NewKidCo and Little League Baseball Hit a Home Run With ``Little League Baseball 2002'' for Game Boy Advance
Catch The Game In Stores In September
Practice Starts In August With Game Displays At The Little League World Series
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2002-- It's outta here! NewKidCo International Inc. (OTCBB: NKCIF - News; TSX: NKC) announced today that "Little League Baseball 2002" for Game Boy® Advance is scheduled to arrive in stores in early September. The first game based on the multi-year agreement with Little League Baseball takes players all the way from their first game of T-ball to every child's dream of playing in the Little League World Series. The game will be on display at the Little League World Series in August to give fans a warm-up of fun.
"`Little League Baseball' for GBA is sure to be a hit with the millions of kids who love the all-time favorite sport," said Paul Samulski, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer. "This is a fantastic game with new 3D and interactive technologies, 10 different fields to play ball in, both boy and girl players and about as much replayability as baseball itself."
NewKidCo utilized the Little League logos and nine baseball characters in authentic games that employ Little League Baseball rules and regulations. Kids can experience all aspects of the sport at different skill levels allowing the games to appeal to a broader audience. With Little League's "seal of approval," kids can enjoy exciting and challenging games while parents will welcome a wholesome activity for their sons and daughters.
"We are really excited to begin shipping our first `Little League Baseball' title," said Arthur Levine, President and COO of NewKidCo. "With the support of all of our major retail customers combined with a strong marketing program which includes heightened awareness through the Little League World Series, we anticipate a big success with this game that will help pave the way for future `Little League Baseball' releases."
"Little League Baseball 2002" for Game Boy Advance lets players choose their favorite team from a large selection of international rosters made up of players with varying levels of strengths and weaknesses, pick a ball park from any of the ten available (whether it be in New York City, San Francisco, Canada, Europe or the Far East) and then get right into the game. The player controls all of the action, from hitting to pitching to fielding, as well as making all managerial decisions. The simplified controls streamline play and the smoothly animated character moves, along with the vivid, colorful backgrounds, will keep kids "in the game" up until the final out is made.
Key Features:
Features 10 international Little League fields
Four levels of gameplay, including: T-Ball, Minor League, Major League, World Series
Stays true to the official Little League rules and regulations, featuring six inning games, for quick competition. (In T-ball, the games are four innings in length.) In the event of a tie, extra inning games are allowed.
Simple interface for younger players to be comfortable, but enough "gaming options" to satisfy seasoned players
Multi-level graphic approach with fun animating backgrounds
Features both boy and girl Little League players
"Little League Baseball 2002" for GBA is rated "E" for Everybody and is designed for players 5 and older. The estimated retail price is $29.95. Players can also look forward to "Little League Baseball" for GameCube in the summer of 2003, which is currently under development by NewKidCo.
About NewKidCo International Inc.
NewKidCo International Inc. (OTCBB: NKCIF - News; TSX: NKC), headquartered in New York City, New York, publishes children's video games based on popular licensed characters and brands, such as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial(TM), Tom and Jerry(TM), Little League Baseball®, Dr. Seuss, Dragon Tales(TM), Dora the Explorer from Nickelodeon, Winnie the Pooh and Sesame Street®, for interactive entertainment gaming systems from Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment of America and Microsoft. The company publishes and distributes its product directly in North America, in Europe through its distribution partner, Ubi Soft Entertainment SA, and in Japan through Success Corp. NewKidCo titles have garnered critical acclaim and distinguished honors, including the PlayStation Choice and Nintendo Power Awards. Most recently, six NewKidCo games received the esteemed "approval" rating from the Parents' Choice Association. For more information please visit www.NewKidCo.com.
About Little League Baseball
Little League Baseball is the world's largest organized youth sports program. Approximately 2.9 million children play Little League Baseball and Softball in all 50 U.S. States and 103 other countries, led by more than a million adult volunteers. For more information on Little League Baseball, visit www.littleleague.org.
Forward-looking statements in the release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, including without limitation risks related to the Company's ability to raise additional financing, risks of intellectual property rights and litigation, risks in technology development and commercialization, risks in product development and market acceptance of and demand for the Company's products, risks of downturns in economic conditions generally, risks associated with competition and competitive pricing pressures, risks associated with foreign sales, risks associated with the sell-through of products in the sales channels, risks associated with customer concentration and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Bender/Helper Impact
Tel: 310/473-4147
Fax: 310/478-7914
Brenda Ciccone, brenda_ciccone@bhimpact.com
Melisa Gotto, melisa_gotto@bhimpact.com |
