Nanovor,
the battling monster game from newly launched
company Smith & Tinker, was released today. The
game, created by Jordan Weisman, is live online and
products are now available at retailers including
Target, Toys 'R Us and Best Buy. Please see below
for the news releases that were issued today. If you
are interested in an interview with the founders, or
need artwork, please let me know.
Cheers,
Ashley
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NANOVOR UNLEASHED - SMITH & TINKER LAUNCHES FIRST
GAME TO BRIDGE ONLINE AND OFFLINE PLAY FOR CONNECTED
KIDS
Players Connect, Collect and Battle Nanoscopic
Monsters at Nanovor.com
BELLEVUE, Wash. – August 3, 2009 – Smith & Tinker®,
a company reinventing play for the connected
generation, today announced the launch of its
flagship game, Nanovor. Nanovor delivers the
first-ever hybrid gaming platform that bridges the
gap between online digital entertainment and offline
play.
The Nanovor experience begins with the Online Battle
Game for the PC, available now as a free to play
download at
www.nanovor.com
<http://www.Nanovor.com> . The game, designed
for 7-12 year old boys, lets kids collect and battle
their Nanovor online. Nanocash, the game’s virtual
currency, lets kids expand their collection by
buying online booster packs of more monsters and by
trading their Nanovor with friends. Beyond the
battle, Nanovor encourages kids to improve their
logic skills by playing an included puzzle game to
evolve Nanovor into new species. Kids are empowered
by the game’s many facets as they discover and share
strategies to battle their teams to victory. The
Online Battle Game is also available in a retail
pack, including a limited edition figure or comic
book, game disc and $10 in Nanocash. The retail pack
can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $10
at major retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy
and Toys ‘R Us.
Later this year, Smith & Tinker will introduce the
Nanoscope, a handheld digital gaming device that
lets kids take their Nanovor play offline. With the
Nanoscope, kids can battle face to face with
friends, and play solo-games to further enhance
their collection of monsters. Players can download
their PC based collection onto the device via a USB
connection. Kids can connect up to four handhelds
for head-to-head combat, making it possible for
battles to occur anytime and anywhere. Monsters
literally jump between screens as each battle is
played out with thousands of awesome combat
animations. All play on the Nanoscope is recorded on
the device, allowing kids to upload progress to
their online account providing a cohesive online and
offline play experience. The Nanoscope and Solo
Battle training cartridges will be available at mass
market and online retail stores this October.
Nanovor is based in a rich fictional world where
nanoscopic monsters, known as Nanovor live and
battle inside computers. They ruled our
still-molten Earth, long before any other species
could survive. As Earth cooled and the atmosphere
became oxygen-rich, the silicon-based Nanovor
slipped into deep hibernation for billions of years.
In 1958, when silicon was embedded within a computer
chip and electricity pulsed through it for the very
first time, the Nanovor sprung back to life. Fast
forward to present day. Lucas Nelson accidentally
discovers these tiny monsters living inside his
computer. With the help of his high school science
professor, he uncovers the fact that the Nanovor
must fight in order to produce the adrenaline
necessary to avoid going back into a crystallized
state. As fate would have it, Lucas has stumbled
onto what Smith & Tinker believes will be the next
boys’ monster battling mega-hit.
“Nanovor combines compelling online entertainment
with the first truly connected toy,” said Jordan
Weisman, founder and CEO of Smith & Tinker. “Until
now the only way kids could tie their offline
experience to the Internet was through a simple code
that would unlock a component online – that’s it. We
are taking a next-generation approach where online
play enhances offline and offline play enhances
online. Nanovor merges the highest tech available in
the toy aisle with traditional collectible card
games, bringing the game to life with a social
experience and dynamic fictional world.”
The immersive Nanovor experience expands beyond the
game into numerous forms of entertainment for kids.
Each week new Nanovor mini-cartoons will be aired
online expanding the story of Lucas and his friends.
Illustrated comics, a graphic novel and a Nanovor
field guide will be released throughout 2009. To
view the first available Nanovor webisodes, please
visit
http://www.nanovorvideo.com.
The Nanovor community features extensive security
measures to ensure a fun and safe play environment.
Parents can manage their child’s online experience
through the selection of chat preferences and
options to control and review their child’s in-game
activity.
LAUNCH OF SMITH & TINKER REINVENTS PLAY FOR THE
CONNECTED GENERATION
Former Disney, Hasbro, and Microsoft Executives
Create Battling Monster Game Combining the Best of
Online and Offline Play
BELLEVUE, Wash. – August 3, 2009 – Smith & Tinker®,
a company reinventing play for the connected
generation, today announced the launch of the
company and its first game, Nanovor.
Smith & Tinker is the brainchild of serial
entrepreneur Jordan Weisman, creator of the mega-hit
PC gaming franchise MechWarrior and former creative
director of Microsoft Xbox. The company merges the
best elements of a toy company, video game company
and entertainment studio to create cohesive
interactive entertainment that spans between kids
online and offline lives.
In a related announcement, Smith & Tinker announced
the launch of its first product. Nanovor introduces
kids to a rich fictional world where nanoscopic
monsters, known as Nanovor, live and battle on
silicon chips deep inside computers. Nanovor
uniquely integrates a multi-player PC title with a
handheld digital gaming device called the Nanoscope.
This next-generation game seamlessly integrates
online and offline play experiences, encourages
face-to-face interaction, and enables kids to play
anywhere and everywhere. Kids can collect, train and
evolve hundreds of Nanovor, constantly developing
new strategies to lead their teams to victory! The
game is available as a free to play download from
www.Nanovor.com.
The innovative game play and integrated content is
the result of Smith & Tinker’s handpicked team from
across the video game, toy and entertainment
industries. Smith & Tinker is led by former
executives from Disney, Microsoft, RealNetworks,
Cranium and Hasbro. The company’s investment
partners are an elite group of leaders with deep
experience in Smith & Tinker’s industry. The group
is highlighted by Vulcan Capital, the investment arm
of Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen; Randy Rissman,
founder of Tiger Electronics and current founder of
Leo Capital Holdings; Gilman Louie, former chief of
Spectrum Holobyte and co-founder of Alsop Louie
Partners; and Ryan McIntyre, co-founder of Excite
and current co-founder of Foundry Group.
“Kids are drawn to online games because they offer
new content every day, worldwide social engagement,
and the ability to enhance the things they play
with; a traditional toy just can’t compete,” said
Jordan Weisman, CEO and Founder, Smith and Tinker.
“While online games draw kids physically away from
each other, there is still nothing more interesting
to a kid than another kid in the same room, they
just don’t know what to do when they get there. Our
mission at Smith & Tinker is to create great online
games that extend to in-person social play via smart
toys and devices. What kids do online enhances what
they do offline, and what they do offline enhances
online play in a virtuous circle.”
Analyst research indicates that the physical toy
market is being steadily overtaken by video games
and kids electronics, illustrating a growing demand
for dynamic digital content in children’s
entertainment products. Today’s existing “connected
toys” are in effect simply unlock codes for online
experiences. These toys leave a gap between
traditional play and online content because the
experience happens on essentially separate islands;
online and in the physical world. With Nanovor,
Smith & Tinker has built a bridge between online and
offline play, allowing kids to have a consistent
experience regardless of how and where they engage
with the game.
Former Vice President and General Manager of Disney
Toys North America and current President and
Co-Founder of Smith & Tinker Joe Lawandus said, “In
addition to integrated online and offline play the
Nanovor product line will be complemented by a full
slate of entertainment including animated weekly
webisodes, illustrated comics, a graphic novel and
field guide. Nanovor is illustrative of Smith &
Tinker’s 360 degree approach to kids entertainment
and play. Depth of story and game play are critical
to our successful creation of great brands for
kids.”
# # #
About Smith & Tinker
Smith & Tinker is reinventing play for the connected
generation with innovative hybrid games that bridge
the gap between online digital entertainment and
classic offline tabletop play. Smith & Tinker aims
to encourage social interaction and play among kids
whether they are in the same room or across the
globe. Founded in 2007, Smith & Tinker is led by
executives from some of the world’s top brands
including Microsoft, Hasbro and Disney. More
information is available at
www.smithandtinker.com
<http://www.smithandtinker.com> .
