RENTON, Wash. -- July 1, 2004 -- Dads, kids and others headed to the 2004 International G.I. JOE Convention July 2-4 in Orlando, Florida, will get to be the first to experience the G.I. JOE Trading Card Game, which releases this August from Wizards of the Coast, a developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products and a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.. This first-of-its-kind trading card game features characters inspired by the legendary G.I. JOE VS. COBRA storyline.
Players command their own G.I. JOE or COBRA team by building their decks with iconic characters such as DUKE, SNAKE EYES, AGENT SCARLETT, COBRA COMMANDER, DESTRO and STORM SHADOW. Wizards of the Coast will offer a preview of the G.I. JOE Trading Card Game at the Hasbro booth at the G.I. JOE Convention. Show-goers will be able to learn how to play this exciting new game.
The release of the G.I. JOE Trading Card Game coincides with the G.I. JOE brand's 40th anniversary. G.I. JOE revolutionized the toy industry four decades ago with the first poseable action figure for boys. Today, the G.I. JOE brand is popular among a new generation of kids, who have rediscovered the action-packed excitement of the G.I. JOE VS. COBRA fantasy through Hasbro's action figure line, comic books, visual entertainment and consumer products.
"Generations of kids and adults have been entertained by the G.I. JOE brand and only Wizards of the Coast can capture the action and adventure of the property in a trading card game," said Derryl DePriest, Director of Marketing for the G.I. JOE brand.
"The compelling characters and rich storyline inherent in the G.I. JOE brand make it a perfect candidate for a fun, head-to-head game experience that is sure to please trading card game and G.I. JOE enthusiasts alike," said Scott Rouse, Brand Manager for the G.I. JOE Trading Card Game.
Next month, Wizards of the Coast will release the G.I. JOE Trading Card Game in a two-player starter set and randomized booster packs with each card featuring dynamic artwork that brings the guts and glory of the G.I. JOE universe into every TCG player's deck. In addition, an exclusive card for the G.I. JOE trading card game will be included with the VALOR VS. VENOM movie that is due out in September from Paramount Home Entertainment. Expansion sets are planned for release in 2005. Visit www.GIJOETCG.com for updates.
Hasbro (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 U.S., 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.
Wizards of the Coast, Inc., is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering(R), among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons(R), and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at wizards.com.
Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, and Dungeons & Dragons are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc.
(C)2004 Wizards.
G.I. Joe is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc. (C)2004 Hasbro.
