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Game Company Licenses Rights from Nintendo to Create Trading Card Game
for Japanese Monster Phenomenon--Pokémon

August 27, 1998 (Renton, Wash.)--Leading games manufacturer Wizards of the Coast Inc. announced today that it has licensed the rights from Nintendo of America Inc. to publish and manufacture the Pokémon™ trading card game for the U.S. and Canadian markets. Pokémon, a bestselling Game Boy® game and franchise phenomenon in Japan, will invade the United States beginning this September with the Game Boy game and the combined force of an animated television show reaching 86 percent of U.S. households, a consumer promotion with Nintendo at KFC restaurants, new toys from Hasbro, the Pokémon trading card game, and more.

Pokémon (known as Pocket Monsters in Japan) began in 1996 as a bestselling Game Boy game in Japan, selling more than eight million units thus far. In the Japanese market, the highest-rated kids' television program grew out of the success of the game, as well as the sales of more than 400 million trading card game cards, one million music CDs, and an incredible array of consumer products.

Wizards of the Coast, which is the leading publisher of trading card games in the world, will unleash the English version of the Pokémon trading card game in January 1999. Some games, in themed 60-card decks, may be available in stores as early as November 1998.

The primary goal in the trading card game, as well as in the Nintendo Game Boy game, is to find, collect, trade, train, and battle various monsters, all in an effort to become the world's greatest Pokémon trainer. As some Pokémon are more rare than others, the trading card game will follow suit, producing the base set in limited quantities.

"We believe the invasion of the Pokémon trading card game into North America will be a tremendous success," said Rich Fukutaki, vice president of new business development and licensing. "We are excited to be working with Nintendo to reproduce the Pokémon trading card game craze in North America. Our advice to future Pokémon trainers is - 'Get the power in your hands!'"

Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion video games worldwide, and has created such industry icons as Mario, Yoshi, Zelda, and Donkey Kong. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its best-selling home video game systems, including the 64-bit Nintendo 64, the hand-held Game Boy, and the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in North America, where more than 40 percent of American households own a Nintendo game system. For more information about Pokémon, visit its dedicated web site, located at www.pokemon.com or Nintendo at www.nintendo.com.

Wizards of the Coast is a leading developer and publisher of entertainment products, including the world's bestselling Magic: The Gathering® trading card game. Wizards of the Coast subsidiaries include TSR Inc. and Five Rings Publishing Group Inc. Headquartered just outside of Seattle, Wash., Wizards of the Coast has international offices in Antwerp, Paris, Milan and London. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit the company's website at www.wizards.com.

WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Magic: The Gathering and Magic are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc. TSR Inc. and Five Rings Publishing Group Inc. are subsidiaries of Wizards of the Coast Inc. Nintendo®, Game Boy®, Pokémon™, are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1995, 1998 Nintendo/Creatures, Inc./Game Freak, Inc. ©1998 Wizards of the Coast Inc.

If you have any questions, contact Customer Service at custserv@wizards.com