SANTA MONICA, Calif.,
Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced a global
marketing partnership with Toys"R"Us to launch its landmark new
video game, Skylanders Spyro's Adventure™, debuting
at North American retail on Sunday, October
16th. This revolutionary title breathes new life into
interactive entertainment by allowing kids to bring a vast
collection of physical toys to life in-game. Place one of over 30
different characters onto the magical Portal of Power—yours or a
friend's—and they are teleported to a vibrant game-world, all
customizations and powers intact. The marketing plan for this novel
game experience includes a national co-op advertising campaign,
exclusive toy/adventure pack releases, first-to-play opportunities
and interactive game displays at over 1200 Toys"R"Us stores around
the world.
"Toys"R"Us has been an avid fan and eager supporter of the
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure concept from its
inception," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO
of Activision Publishing. "This partnership signals our shared
belief that the brand is literally a game-changer, transforming
children's play in both the physical and digital realms. For the
first time ever, kids will be able to bring their toys to life in a
video game, and we've developed a slate of exclusive in-store
experiences and merchandise to showcase this phenomenon to
Toys"R"Us consumers worldwide."
"We're thrilled to partner with Activision and make Toys"R"Us
the retail launchpad for Skylanders Spyro's
Adventure," said Jerry
Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "We believe
that the product line will be one of this holiday's hottest gifts
and we can't wait to offer customers a one-of-a-kind way to
discover Skylanders at our stores."
Activision and Toys"R"Us will unveil this genre-busting
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure on
October 8, 2011, with the roll-out of
full game demos and interactive game kiosks in over 1200 retail
locations across the globe. Following the game's U.S. launch
on October 16th, players can purchase
Toys"R"Us exclusives like three Skylanders Legendary characters,
which feature accompanying in-game skins and power-ups.
Additionally, the retailer will be the only place to purchase the
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Darklight Crypt
Adventure Pack in its first thirty days on the market, from
October 16 through November 15, 2011.
In Skylanders Spyro's Adventure, kids take on the
role of a powerful Portal Master, leader of over 30 different
characters, including the beloved purple dragon Spyro. Each of
these creatures has been cast out of the mystical worlds they are
charged to protect by the sinister Portal Master Kaos, and frozen
in our world as toys. Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
players will embark on a magical journey; treasure hunting, solving
puzzles and doing battle with fantastic, otherworldly enemies in a
bid to bring the frozen guardians back to life and safely reunite
them with their homelands.
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is developed by Toys
For Bob, an Activision studio located in Novato, California. The game is rated
E10+ by the ESRB. For more information, visit
www.skylandersgame.com
About Toys"R"Us, Inc.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and
juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping
experience through its family of brands. It currently sells
merchandise in more than 1,570 stores, including 858 Toys"R"Us and
Babies"R"Us stores in the United
States, and more than 510 international stores and 200
licensed stores in 33 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it
exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells
extraordinary toys in the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in
New York City. With its strong
portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com,
eToys.com, FAO.com and babyuniverse.com, it provides shoppers with
a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products.
Headquartered in Wayne, NJ,
Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates
worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities
as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to
keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica,
California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading
worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive
entertainment and leisure products.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United
Kingdom, France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Australia,
South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and
its products can be found on the company's website,
www.activision.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Activision
Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not
facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision
Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could,"
"would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may,"
"expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan,"
"positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set
to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify
forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision
Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this
release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision
Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact
of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical
nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's
ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware
platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price
protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision
Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new
hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry
competition including from used games and other forms of
entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes
in technology, industry standards, business models including online
and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in
specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively
multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights,
maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers,
licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers,
including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel
and developers that can create high quality "hit" titles,
counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and
manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and
political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax
rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition
opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic
expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors
sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form
10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The
forward-looking statements in this release are based upon
information available to Activision Publishing and Activision
Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision
Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update
any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect.
These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of
Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to
risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond
its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations.
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is a trademark and Spyro and
Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.
All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their
respective owners. All rights reserved.
SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.