CHICAGO, May 22 -- Under terms of an exclusive licensing agreement, JoyRide Studios, a Racing Champions Ertl company and brand, will produce plastic and die-cast collectible figures based on popular BattleTech and MechWarrior characters created by WizKids, a Seattle-based developer and publisher of fantasy collectible miniature games and novels. The Company plans to sell these products through its existing customer base as well as through expanded distribution at electronic and video game retailers. The announcement was made today by Peter Henseler, President of Racing Champions Ertl.
"This is an exciting step for us," Henseler said. "JoyRide Studios took our already extensive product line in a new direction, allowing us to target the estimated 63 million gamers in the U.S. The properties from the WizKids license will broaden the reach of our brand to include science fiction enthusiasts, giving us a direct entree to the estimated 25 million people who have played the game or read the novels since MechWarrior was introduced in 1984."
"We're very excited to be teaming up with Joyride Studios," said Jordan Weisman, MechWarrior creator. "They produce the best die-cast replicas I've ever seen. MechWarrior fans have been waiting a long time to be able to get their hands on metal 'Mech figures and JoyRide is the perfect company to get the job done right."
In the BattleTech universe, MechWarriors control these 'Mechs and lead them into battle. Over 30-feet-tall, these walking war machines fight in a universe which is comprised of hundreds of planets and populated by clans, alliances, and groups vying for control of the galaxy. JoyRide will produce highly detailed, fully articulated scale-model replicas of 'Mechs in this universe, with parts that can be interchanged and re-configured.
Noting that 11 million copies of MechWarrior and MechCommander video games have been sold, Henseler added, "These are consistently ranked among the most popular sci-fi action games, and the MechWarrior and BattleTech characters have a passionate following. We're delighted to bring these fighting machines of the future to a whole new level of reality as dynamic, 3-D collectible figures."
Racing Champions Ertl (www.rcertl.com) is a leading producer and marketer of innovative collectibles and toys targeted at males of all ages. The Company's diverse product offering includes scaled die-cast replicas of John Deere agricultural equipment and NASCAR stock cars, other licensed vehicle replicas, pre-teen toys, sports trading cards, racing apparel and souvenirs, and collectible figures. These products are sold under the Company's market-focused brand names, including Racing Champions®, Ertl®, Ertl Collectibles®, American Muscle(TM), AMT®, W. Britain®, Press Pass® and JoyRide Studios(TM). The Company reinforces its brands and enhances the authenticity of our products by linking them with highly recognized licensed properties including NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere, Harley- Davidson, Case IH, Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Texaco, Warner Brothers, Gullane Entertainment, Nintendo, Sega and Electronic Arts. The Company's products are marketed through multiple channels of distribution, including mass retailers and specialty and hobby wholesalers and retailers, OEM dealers and to corporate accounts for promotional purposes. The Company sells through more than 20,000 retail outlets located in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
About WizKids - Founded by Jordan Weisman, WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating a new genre of fantasy games that is more accessible, deeper, and more sophisticated than traditional fantasy adventure genres. Their first release, Mage Knight is the premiere collectable miniatures game, with all the stats and abilities of each figure printed on the revolutionary combat dial. All WizKids Collectable Miniature Games figures come pre-painted and ready to play, right out of the box. Mage Knight won "Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Miniature Rules" and the "Vanguard" Award at Origins 2000.
