PLAY! POKÉMON PROGRAM UNVEILED TO

POKÉMON FANS WORLDWIDE

 

New Branding for Successful Pokémon Organized Play Program

 

Bellevue, WA-August 4, 2010-The Pokémon™ Company International introduced the Play! Pokémon program today, inviting Pokémon fans worldwide to join the fun at official, year-round Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game events.  Whether a seasoned player or new to the world of Pokémon, fans will find that the Play! Pokémon program provides events suitable for all levels of Pokémon knowledge.  Some players will opt to visit a local Pokémon League, where they can learn about Pokémon games and win prizes, while others may choose to test their strategies and training at competitive tournaments.  No matter where Pokémon fans decide to join the fun, players at all levels are sure to have a great time.

 

"We are thrilled to introduce Play! Pokémon to our loyal fan base as well as to new TCG and video game fans," said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing at The Pokémon Company International.  "We want to welcome new fans to our Pokémon community, which has seen incredible growth in player participation over the past several years."

 

The new name and logos announced today will appear initially on hats, binders, playmats, posters, and other printed materials.  Players and fans at the 2010 Pokémon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, August 14-15 will see the newly branded materials firsthand.  For more information about Play! Pokémon, including where to find Play! Pokémon events, players should visit http://www.pokemon.com/us/organized-play/.

 

Play! Pokémon is the new name of what was formerly known as Pokémon Organized Play.  Full plans about upcoming Play! Pokémon events will be outlined in the coming months, but they will closely match the timing used in the successful Pokémon Organized Play program.