EA Latest Hasbro-Inspired Video Games

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Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that it will unveil six new Hasbro-inspired video games that are in development for spring and summer ’09 releases – G.I. JOE, LITTLEST PET SHOP Spring, SCRABBLE, TRIVIAL PURSUIT, and Hasbro Family Game Night – at the International Toy Fair in New York City. EA’s casual gaming lineup will be on display in Hasbro’s Showroom on February 15-17, 2009.

“Our first wave of Hasbro-licensed games did extremely well at launch through the holiday season and we’re excited to push that momentum even further with the stellar wave of titles that we have on deck for the next six months,” said Chip Lange, Vice President and General Manager of EA Hasbro. “We’ll have something for every gender and generation from G.I. JOE to TRIVIAL PURSUIT and LITTLEST PET SHOP. This is just a glimpse of what is to come for 2009 in terms of stocking the ultimate EA-Hasbro virtual toy and game closet for hours of fun with family and friends.”

“Toy Fair presents a unique opportunity to spotlight the unsurpassed creativity fueling the highly successful Hasbro-EA alliance,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming at Hasbro. “As attendees walk through the showroom, they will see the latest EA games next to Hasbro’s newest toy and board games underscoring the depth and extensibility of our powerhouse brands. It’s re-invention at its best.”

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Following are brief descriptions of EA-Hasbro games to be spotlighted at Toy Fair:

G.I. JOE for all major video game consoles will feature an exclusive storyline that picks up where the live-action movie, from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Hasbro, leaves off, allowing players to re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action figure toy line. The game will feature 12 G.I. JOE characters, each with unique abilities and weapons. Adding to the adrenaline rush will be an intense single-screen co-op mode allowing two players to easily unite as a team in a classic struggle between good and evil to defeat the powers of COBRA. G.I JOE is set to launch on the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system, Wii, PlayStation2, PSP (PlayStationP ortable), Nintendo DS and mobile devices this summer.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT for all major video game consoles will allow players to customize the gameplay experience by choosing from three different modes of play including: Classic TRIVIAL PURSUIT, which is played like the traditional board game; Clear the Board where players sharpen their skills on their own; and the all-new quick-playing Facts and Friends mode which adds a fresh social dynamic to the game that keeps everyone involved by encouraging players to guess whether the opposing team will answer questions correctly. TRIVIAL PURSUIT will launch in March, is rated “E” for Everyone and will have a MSRP of $39.99 for Xbox 360, Wii and PLAYSTATION3 and $29.99 for the PlayStation2. TRIVIAL PURSUIT is currently playable online for free at Pogo.com and will also be available for mobile phones, the iPhone and iPod touch.

LITTLEST PET SHOP Spring for the Nintendo DS is the latest in the line of LITTLEST PET SHOP video games made exclusively for girls 6-10. The Spring version features a new, colorful spring environment to explore as well as six new exclusive pets, new play areas, and four additional mini games – bringing the original 16 mini games to a total of 20. Plus, with new accessories, girls can spend hours choosing from more than 100 different eyeglasses, hats, scarves, etc. to step out in chic spring style! LITTLEST PET SHOP Spring will hop onto store shelves this March, is rated “E” for everyone and has a MSRP of $29.99.

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SCRABBLE (available in US and Canada) on the Nintendo DS and PSP will offer three modes of play – 1) Classic, which is traditional game play; 2) Speed, where players race against the clock; and 3) SCRABBLE SLAM, inspired by the new Hasbro card game which is a fast-paced version where players try to get rid of their SLAM cards by making four letter words. The game includes three modes of training exercises designed to make you a better SCRABBLE player. Adding to the word fun are six difficulty levels and a SCRABBLE word-finder, the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary, and Wi-Fi multiplayer capability for both single and multi-cart play. The Nintendo DS and PSP versions of SCRABBLE will be released in March, are rated “E” for Everyone and have a MSRP of $29.99. SCRABBLE is also currently available in the US and Canada for the iPhone, iPod touch and mobile devices for $4.99 as well as online for free at Pogo.com.

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT will serve up some of the most popular family favorite board games – SCRABBLE, CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY!, and SORRY! SLIDERS – on Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA). The Hasbro Family Game Night destination on Xbox LIVE will allow fans to enjoy classic versions as well as brand new ways to play including Party Mode, which offers mini-game versions of each game. Key features include online play, achievements, avatar support, sharing customized space with friends, and the ability to launch new games without leaving the current game environment. The games are rated “E” for Everyone and will be available starting in Spring 2009. Pricing has not yet been announced.

PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM puts PC game players in the shoes of a museum curator to re-establish order as quickly as possible after discovering that an unknown culprit got into the museum and jumbled all of the exhibits. Players must search for and find hidden objects that are listed on clue cards. Each card helps rebuild and re-organize the museum, re-opening another exhibit. It is a race against time to restore the museum before its reputation is ruined. PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM is currently available online for download at Pogo.com for $19.95. It is rated “E” for Everyone.