July 14, 2003 (Lincoln, Neb.) - The accolades continue to roll in for WizKids, LLC, the Seattle-based toy company whose hit collectable miniatures games Mage Knight(tm), MechWarrior(r), and HeroClix(tm) didn't exist three years ago. Now the games areplayed in more than 56 countries across the globe.
Today the company was named "2003 Hobby Company of the Year" by Hobby Outlook Magazine, the national magazine of HobbyTown USA, which is distributed in more than 198,000 homes across the United States. HobbyTown USA is the United States' largest hobby retailer, with more than 155 stores in the U.S.
"This award is both unexpected and very happily received," said Martin Stever, Executive Vice President of WizKids. "We are deeply honored, and we thank HobbyTown retailers and Hobby Outlook for this fantastic recognition."
The honor is the highest award presented annually to a manufacturer that represents the best in the hobby industry. Winners are decided by HobbyTown USA management and the editorial staff of Hobby Outlook magazine based upon innovative product development, customer satisfaction, and overall support for the industry.
WizKids' Mage Knight also received a 2003 Hobby Outlook Award for Best Game. The awards were presented during the HobbyTown USA National Convention for HobbyTown store owners and managers, held in Lincoln, Nebraska, each July.
The presentation marked another achievement for the relatively new game company. In just the last few months, WizKids' MechWarrior was voted on by game designers and game players from around the world and named Origins Awards Game of the Year. WizKids also garnered 8 other Origins Awards this year, including Best Board Game for its Marvel(tm)a HeroClix title. Comic shop retailers voted Marvel HeroClix Clobberin' Time their Gem of the Year, and WizKids CEO Jordan Weisman was named the 2003 Ernst & Young Pacific Northwest Entrepreneur of the Year in the Consumer and Retail Goods category.
WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination. Its Mage Knight, MechWarrior and HeroClix(tm) collectable miniatures games are among the most successful games on the market today, and have sold more than one hundred million figures worldwide. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.
(c)2003 WizKids, LLC. All rights reserved. MechWarrior, Mage Knight, HeroClix and WizKids are trademarks of WizKids, LLC.
Marvel and all related characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. (c)2003 Marvel Characters, Inc. www.marvel.com.
