this fall. And, the Class of '04 graduates this month, making way for the SECRET
CENTRAL Class of '05. In addition, publishing is in the works for spring 2005,
as well as social expressions journals and stationery for back-to-school 2005.

CANDY LAND

For 55 years, the CANDY LAND game has been a favorite first game for
preschoolers in the U.S. In 2004, children will experience this classic game
like never before with the game's new look, updated characters and expanded
story line. The game will also cross the Atlantic and Pacific for the first time
so that children in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand will have the
opportunity to enjoy this childhood classic. The first-ever CANDY LAND movie is
scheduled for direct-to-video release in the U.S during spring 2005. The
excitement around this cherished classic will be also reflected in an expanded
licensing program for 2004. A broad range of publishing opportunities for the
CANDY LAND brand are also being explored.

ACTION MAN

ACTION MAN continues to be a leading boys' action brand in Australia, New
Zealand and across Europe. Now in its 10th year, ACTION MAN consumer products
have also enjoyed a strong following across multiple categories from apparel to
live entertainment. Building upon this history of success, Hasbro continues to
deliver exciting new ACTION MAN products to consumers in 2004, including the
release of an ACTION MAN Game Boy Advance game and a 45-minute CGI movie
released on DVD. Also, now in its seventh year, the McDonald's ACTION MAN
promotion now reaches fans in 42 countries.

For more information on these properties and other Hasbro brands, including
MONOPOLY, TONKA and SCRABBLE, visit the Hasbro Properties Group booth # 3417 at
Licensing 2004 International.

About Hasbro and the Hasbro Properties Group

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.

The Hasbro Properties Group develops and expands Hasbro's core brands such as
G.I. JOE, TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, ACTION MAN, MONOPOLY and CANDY LAND,
into a wide variety of entertainment and consumer categories.

(C)2004 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

DUEL MASTERS is a trademark of Wizards/Shogakukan/Mitsui-Kids. (C)2004
Wizards/Shogakukan/Mitsui-Kids/Sho Pro.

SCRABBLE is a trademark of Hasbro in the U.S. and Canada.

Credit(s): New_Soundwave