Playbrains Announces Madballs(TM) in Babo:Invasion Game for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PCs

Classic Madballs toy characters brought to life in fast-paced multiplayer shooter game

Ottawa, Canada (PRWEB) November 26, 2008 -- Playbrains, an independent game studio, announced their new game, Madballs in Babo:Invasion, at the Montreal International Game Summit. Featuring the hit ever-"gross" Madballs toy characters from the 1980s, the fast-paced multiplayer 3-D shooter game will be available through Xbox LIVE® Arcade and as a downloadable game in 2009.

Playbrains partnered with American Greetings Properties, who recently re-launched the 80s classic Madballs toy and entertainment brand, to develop the game featuring the hilariously grotesque Madballs characters. In the game, two Madballs characters crash land on a planet in the middle of a civil war between the peaceful Babos and chaotic Scorched forces and join the fray. The game features a dozen characters, each with special abilities, fighting with many different weapons across multiple landscapes. There is a deep single-player campaign and many different co-op and multiplayer modes of gameplay.

"Given the timely nostalgia of the Madballs property and the fresh attitude of the brand, we are thrilled to be working with Playbrains to feature our characters in their exciting Babo:Invasion game world," said Joan Grasso, V.P Licensing, for American Greetings Properties. "The fun, mayhem-filled Babo world is a perfect setting for the Madballs characters with their irreverent humor and total gross-out appeal."

Madballs originally bounced into play in 1986 as a series of toy rubber balls and were an instantaneous hit among young boys. Best remembered for their outrageous bad looks, grossly sculpted faces and graphically colorful names like Slobulus and Swine Sucker, Madballs sparked a merchandising craze that included action figures, apparel, comic books and animated entertainment. Madballs helped popularize freakishly funny characters leading to a new toy era for kids.

About American Greetings Properties
American Greetings Properties (AGP) is the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation.  Built upon the successful re-launches of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake licensed products, which have garnered nearly $5 billion in retail sales worldwide combined since 2002, AGP develops multi-platform campaigns for its properties through digital media, entertainment, marketing and merchandising.  In addition to Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, AGP's active classic brands include Holly Hobbie and Madballs, as well as new properties Sushi Pack, Twisted Whiskers, Maryoku Yummy and TinPo.  Children can experience AGP online at www.agkidzone.com. For more information on AGP, visit www.agpbrands.com

About Playbrains
Playbrains is an independent game studio that works with leading entertainment property owners to bring mobile and multiplayer web, PC and console games to market. Playbrains specializes in bite-sized games that combine easy "pick up and play" with with fast-paced, visceral gameplay and intriguing intellectual challenges. Playbrains is the creator of "Madballs in Babo:Invasion", a fast-paced multiplayer 3-D shooter game for PCs and Xbox Live Arcade that provides quick fixes of mayhem-filled action. For more information, visit www.playbrains.com.

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