E3, LOS ANGELES, May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Capcom(R), a leading
worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today revealed yearlong
celebration plans to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Mega Man(TM), the
company's world famous mascot and beloved "blue bomber." Originally
introduced to consumers in 1987, Mega Man has appeared on nearly every video
game system since then and has sold more than 20 million units worldwide. The
strength of the franchise has paved the way for Mega Man to be licensed as
comic books, action figures, toys and other merchandise as well as being one
of the longest running animated television series based on a video game
character. An all-new anime series produced by ShoPro Entertainment, from the
vast Mega Man universe, debuts on Kids' WB! on May 17. Capcom's yearlong
celebration, supported by a massive marketing campaign, includes a variety of
consumer promotions; corporate partnerships, television, radio and print
advertising; and the launch of six new Mega Man titles.
"Since the release of the original Mega Man fifteen years ago, the blue
hero has become an icon of the video game industry," said Todd Thorson,
director of marketing, Capcom Entertainment. "Countless gamers have literally
grown up with Mega Man. Our yearlong celebration pays homage to Mega Man and
thanks our fans who continue to adore him. A wide variety of activities are
planned for the coming year and features exciting consumer promotions. Mega
Man is everywhere."
Just some of the corporate partnerships Capcom has secured for the initial
celebration of Mega Man's 15th anniversary are:
CandyStand.com -- National 32 week on-line promotion with front page and
dedicated page exposure. Candystand.com is run by Nabisco/Kraft and is the
most visited candy/snack food on the web. Weekly visitation on the site
averages over 30 million, with exposure for Mega Man reaching well over one
million individual impressions per week. Promotion begins in April and runs
through December 2003.
Cinemark Theatres -- National in-theatre promotion with more than 3000
screens featuring Capcom's 2003 Mega Man products for the Nintendo
GameCube(TM) and Game Boy(R) Advance. As a primary partner of their Summer
Movie Clubhouse program, Mega Man messaging will be supported by theatre lobby
signage, ticket booth window clings, game give-a-ways and pre-movie on screen
advertising opportunities. Promotion runs June through August 2003.
ASAP Popcorn -- National on-pack grocery sweepstakes featuring Mega Man on
up to 10 million on-packs with added value exposure in CAPCOM sponsored retail
promotion. Consumers enter-to-win various prizes including: Mega Man video
games and apparel and Nintendo GameCube consoles. Kicks off this July; runs
through September 2003.
Pik-Nik Foods -- Breaking a traditional "no promotion" policy, Pik-Nik
Foods' Shoestring Potatoes brand will be launching a national on-pack
promotion featuring Mega Man on five to 10 million packages distributed both
nationally in the US and internationally in Mexico and Canada. A simple enter
to win sweepstakes element and dramatic on-package tie the promotion together.
Promotion begins in August.
J&J Snacks -- Nationwide in-school program called "Minute Maid Mega Man
Mondays." Exposure in nearly 20,000 middle schools with opportunity to reach
7.2 million kids grades six to eight with a sweepstakes promotion. The
sweepstakes will offer all students a chance to win various prizes including:
Mega Man games, video game consoles, a college scholarship and a grand prize
trip to the Capcom headquarters to be a game developer for a day. Promotion
runs October to December 2003.
Mega Man will continue to win the hearts of avid fans with the release of
six new titles in 2003. The latest installments to the series include Mega Man
& Bass, Mega Man Battle Network 3: White and Blue versions and Mega Man Zero 2
for the Game Boy Advance; Mega Man Network Transmission for the Nintendo
GameCube and Mega Man X7 for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment
system.
Capcom Entertainment, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Capcom, Co., Ltd. of Japan. A leading force in the multi-
billion dollar interactive entertainment industry, Capcom's legacy spans more
than 22 years of entertaining video gamers. Capcom develops, markets, and
distributes home video games for the PlayStation(R) game console,
PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube(TM) and
Xbox(TM) game consoles, Game Boy(R) Advance and Game Boy(R) Color Systems,
personal computers, and coin-operated games. Worldwide recognizable product
lines include the Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Breath of Fire, and
Onimusha series. World headquarters in Osaka, Japan, the company also has
offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Sunnyvale, California. The company is
publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange code number 9697.
Capcom, Street Fighter and Resident Evil are registered trademarks of
Capcom Co., Ltd. Onimusha, Mega Man and Breath of Fire are trademarks of
Capcom Co., Ltd. (C) SUNSOFT. (C)CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2002 (C)CAPCOM U.S.A.,
INC. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM logo are registered
trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are
registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo GameCube
and Nintendo 64 are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. Xbox and Microsoft
are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. All other marks are
the property of their respective holders.
SOURCE Capcom Entertainment
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Related links:
http://www.capcom.com
CONTACT:
Melinda Mongelluzzo or Matt Atwood of Capcom
Entertainment, +1-408-774-0500
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