Hasbro, Inc. Brings Wide Variety of Toys, Games and Lifestyle Products to Toy Fair 2005

Business Wire, Feb 11, 2005

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Balanced portfolio of offerings highlighted by core brands, technological innovation and a range of unique products designed to entertain the entire family

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) comes to New York's 2005 Toy Fair with "something for everyone" -- for those who enjoy new ways to play, fun interaction with friends and family, and cutting-edge entertainment platforms once offered only by consumer electronics companies.

Hasbro highlights include the evolution of FURBY, which marks the return of the amazingly popular toy of the late 90s; ION Educational Gaming System, the Company's highly innovative entrance into the electronic learning arena; MX DIRT REBEL, an exciting motocross game you plug into your TV and a comprehensive line of toys and games based on the highly-anticipated Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, to name just a few.

"Today's consumers can be entertained in so many different ways," said Al Verrecchia, Hasbro's President and CEO. "As the marketplace evolves, it is Hasbro's job to stay ahead of the curve, and our 2005 product line is reflective of our strategy to provide consumers with the right toys, games and lifestyle products that are relevant and fun, and to have these products available everywhere kids and their families are shopping."

Highlights include:

FURBY (Approximate Retail Price: $39.99; Ages: 6 & up; Available: Fall) FURBY, one of the best-selling toys ever with 40 million pieces sold globally, is back! The all-new, evolved FURBY creature is driven by Hasbro's new EMOTO-TRONICS, the ultimate combination of advanced robotic technology, puppetry and realistic lifelike reactions and movements. The FURBY creature displays a wide range of emotions and motions, advanced voice recognition, enhanced communication between kids and other FURBY toys, and an impressive "bilingual" vocabulary of "Furbish" and English. In fact, the FURBY creature has six times the memory of the original. Together, these innovations make the new FURBY toy an extremely lifelike, clever, fun, cute and "realistic" creature.

ION Educational Gaming System (Approximate Retail Price: ION E.G.S. $119.99; Active Learning Disc $17.99 each; Ages: 3 - 7; Available: Fall) ION Educational Gaming System (E.G.S.) from Playskool uses patented motion-capture technology to place the child onscreen and literally "in" the game. Players move their bodies to navigate through learning adventures in core preschool and elementary subjects. This latest innovation from Playskool becomes the first electronic educational gaming system to provide kids with learning benefits and physical activity that really gets them thinking on their feet, not playing in their seat. Slated to hit store shelves nationwide in the fall of 2005, Playskool's ION E.G.S. comes complete with console, compact camera and an Active Learning Disc with five games. The camera with patented motion-sensitive technology lets kids appear live on the TV screen and become part of the game. Players move their bodies--not game controllers--to control the action and guide themselves through learning adventures.

CHATNOW (Approximate Retail Price: $74.99 per set; Ages 8 & up; Available: Fall) The CHATNOW Two-Way Radio Communicator is the new personal communicator that allows tweens to be in touch with their friends and family in up to a 2-mile range without paying for airtime or signing a calling plan contract. Each CHATNOW unit has its own 'Buddy Number' which can be used just like a phone number so users can make and receive calls directly. Kids can also create a personalized 'Buddy List' so their best friends are never more than the touch-of-a-button away. With CHATNOW tweens can even take digital pictures, each unit is able to take and store up to 30 digital photos that can be viewed on the unit's black and white screen. Users can animate a photo to make it look like their friend is really 'talking' or accessorize the photo using add-on props like goofy eyes or wacky hair-dos, but cannot send or print a photo taken by CHATNOW. The CHATNOW Communicator also allows tweens to send text messages.

I-DOG Interactive Music Companion (Approximate Retail Price: $29.99; Ages: 8 & up; Available: Fall) I-DOG Interactive Music Companion is a sleek and stylish, palm-sized pooch that loves to listen to music and will groove along to any song it hears! Easy to use, simply sit I-DOG Interactive Music Companion in front of a speaker or plug it into the headphone jack of any hand-held music system and I-DOG will move and groove to the rhythm of the song. I-DOG Interactive Music Companion comes complete with a dual jack so that its owner can plug their headphones in and dance along to the music with I-DOG! As soon as I-DOG hears music, its face will light up and its ears and head will wiggle, and sway in sync with the tune.

FURREAL FRIENDS SCAMPS: MY PLAYFUL PUP (Approximate Retail Price: $49.99, Ages: 4 & up; Available: Fall) The FURREAL FRIENDS SCAMPS: MY PLAYFUL PUP is the most realistic FURREAL FRIENDS plush puppy EVER! SCAMPS is very expressive, with eyes that open and close, a wagging tail, twitching ears and even moving eyebrows! And just like a real puppy, SCAMPS: MY PLAYFUL PUP loves to play games with you! SCAMPS will really respond to your voice - he'll recognize more than 20 voice commands. You can even teach him to do cool tricks. Straight out of the box he will sit, lie down and respond to his name. After a bit more love, affection and training, he'll learn to give a "shake," howl and "speak" on command. And as he becomes your best friend, you'll be able to get him to beg, count, wave, and even add up numbers! SCAMPS also loves to be cuddled -- as you stroke his ears he'll lean in toward you and be happy and relaxed.