Warner Bros. Consumer Products Brings ``Character'' to Educational Toys for the Holidays; Award-Winning, Interactive Products Showcase Kids' All-Time Favorite Characters: The Batman and Scooby-Doo with an Educational Twist

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2005

BURBANK, Calif. -- What to get kids this holiday season? Kids want fun gadgets. Parents want practical gifts. Why make sacrifices when both are possible?

The world's most beloved cowardly canine, Scooby-Doo, and DC Comics famed Caped Crusader, Batman, are lending their cunning crime-fighting skills to educational toys this holiday season. Warner Bros. Consumer Products has teamed up with top-notch companies including Fisher-Price, Oregon Scientific, VTech and LeapFrog to offer a line of educational toys that engage, educate and entertain children with classic characters such as Scooby-Doo and The Batman, based on Warner Bros. Animation's hit television series.

"Technology continues to make the integration of entertainment and education more and more seamless. When we pair characters like The Batman or Scooby-Doo with smart educational technology applications, we're able to offer products that appeal to both kids and their parents," said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing. "We are thrilled to be part of a line of products for the holidays that helps kids learn so effortlessly by making education fun."

This new line of kid-friendly educational toys is currently available at retailers nationwide and includes:

--  Scooby-Doo: Mystery at Snack Factory title (MSRP $15.00, ages
        three and up) for InteracTV(TM) system from Fisher-Price(R).
        This exciting learning system enables children to interact and
        learn with their favorite characters from TV shows, right on
        their own TVs using their own home DVD players. It transforms
        an ordinary TV screen into an active learning experience. With
        the InteracTV system, kids can help Scooby-Doo and the gang
        solve a mystery and figure out who is trying to steal the
        secret recipe at the snack factory. The games and activities
        teach kids planning and predicting, memory skills, problem
        solving, money identification, numbers, subtraction, science
        and history.

    --  The Batman Power Wing Laptop (MSRP $59.99, ages five and up)
        from Oregon Scientific. This educational laptop combines fun
        with learning and is based on Warner Bros. Animation's hit
        television series, The Batman. The laptop springs into action
        when the lid is touched and wings launch from the sides of the
        base as the top is raised. Inside, an easy to use QWERTY
        keyboard and back-lit LCD screen offer 25 action-packed
        learning adventures based on spelling, logic and memory and
        math skills. Having debuted to high praise among toy industry
        experts at the International Toy Fair in February 2005, The
        Batman Power Wing Laptop received Dr. Toy's 100 Best Vacation
        Products Award for 2005, as well as Creative Magazine's
        Preferred Choice Award.

    --  The Batman, Multiply, Divide and Conquer game (MSRP $24.99,
        ages four and up) for LeapFrog's award-winning Leapster
        learning game system. The game teaches essential 3rd and 4th
        grade math skills and encourages exploration, deductive
        reasoning and problem solving while kids can join The Batman
        to help battle Cluemaster, Mr. Freeze, Firefly and The Joker.

        The Leapster learning game system teaches in the way kids love
        to play, with action-packed learning games for Pre-K to fourth
        grade. Multiple learning levels, tailored tutorials and a wide
        variety of learning games ensure that children are learning
        essential skills while playing the video games that they love.

    --  The Batman and Scooby-Doo Smartridges for the V.Smile TV
        Learning System and V.Smile Pocket from VTech. VTech's
        V.Smile, an award-winning TV learning system, has various game
        Smartridges (MSRP $19.99, ages four and up) that feature
        favorite characters including Scooby-Doo and The Batman.
        Children navigate each game by using a hand-held joystick with
        oversized buttons, which can be adapted for right- and
        left-handed players alike. Scooby-Doo Funland Frenzy takes
        kids with Scooby-Doo as he investigates the haunted happenings
        at Funland Amusement Park. This cartridge is geared towards
        kids 4 to 6 years and teaches logic, matching skills, math,
        numbers and vocabulary. Kids ages 6 to 8 can go on a mission
        with The Batman to rescue the mayor of Gotham City from The
        Joker, The Penguin and Mr. Freeze. This new Smartridge will
        teach logic, spelling, geometry, math and spatial skills.

        The V.Smile Pocket is a handheld version of the V.Smile that
        kids can take anywhere they go -- or connect to the TV for
        on-screen play. An awesome screen, easy-to-use controls and
        exciting content make this an ideal choice for today's
        tech-smart kids. Plus, the unit works with the entire library
        of "Smartridges" for the complete V.Smile system.