Wild Planet Celebrates 10 Years of Spy Toys
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To celebrate 10 years
of making spy toys, Wild Planet is redesigning the Spy Gear brand look and
logo, upgrading its most popular items, introducing 10 new products and
releasing the first Spy Gear board games.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080131/LATH055LOGO)
For the past decade Spy Gear has turned kids into super heroes, giving
them the power to hear through walls, see around corners, communicate in
silence, and protect their belongings. "We attribute Spy Gear's success to
our ability to incorporate advanced, real-world technology into
old-fashioned, classic play," says Daniel Grossman, CEO and founder of Wild
Planet.
"Pretending to be a spy is not a new idea," explains Grossman, "but
having a real-working remote-controlled spy vehicle that transmits video
and audio back to a private headset -- that's a new way to play spy."
The Spy Video ATV-360 is one of the new Spy Gear releases scheduled for
fall 2008. A follow-up to the brand's original Spy Video Car launched in
2006, the Spy Video ATV-360 will be the first remote-controlled Spy Gear
vehicle to offer video and audio transmission, full-circle spin control,
and tank tracks for a mass retail price of $99.
In addition to a collection of other new and refreshed surveillance,
communication, security and defense tools, Wild Planet is also launching
Spy Trackdown and Spy Wire, the first two games under the Spy Gear brand.
"The game aisle is the next logical progression for the Spy Gear
brand," says Drew Stevenson, Wild Planet's senior vice president of
worldwide sales. "We used technology to transform spy role-play, and now
we're going to bring our spy technology to strategic board games."
In Spy Trackdown, players scour the globe to locate and capture an evil
mastermind. They receive public and private messages via a "satellite spy
phone." The phone also tracks each agent's location both on the board and
in relation to the mastermind's hideout. Spy Wire is a puzzle game in which
players race against the clock to deactivate their opponent's fuses. Though
most Spy Gear is designed for boys, the games will also appeal to girls and
families.
Currently, kids in more than 55 countries have access to an array of
Spy Gear toys. What began as a two-item launch 10 years ago has transformed
into a best-selling brand composed of more than 70 products. When Wild
Planet released its Spy Tool Kit and Spy Periscope in 1998, it did not
envision that a decade later its spy line would include streaming video
transmission and remote dart-launching capabilities. As technology
advances, the evolution of Spy Gear continues.
** For a visual Spy Gear timeline and downloadable hi-res images, visit:
http://www.wildplanet.com/press/images/SpyGear
** For descriptions of new Spy Gear products and more information on Wild
Planet, visit: http://www.wildplanet.com/press
** Contact: Kim Bratcher, (415) 568-9455, pr@wildplanet.com
About Wild Planet:
Founded in 1993 in San Francisco, Wild Planet creates playthings that
focus on fun and imagination and are available worldwide.
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