|
Handmark Brings The MONOPOLY® Board Game
To Palm Powered Handhelds
Handmark adds another leading brand name to its expanding line of premier retail titles for Palm Powered handheld devices. For more than 65 years the MONOPOLY game has been one the world's best selling board game with more than two hundred million copies sold. Now you can play the MONOPOLY game anywhere with the release of the new Handmark official MONOPOLY game for Palm Powered devices.
Handmark Brings The MONOPOLY® Board Game
To Palm Powered Handhelds
NEW YORK, NY and KANSAS CITY, MO- January. 29, 2002 -- Handmark adds another leading brand name to its expanding line of premier retail titles for Palm Powered handheld devices. For more than 65 years the MONOPOLY game has been one the world's best selling board game with more than two hundred million copies sold. Now you can play the MONOPOLY game anywhere with the release of the new Handmark official MONOPOLY game for Palm Powered devices.
Last year Handmark released the official SCRABBLE crossword game for Palm Powered PDAs. Now the MONOPOLY game is available for download from the Handmark web site and is also available on CD-ROM from most major retail stores that sell Palm OS® based devices. According to Handmark marketing vice-president, Douglas Edwards "this is huge, weve already found business executives, home makers and students playing the SCRABBLE game for Palm OS now everyone can also play the MONOPOLY game. The game as weve designed it for the handheld is beautiful and easy to play. This is a great use of the Palm OS and it's typical of the category leading national brands Handmark will continue to bring to the platform."
It's the Real MONOPOLY game!
The highly interactive game can be played by one Palm Powered device user competing against the handheld computer. The human player can play against any of six unique identities", each having their own personality and playing style. The game is also designed for multiple players using one or several Palm Powered devices.
In multiple device play the built-in infrared beaming function allows silent play in any public space as players "beam" their move to each other's device. Games can include any combination of computer identities and real people up to four players per game.
Score keeping is also automated so players can concentrate on their game skills. Each players account is totaled and current status of all player accounts can be viewed at any time.
Official Licensed Version
The MONOPOLY board game is published in North America by Hasbro®, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) and can be found in millions of American homes. Each year players from around the world compete in the World Monopoly Game Championship for the title of Global Real Estate Tycoon.
Handmark produces the Palm OS version of the MONOPOLY game under a license agreement with Infogrames, Inc. (NASDAQ: IFGM), which publishes the electronic and interactive versions of Hasbro properties.
"We are very pleased to extend our relationship with Handmark to include the MONOPOLY brand," commented Jon Leach, vice president of licensing for Infogrames, Inc. "The initial consumer response to the handheld version of the SCRABBLE game has reinforced our belief that this brand extension has an audience waiting."
Availability of retail product
Retail packages are expected to be available in stores in February. It will be offered through major retailers for $29.99 (USA estimated retail price) and in campus bookstores across North America. The MONOPOLY game for the Palm OS platform will be available at most retail chains where Palm Powered devices are sold.
The MONOPOLY game is also available as an online download from the Handmark web site, http://www.handmark.com (also $29.99).
About Infogrames
New York-based Infogrames, Inc. (NASDAQ: IFGM) is the second largest third-party publisher of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company develops video games for all consoles (Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft), PCs, and Macintosh systems. Infogrames catalogue of more than 1,000 titles includes award-winning franchises such as Alone In The DarkÔ, CivilizationÔ, Deer HunterÒ, DriverÔ, Roller Coaster TycoonÒ, Test DriveÒ, and UnrealÒ, and key licenses including SurvivorÔ, Warner Bros. Looney TunesÔ, Nickelodeons Blues CluesÔ, Dragon Ball Z, Mission ImpossibleÒ, Harley-DavidsonÒ, Major League BaseballÒ, and the National Football LeagueÒ, among many others. The Companys Humongous Entertainment and MacSoft labels are leaders in childrens entertainment software and Macintosh entertainment software, respectively.
Infogrames, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (IESA) (Euronext 5257), a global publisher and distributor of video games for all platforms, as well as interactive digital television, mobile smart devices (WAP, HDML) and in-flight entertainment systems. In 2001, IESA acquired Infogrames Interactive, Inc. (formerly Hasbro Interactive), including its line of software based on well-known licenses such as MonopolyÒ, JeopardyÒ, TonkaÒ, and AtariÒ, which are distributed in the U.S. by Infogrames, Inc. For more information, visit the Companys Web site at www.infogrames.com.
About Handmark
Handmark, Inc., is rapidly emerging as the leading publisher of consumer applications for Palm OS handheld devices. Handmark offers consumer software for Palm Powered handhelds through major retail chains in North America as well as through its web site: www.handmark.com.
Handmark software is available in the U.S. and Europe and will soon be sold in Australia. In the U.S. Handmark sells through both national and regional retail stores including Best Buy, CompUSA, Fry's, Staples, Micro Center, J&R Music World, RCS and others. Handmark software is compatible with Palm OS handheld computers from Palm, Inc., Handspring, and IBM as well as other licensees of the Palm OS platform including new devices from Sony. The desktop components of Handmark applications are compatible with Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows personal computers. The company's headquarters are located at 105 East 5th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106. For information contact Handmark at: (816) 472-7256 and on the Web at http://www.handmark.com.
| | - All prices are in U.S. dollars and represent estimated retail sales and/or online price.
|
For additional information, contact:
Douglas Edwards, Vice President of Marketing
Handmark, Inc.
Email: dedwards@handmark.com
Office: (816) 472-7256
Mobile: (816) 210-8090
©2001 Infogrames Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCRABBLE is a trademark of Hasbro in the US and Canada.
MONOPOLY is a trademark of Hasbro.
Handmark, the Handmark logo and associated trade dress are trademarks of Handmark, Inc.
Palm OS is a registered trademark and Palm and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm, Inc.
Mac OS is a trademark and Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other brand names, product names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
# # #
|