Didn't you say something about this not going thru'?
The Learning Company, Inc. and Pleasant Company Proudly Present The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition
Upgrade to Hit Title Includes New Josefina Character
CAMBRIDGE. Mass., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Learning Company, Inc. (NYSE: TLC - news), a leading provider of educational software, today announced the release of The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition, an upgrade to the best-selling creativity and history software program introduced last fall. Like The American Girls Premiere, the new upgrade allows girls to create and produce their own plays starring any one of the historical American Girls Collection characters, and now includes the newest American Girl, Josefina. Designed for girls ages eight to twelve, the CD-ROM is based on The American Girls Collection, a highly successful line of historical fiction books, dolls and accessories from Pleasant Company. The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition is available now on Windows and Macintosh for an approximate street price of $34.99. For $44.99, consumers can purchase the Special Edition Collector's Set, a collectible tin which contains additional American Girls Collection keepsakes.
The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition invites girls to learn about the lives and times of historical fiction characters growing up during pivotal periods in America's past. Based on the adventures and stories of the beloved American Girls Collection heroines -- Felicity, Colonial America, 1774; Josefina, America's New Frontier, 1824; Kirsten, Pioneer America, 1854; Addy, Civil War America, 1864; Samantha, America's New Century, 1904; and Molly, World War Two America, 1944 -- the program brings history alive for girls. The upgrade introduces the newest character from The American Girls Collection, Josefina, an Hispanic girl of heart and hope living in Colonial New Mexico. The launch of The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition coincides with the release of the second set of Josefina books. The first three titles have sold more than one million copies and appeared on a number of best-seller lists, including several appearances on USA Today's Top 50 List.
The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition includes all of Josefina's related costumes, props, settings and more. Additional new features include the ability for girls to print out their favorite play scenes, and to learn even more about American History through the CD-ROM's updated Director's Guide filled with interesting facts and background information on The American Girls Collection characters.
''The American Girls Premiere was a huge hit last year, achieving the status of the top-selling retail educational title in unit sales from October through December, according to PC Data of Reston, Virginia,'' said Andy Young, senior vice president of marketing for The Learning Company, Inc. ''When Pleasant Company first introduced Josefina and her books last fall, girls immediately started asking us when we were going to add her to The American Girls Premiere. With the addition of the new character and feature improvements, plus the boom in the girls' software market, The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition is sure to be a winner in 1998.''
''In an era that celebrates technology and recognizes the different skill sets and interests of girls, The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition is an exciting extension of Pleasant Company's mission to educate and entertain girls with age-appropriate products and stories that are based on positive values,'' said Julia Prohaska, director of corporate communications for Pleasant Company. ''The upgrade offers girls an engaging and educational multimedia environment in which to build stories, develop relationships between characters and explore the worlds of the American Girls they have come to know and love.''
In creating a play, girls first set the stage by selecting settings, characters, costumes and props. Next, drama is introduced by adding actions and emotions for each of the characters. To create the appropriate ambiance for their play, girls can adjust stage lighting and add sound effects, as well as enhance the play with music representative of the characters' historical eras. Finally, girls can record their own and friends' voices to add realistic dialogue, which, along with live action video of the characters, brings their play to life. Once dialogue has been typed into the program, completed scripts with stage direction can be printed out for girls to act out the plays with friends. Girls can even print a playbill with the play's title, director's name and a summary for their audience.
The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition contains an easy-to-use, point-and-click interface and unique features, such as sample plays and play starters, that spark girls' imaginations and help them get started while offering countless open-ended play choices. Beginner and advanced tutorials come in handy if girls are just learning how to use The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition, or if they want to explore its more advanced features. Additionally, online help and hints provide technical assistance to the user when needed.
Since its release in September 1997, The American Girls Premiere has received numerous honors including the Parents' Choice Gold Award, The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, Curriculum Administrator magazine's Top 100 Districts' Choice Award, Family Life's Critic's Choice award, 3 1/2 Stars from USA Today, the Mom's Choice Award from Multimedia Mom and the Editors' Choice Award from Newsweek Interactive's Parent's Guide to Children's Software.
System Requirements
The American Girls Premiere 2nd Edition requires an IBM computer or compatible; 486 or higher; Windows 3.1 or Windows 95; 8 MB RAM; hard drive; 256-color SVGA; Windows-compatible sound card, mouse, printer (optional); microphone (recommended); and a double-speed CD-ROM drive. The Macintosh version requires a 68030 (LCIII) or higher; 8 MB RAM; System 7.l or higher; hard drive; 256-color display (13'' or larger monitor); Macintosh compatible printer (optional); microphone (recommended); and a double-speed CD-ROM drive.
Pleasant Company's brands include The American Girls Collection, American Girl -- including American Girl Library, the American Girl of Today and American Girl Gear -- and Bitty Baby Collection. Pleasant Company also publishes American Girl magazine, a bimonthly, advertising-free publication for girls that has attracted over 700,000 subscribers, making it the nation's largest publication for girls. More than 48 million books and over 4 million dolls from The American Girls Collection have been sold to date, and sales at the privately held company topped more than $287 million in 1997. Each year, the company mails more than 50 million award-winning catalogs. Pleasant Company's headquarters are located in Middleton, Wis.; telephone 608-836-4848; fax 800-257-3865. The company Web site, which receives an average of six million hits per month, is located at www.americangirl.com.
The Learning Company, Inc. is one of the country's leading developers of consumer software for the entire family. The company publishes some of the best-known education, reference, personal productivity and family entertainment brands in the U.S., including Reader Rabbit, The Oregon Trail, Sesame Street, Carmen Sandiego, Mavis Beacon, Princeton Review, National Geographic, PrintMaster and Myst. The company's products are sold in more than 23,000 retail stores in North America and through multiple distribution channels including school sales, online, direct marketing and OEM. The Learning Company also develops, publishes and distributes products internationally through subsidiaries in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Holland, Japan and Australia, and with distributors throughout Europe, Latin America and the Pacific Rim. The Company's headquarters are located at One Athenaeum Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02142; telephone 617-494-1200; fax 617-494-1219. The corporate Web site is located at www.learningco.com, and Customer Service can be reached at 617-761-3000.
NOTE: All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
SOURCE: The Learning Company, Inc.
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