MEDIA / PRESS
Posted: 07.21.2006
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Bandai America Launches First Ever "Fan's Choice" Voting for its Wildly Successful Tamagotchi® Brand
"The Great Tamagotchi Shell-ection" Promotion Lets Fans Vote for Their Favorite New Virtual Pet Design Style to be Produced in January 2007
(Cypress, CA - July 21, 2006) - As Tamagotchi Connection® V3 continues to top sales charts at home and abroad, innovator Bandai America Incorporated today announced an exclusive opportunity for fans to help create the newest hot design style for the world's first and most popular "virtual pet" toy.
Beginning Saturday July 22nd, fans in the United States and Canada can log onto Tamagotchi.com and choose their favorite design from a selection of new styles. For three successive weeks, Bandai America will post a total of four designs to choose from, and the winner from each week will then qualify for a final round of voting during the week of August 12th-18th.
After what is expected to be a month-long, hard fought battle, one winning design will be chosen by fans, but it will not be revealed until December at a special ceremony presided over by the Tamagotchi King of TamaTown.com. The ultimate winning design will then be produced for arrival at retail stores in January 2007. For more information on voting and rules, please visit www.Tamagotchi.com.
About Tamagotchi Connection
Originally launched in 1996, the egg-shaped Tamagotchi - which simulates the life cycle of a real pet - went on to sell more than 40 million units worldwide and created a brand new toy category within the industry. Bandai America reintroduced the brand in 2004 with new technology as Tamagotchi Connection, and has created stronger-than-ever consumer demand. In fact, more than 20 million units have been sold globally since then, demonstrating the renewed strength of this now ubiquitous brand.
Additionally, the brand has been awarded with numerous high profile distinctions, including a three star (out of three stars) rating in the Canadian Toy Testing Council's 2007 Toy Report; Toy Wishes Magazine's Spring/Summer 2006 Hot Dozen; Canadian Toy Testing Council's 2006 Children's Choice Award; "Toy of the Year," "Top Selling Toy of 2005" and "Top Fad/Playground Toy of 2005" from the United Kingdom Toy Retailers Association; and "Games Toy of the Year" in the Australian Toy Association's Toys of the Year Awards 2005.
Tamagotchi Connection Version 3 and "Gotchi Gear" products are currently available at all major retailers nationwide with a SRP of $4.99 to $14.99. For more information, visit Tamagotchi.com.
About Bandai America Incorporated
A leader in introducing Japanese toy trends to the United States, Bandai America Incorporated is a subsidiary of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc., a newly formed joint entity that resulted from the integration of Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan. Global interests now encompass five strategic business units: toys and hobby (toys, models, apparel and sundries), amusement facilities, game content (home and arcade console gaming), mobile content, and visual and music content (including home entertainment). Bandai America is the manufacturer and master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in children's toys and entertainment today, including Power Rangers, Ben 10 and Tamagotchi. The company is headquartered in Cypress, California and information is available at www.Bandai.com.
