CHICAGO, Jan. 29 -- Racing Champions announced today that it is entering into a licensing agreement with Nintendo of America Inc. and Nintendo Power magazine to produce collectible figures and vehicles based on certain properties from popular Nintendo video games such as Luigi's Mansion, Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. These collectibles may also be packaged with Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color trademarks. Racing Champions' newly formed JoyRide Studios group is developing these products, which are planned for release in July 2002. These JoyRide Studios' branded products are primarily targeted to video game players and will be packaged with special "strategies and tricks" from the experts at Nintendo Power magazine, the official source for Nintendo platform and game information.
According to Peter Henseler, President of JoyRide Studios and of Racing Champions, "Since the launch of their first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has challenged and entertained millions of gaming enthusiasts. We are excited about the prospects of creating collectibles in three-dimensions for this ever-growing installed base of Game Boy and Nintendo gamers. We believe this agreement will enhance the position of our new JoyRide Studios' product category and expand our customer base in new directions, such as electronic and video game retailers."
Susan Eisner, Senior VP of Marketing of 4Kids Entertainment (the exclusive licensing agent for Nintendo Properties) added, "Racing Champions brings an innovative product and marketing plan to the table with this line of collectibles, and we are excited about the relationship. Their JoyRide Studios product development team along with the experts at Nintendo Power magazine will transform Nintendo's rich properties into an entirely new product from. We are confident they will create collectibles with high appeal and collectibility to Nintendo enthusiasts."
JoyRide Studios (www.joyridestudios.com) is focused on developing collectible and toy products for the tween, teen, and post-teen market segments. Its parent, Racing Champions (www.rcertl.com) is a leading producer and marketer of innovative collectibles and toys sold in multiple channels of distribution and available at more than 20,000 retail outlets. The company sells Racing Champions� NASCAR and NHRA die-cast racing replicas, souvenirs and apparel; American Muscle(TM) collectible die-cast vehicle replicas; officially licensed die-cast and preschool products based on automobiles, trucks, agricultural, heavy equipment, and powered recreational and sport vehicles under the Ertl� brand; AMT� model kits; Press Pass� trading cards; and, under the direction of its JoyRide Studios(TM) group, video game figures and vehicles. High-profile licensing partners include NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere, Case IH, Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Texaco, and Warner Brothers.
As the worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems. The systems include Game Boy�, Nintendo� 64, Game Boy Advance and NINTENDO GAMECUBE. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.4 billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario�, and Donkey Kong� and launching such franchises as Zelda� and Pokemon�. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America, Inc., based in Redmond, Washington, serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operation in the Western Hemisphere.
