The Pokemon Phenomenon Continues with National Launchof the Pokemon Trading Card Game on January 9 & 10; Popular PokemonCharacter Pikachu to Appear at Seattle Kickoff Event.
RENTON, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 1999--Wizards of the Coast Inc., the largest publisher of trading card games in the world, has announced the official North American launch of the Pokemon(tm) trading card game, the next incarnation of the extraordinarily popular characters now sweeping North America in the form of toys, collectibles, electronic games and an animated TV series.
Special celebrations are scheduled for January 9 and 10 from noon to 6 P.M. at five Wizards of the Coast(R) retail locations in the Puget Sound region. Celebrations include an exclusive guest appearance by Pikachu, one of the most popular Pokemon characters, Pokemon drawing contests, game demonstrations and giveaways, as well as members of the Pokemon Patrol -- three Volkswagen Beetles customized to resemble the popular Pikachu character.
In the Japanese market (where the characters are known as Pocket Monsters), the remarkable success of the Game Boy(R) game, which has sold more than 10 million units to date, gave rise to the highest-rated kids' television program as well as the sale of more than 400 million game cards, one million music CDs and an incredible array of consumer products. Introduced in North America in September 1998, the Pokemon phenomenon shows every sign of a repeat success.
"This is truly an ideal match," said Rick Arons, senior vice president at Wizards of the Coast. "Wizards of the Coast is the world's leading trading card game manufacturer, Nintendo is the world's foremost creator of interactive entertainment, and Pokemon is clearly the number one kids' entertainment phenomenon in both countries."
The goal of the Pokemon trading card game is to collect, trade and battle various monsters in an effort to become the world's greatest Pokemon trainer. The trading card game follows the Pokemon storyline as found in the Pokemon Game Boy game, the animated television series and the comic books -- with some Pokemon more rare and/or powerful than others. Select ultra rare cards have special holographic printing.
The release of the starter trading card game will be followed shortly by expert-level booster packs and preconstructed theme decks. Each starter set contains two 30-card decks, one holographic card, ten damage counters, a starter game guide, and an advanced rulebook.
The Pokemon trading card game starter decks will be available at fine toy, game and other retail stores throughout the United States and Canada, including Babbages, Electronics Boutique, FAO Schwartz, Spencer Gifts and Target. The game will carry a suggested retail price of $7.99.
