Hasbro and Jagex to Create New Transformers Online Game

Hasbro, Inc. has signed a strategic development agreement with Jagex Limited to jointly create a new online game based on the Transformers brand. Under the agreement, the two companies are slated to launch the Transformers online game in 2012 in North America, Latin America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.

Jagex, based in the United Kingdom, is one of the largest independent game developers and publishers in the world, with a dedicated global user base of millions playing its more than 40 online games.

Rubie’s Named 2010 Costume Vendor of the Year

Rubie’s Costume Company was awarded the 2010 Costume Vendor of the Year Award from BuySeasons, Inc.

“We are extremely excited and honored to be selected to receive this distinctive award from the most recognizable and largest Internet retailer in the Halloween industry,” said Howard Beige, Rubie’s executive vice president.

“We have a great relationship with Rubie’s,” said Daniel Haight, president and CEO of BuySeasons. “They deliver on all of the things you would expect from a partner of the year: great costumes, quality products, and timely delivery. Above all else though, their ability to react and work with us to develop new costumes that reflect the most recent trends in pop culture has been a Halloween game changer.”

New Product: Uglydoll Ceramic Watches

Uglydoll creators Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath have launched their new Artisan Watch Series that feature Uglydoll characters captured in ceramic watches and accented with Swarovski Crystal. The First Edition Series will be a limited release and offered to exclusive specialty retailers and at shop.uglydolls.com.

The first series includes a white ceramic watch, featuring a white ceramic bracelet, stainless steel bezel, a genuine Swarovski Crystal butterfly buckle closure, and a Swiss movement. The watch is available in the Ox, Ice-Bat, or Babo characters. Also available is a black ceramic watch in the same characters.

The Retro Watch has a silver tone bezel, a black leather strap, a Swiss movement, and includes a gift box. The watch is available in the Ox, Ice-Bat, Babo, or Big Toe characters.

All of the watches are water resistant and has a lifetime limited warranty.

Retail Sales Climb; Fastest Rate in Four Months

Improvements in the U.S. economy bolstered retailers’ February sales, reflecting improved consumer sentiment as it relates to spending. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) for February 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted from January and 4.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

“Retailers have done a commendable job keeping their inventory levels where they need to be, while still offering attractive promotions for those who are eager to spend,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “The big challenge retailers will face in the coming months, however, will be going head to head with high cotton, food, and energy prices.”

“February retail sales are in sync with evidence of the expanding economy,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. “While February is typically a slow month for retailers, consumers showed their spending power, though it’s too soon to tell what type of impact the spike in gasoline prices will have on consumers this spring.”

February retail sales released today by the U.S. Commerce Department show total retail sales (which include non-general merchandise categories such as autos, gasoline stations, and restaurants) increased 1 percent seasonally adjusted over January and 9.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year. Solid growth in discretionary spending was seen across the board.

Thomas & Friends Pillow Pets to Launch This Year

Hit Entertainment has signed a licensing deal with Ontel Products Corporation and CJ Products, LLC to create Thomas the Tank Engine-inspired Pillow Pets, the first property that Ontel Products Corporation and CJ Products have taken on for My Pillow Pets.

The Thomas & Friends Pillow Pets will be available this year at mass and specialty retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. The product will feature a strap that closes underneath to transform Thomas from his engine form to a pillow.

Tomy to Acquire RC2 Corporation

Tomy Company, Ltd. and RC2 Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Tomy will acquire RC2 through an all-cash tender offer and second-step merger valued at approximately $640 million. The transaction was approved by Tomy’s board of directors. RC2’s board of directors has also approved the agreement and recommended that RC2’s stockholders tender their shares to Tomy pursuant to the offer. Tomy, through a U.S. subsidiary, will make an offer to purchase all outstanding shares of RC2 common stock for $27.90 per share. The tender offer price represents a 30.9 percent premium to RC2’s average closing stock price over the three-month period ended March 9, 2011, and a 27.2 percent premium over the closing price of RC2’s common stock on March 9, 2011. The tender offer is scheduled to commence in 10 business days and is expected to close during the second quarter of this year. The tender offer is subject to certain customary conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of RC2’s common stock on a fully diluted basis. The transaction is not conditioned on financing. Following completion of the tender offer, Tomy will acquire the remaining outstanding shares of RC2’s common stock for $27.90 per share through a second-step merger.

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Big News From Nickelodeon Upfront

Nickelodeon announced several initiatives at its Upfront presentation, a star-studded affair at New York’s Lincoln Center today. The network will release 450 episodes of new animation programming over the next three years, with nearly 200 of those rolling out on Saturday mornings in 2012. Additionally, Nick announced a crossover TV movie between iCarly and Victorious, iParty with Victorious, slated for a June 10th airdate, and an addition of 125 episodes of the network’s top-rated preschool programs. Finally, Nick announced that it has added Friends and Yes, Dear to Nick at Nite’s lineup this September.

For more, click here.

Family Game Night

Game manufacturer FamilyTimeFun shares five good reasons why families should have a dedicated game night:

Decades ago, families often spent more quality time together. There were significantly fewer distracting options than there are today, where we now cope with 300 channels on the television, personal computers, and sophisticated video games. Today, family time often takes a back seat to all the other directions that people are pulled, when it comes to work and entertainment. One way to bring back that quality time is to start a dedicated family game night each week.

“There are many benefits to setting aside a night each week as family game night,” explains John Pandiscio, founder of FamilyTimeFun (www.ftfgames.com), a company that has created several interactive family games. “Besides the impact of making the family unit so important that you set aside dedicated time together each week, family game night helps in many other ways, as well.”

Here are 5 reasons to have a dedicated family game night:

1.    Quality Time. The importance of spending quality time together as a family cannot be overstated. It is important for bonding, building relationships, and improving communication.

2.    Learning Opportunity. Children can learn many important things from family game night. Along with good sportsmanship and the importance of following directions, they can hone their communication skills, as well as testing and improving their agility and coordination skills.

3.    Inexpensive Entertainment. In a day and age when even activities like going out to the movies can be economically out of reach, a family game night is affordable. Games are generally inexpensive, last a long time, and can even be borrowed.

4.    Healthy habits. Having a family game night is healthy. It is good brain exercise, can be good physical exercise (depending on the game being played), and keeps kids from simply sitting in front of the television for hours on end, which has been linked to many negative consequences.

5.    Fun factor. Family game time can be a time when the family has fun and laughs together, each week. That alone will help to create memories and good times!

Casper’s Scare School Added to KiZoic’s Titles

Ape Entertainment is adding Classic Media’s Casper’s Scare School property to its KiZoic line of young reader titles. Based on the film Casper’s Scare School, which was released in 2006, and the subsequent television series that premiered in 2009, the series follows Casper who is in Scare School to get in touch with his spooky side—or else.

The Casper’s Scare School book series, published by Ape Entertainment, will be in stores this October.

For more information on Ape Entertainment, visit www.ape-entertainment.com.

Scholastic’s Second Annual WordGirl Definition Competition

Scholastic Media is launching its second annual WordGirl Definition Competition, a live virtual event that will challenge students’ vocabulary. The event, for kids in grades 1-3, will take place on Wednesday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Scholastic’s New York City headquarters, and will be streamed to thousands of classrooms nationwide via a live webcast.

The competition will be held in a game-show format, hosted by WordGirl and Beau Handsome of WordGirl’s “May I Have a Word” segment. Contestants will test their vocabulary skills through word usage, reading comprehension, definitions, and the use of words in different contexts. Classes across the country will play along in real-time by submitting answers online during the webcast. Classes and their answers may be called out during the event.

Teachers can register for the free webcast here. All teachers of grades 1-3 who register will automatically be entered into the WordGirl Definition Competition sweepstakes for a chance to win books and prizes for their school or classroom.

For official rules, click here.

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