EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. -- Aug. 10, 2005 -- Hasbro, Inc. today announced that it has secured the exclusive worldwide licensing rights from Bob's Space Racers, Inc. to create, manufacture and market games based on Whac-A-Mole, the $1.5 billion amusement park brand. The Whac-A-Mole product line will be marketed under Hasbro's Milton Bradley brand.
The first game to be launched under the new, expanded agreement will be TV Whac-A-Mole, a plug and play experience, scheduled to hit retail stores this summer. Like the arcade game, TV Whac-A-Mole players earn points for successfully fending off moles with freezing water, messy pies and the infamous mallet.
"This deal allows Hasbro to transport the wildly popular Whac-A-Mole amusement park experience to homes around the world," said Mark Blecher, senior vice president of marketing at Hasbro. "Whac-A-Mole is an incredibly strong brand that resonates with a very broad demographic. While our games will be targeted toward young children, we know that Whac-A-Mole fans of all ages will want their time with the mallet."
"We're thrilled to be working with Hasbro and its creative groups who are already generating fantastic ideas for Whac-A-Mole game interpretations," said Marsha Armitage, chief marketing officer of Dimensional Branding Group, the licensing agents for Bob's Space Racers who engineered the deal. "Their creative group quickly tapped into the simple thrill of playing the arcade game, and effectively instilled that quality into the new games."
Milton Bradley's initial Whac-A-Mole offering, an electronic preschool board game, was released last winter and quickly became a popular purchase during the 2004 holiday season.
About Bob's Space Racers, Inc.
Bob's Space Racers was founded in 1970 by Bob Cassata with one focus in mind: to design and manufacture the industry's finest amusement games by providing unprecedented quality and exceptional playing experience. BSR has over 30 years of success with entertainment and games in amusement parks, arcades and carnivals all over the world, including the iconic Whac-A-Mole game. BSR recently introduced a full-size Whac-A-Mole for the home. BSR is also known as the leading consultant to amusement parks in game area design and operation.
About Dimensional Branding Group
Founded in 2000, San Francisco-based Dimensional Branding Group, LLC (DBG) focuses on strategic brand licensing, alliance development and tactical promotional marketing. DBG has partnered with the Pangea Corporation to develop the entertainment component for Whac-A-Mole by translating the brand name into a memorable intellectual property across many platforms of entertainment.
About Hasbro
Hasbro Games manufactures and markets games and puzzles under the brand names Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers. Included in its product line are some of the world's best-known games and puzzles including: CANDY LAND, the MONOPOLY game, SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game, YAHTZEE, TWISTER, THE GAME OF LIFE, TRIVIAL PURSUIT and BIG BEN Puzzles. The company also markets its games in three focused initiatives: MY FIRST GAMES (pre-school games), FAMILY GAME NIGHT (family games) and GET TOGETHER GAMES (adult games).
Hasbro Inc. (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 United States, 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.
(C)2005 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.
SCRABBLE is a trademark of HASBRO in the United States and Canada.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT is the registered trademark of Horn Abbot Ltd. For the games distributed under exclusive license to Hasbro. Inc.
