July 2, 2005 (SEATTLE) - WizKids Inc., creators of the runaway hit games Mage Knight® and Pirates of the Spanish Main™, are proud to announce that those games took the top two awards at Origins 2005: Mage Knight was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame, and Pirates of the Spanish Main received the Vanguard Award � the most prestigious award in the gaming industry.
"Everyone associated with these games, from players to designers, couldn't be happier with this recognition," said Mike Samora, vice president of Sales and Marketing at WizKids®. "Mage Knight changed the face of gaming forever, and Pirates is one of the most innovative games in years. It is wonderful to be recognized by the gaming community for these accomplishments." Only one game, which must have significantly impacted the industry, is inducted into the Hall of Fame each year. The Vanguard Award is awarded when a game meets the strictest of requirements, including offering something entirely innovative to the industry. The last Vanguard Award was issued in 2003.
Origins and the Origins Awards are functions of GAMA, the Game Manufacturers Association.
Founded by 25-year game-industry veteran Jordan Weisman, WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination. Its Mage Knight, MechWarrior® and HeroClix® CMGs and Pirates and Rocketmen™ CSGs are among the most successful games on the market today, and the company has sold hundreds of millions of game pieces worldwide. WizKids Inc. is owned by The Topps Company Inc. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.
�2005 WizKids Inc. All rights reserved. MechWarrior, HeroClix, Mage Knight, Pirates of the Spanish Main, Rocketmen and WizKids are trademarks of WizKids Inc.
® & �2005 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Topps is a registered trademark of The Topps Company, Inc.
