New York, NY (September 10, 2002) � 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., the exclusive worldwide agent and co-producer of the all-new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES animated series, today announced that Mirage Licensing, Inc., the holder of the rights to TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, has licensed Konami Corporation as the exclusive worldwide developer and publisher of video games. This agreement is based on the upcoming all-new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES animated series, which is scheduled to debut on the FOX BOX in the first quarter of 2003.
The agreement returns Konami to the role the gaming giant held during the birth of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES phenomenon in the late 1980's and early '90's, when the company created a dozen TMNT video games with gross cumulative sales of nearly half a billion dollars.
With the first release planned for the 2003 holiday season, the all-new Konami-created TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES video games will be published across multiple game platforms.
Premiering September 14, 2002 on FOX, the FOX BOX is a Saturday morning children's television block programmed by 4Kids Entertainment. In addition to co-producing the new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES television series, 4Kids also serves as the exclusive merchandise licensing agent for property worldwide.
"We are delighted to welcome back Konami as publisher of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES video games," said Al Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. "We look forward to Konami repeating its success with the Turtles franchise."
"4Kids' and Mirage's exciting plans for the all-new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES are designed to take this universally popular franchise to new levels of success," said Kazumi Kitaue, Konami Corporation Executive Officer, CS Division. "The new Turtles television series offers extraordinary creative opportunities for video game designers."
Gary Richardson, CEO of Mirage, said: "We're thrilled to partner with Konami to produce video games based on the all-new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES series. With Konami back as video game publisher and Playmates Toys continuing as master toy licensee, we're excited to be working with the team that helped Mirage create the original success of the franchise. We can't wait to see samples of the new Konami TMNT video game on the big screen at E3 in May of 2003."
The TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES were created in May 1984 when Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman published a 40-page, black-and-white comic book. The original TMNT animated series debuted in 1987. It was the #1 children's television show throughout the late 1980's and early '90's. TMNT merchandise licensees, including Konami and Playmates Toys, were enormously successful, reportedly selling approximately $3 billion in toys, videogames and other merchandise within all product categories worldwide to date.
About 4Kids Entertainment
Headquartered in New York City with international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. 4Kids, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, provides domestic and international merchandise licensing and product development, television, film, music and home video production and distribution, media buying and planning and Web site development. For further information, please visit the company's Web site at www.4kidsEntertainment.com.
About Mirage Licensing, Inc.
Mirage Licensing, Inc. is the licensing arm of a group of companies (Mirage Studios, Inc., Mirage Management, Inc., Mirage Publishing, Inc.) located in Northampton, Massachusetts that for 18 years has administered, nurtured and protected the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property, one of the most successful and respected worldwide children's entertainment and merchandise properties of all time.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Due to the fact that 4Kids Entertainment Inc. faces competition from toy companies, motion picture studios and other licensing companies, and the uncertainty of public response to the Company's properties, actual results or outcomes may differ materially from any such forward looking statements.
