[February 17, 2005] Mattel Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology, New Entertainment Lines and Innovative New Toys at 2005 Toy Fair Tweet NEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- Feb. 17, 2005 -- Fisher-Price(R), the World's Pre-eminent Brand of Infant and Preschool Toys, Celebrates its 75th Birthday! As today's children demand toys that incorporate cutting-edge technology, characters they love and fun to play with toys, Mattel(R), (NYSE: MAT) the world's leading toy manufacturer today announced the hottest line-up of new products for 2005 at American International Toy Fair in New York. Continuing to evolve the most dynamic brands in the industry like Barbie and Hot Wheels to celebrating the most beloved infant and preschool brand, Fisher-Price(R), Mattel will present some of the most innovative new products leveraging the hottest entertainment properties and celebrities in ways kids have never experienced before. Innovation/Technology: Watch out Hollywood, Fisher-Price's newest version of Pixter(R) - Pixter(R) Multi-Media - allows kids to actually create their own "movies" using short clips from existing videos from leading characters like SpongeBob SquarePants(TM) and Dora the Explorer(TM) to the ESPN(R) Winter X-Games. The new Pixter Multi-Media is an all-in-one, hand-held entertainment system this year featuring full motion video capabilities. Children can watch 22 minutes of their favorite videos or live action shows on their Pixter screen in full color. With nine new video ROMs, combined with more than 10 new creativity and learning ROMs, Pixter Multi-Media gives kids access to a library of more than 50 titles, making this a child's complete creativity and entertainment system! As Mattel continues to innovate the ways girls play, Pixel Chix - created just for girls - is the newest handheld game that combines the latest in LCD screen technology with the excitement of video play in a 3-D environment. Pixel Chix virtual girlfriend lives inside a small 3-dimensional house and hangs out, sleeps, eats and all the great things girls really do - all with the touch of a button. The Chix require care and attention to thrive, building a relationship with girls. Tyco(R) R/C's latest innovation in radio control comes as a shocking transformation. Featuring a fantastical biomechanical style design, the Shell Shocker(TM) vehicle transforms from a cyber-ball to a cyber-beast in seconds. Mud, grass, pavement and even water can't stop the Shell Shocker(TM). Now kids can wear this famous long red cape on their shoulders and save the world just like their favorite super hero, Superman(TM). Stereo surround sound speakers bring the Superman(TM) experience to life. Motion sensors activate sounds to imitate Superman(TM) soaring through the sky or battling foes Fisher-Price expands its already impressive learning initiative, teaming up with the Scholastic Corporation to create innovative new products that truly help children learn through play with the introduction of the Read with Me DVD! learning system. The ground-breaking Read with Me DVD! learning system enables children to enjoy classic books from the Scholastic library on interactive DVDs that animate the stories on screen, to help build comprehension and vocabulary skills, while encouraging a love of reading. The Baby Gymtastics(TM) system is Fisher-Price's new collection of innovative products that encourage movement and play in babies, from sitting and crawling, to standing and cruising. All items in the line can be combined to create a playful "obstacle course" environment to get baby moving, or each can be used on its own to infuse baby's play experience with even more activity and action. Entertainment: Today's kids are taking their cues on what's hot from movies, music, video games - basically all forms of traditional entertainment, as well as sports celebrities, current events and a wide range of cultural influences. In 2005, Mattel Entertainment has toy lines behind two of the year's most highly anticipated theatrical releases; the animated industrial world of ROBOTS(TM) (Twentieth Century Fox, March 11), and the story behind why and how Batman(TM) became one of the greatest superheroes in Batman Begins(TM) (Warner Bros. Pictures, June 17). Mattel's Entertainment portfolio promises something for little kids and big kids alike with toys such as Roboots(TM) that kids can wear to re-enact their favorite ROBOTS(TM) scenes, a Batman Begins(TM) Batmobile(TM), the likes of which the residents of Gotham City(TM) have not yet seen. Girls will also experience the incredible magic of Disney's Cinderella with a full line of product timed to the re-release of the DVD as well as dolls and accessories for the sizzling hot television properties Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi and WINX. Now in its fifth year, Barbie Entertainment has evolved into a leading player. This year, Barbie(R) has three of the hottest girl properties, all of which are original content and have original music scoring. Barbie(R) will introduce the first-ever spring direct-to-video Barbie(R) property, Fairytopia(TM), as well as two major fall events with "Barbie(R) and the Magic of Pegasus" and the first My Scene(TM) video, "My Scene Goes Hollywood(TM)". Barbie(R) also continues to tap into girls' interest in pop culture and celebrities by linking to top entertainment properties that girls love. The incredible popularity of "American Idol(TM)" continues to be off the charts and Barbie(R) is delivering on girls "Idol" dreams with a complete line of "American Idol(TM)" Barbie(R) dolls and accessories. Barbie(R) is partnering with the top ranked celebrity or property across a range of television and music categories -- Hilary Duff, who was part of our very successful Brand Campaign and launch of Fashion Fever, Raven-Symone (#1 celebrity girls ages six to 11 consistently name), Lindsay Lohan, Destiny's Child and Leann Rimes, to name a few. Hot Wheels' newest entertainment property, AcceleRacers, will feature fresh new content every week now through the fall with four television specials on Cartoon Network and 16 micro webisodes, on-line games and team information found on www.cartoonnetwork.com. AcceleRacers allows boys to experience the brand in a whole new way as they develop allegiance with drivers, cars and teams. The Juice Box personal media player is the most versatile media player designed for young people. Designed to meet the lifestyle and entertainment interests of today's tweens, Juice Box puts music, entertainment, digital photo albums, sports and cartoons all in the palm of their hand. Juice Box is also one of the smallest and lightest personal media players on the market and enables tweens to download music from MP3 files and enable photo viewing. Fisher-Price's new Star Station(TM) puts the power of performance right into the palm of kids' hands by letting children be the stars of the show and even tape their performance for the entire family to watch! Using plug and play technology, kids can see and hear themselves on their TV as they sing and dance along with their favorite Kidz Bop(R) songs. Buttons on the wireless microphone allow kids to choose from five different camera lenses that create awesome on-screen effects: Regular, Shining Star, Double Vision, Kaleidoscope and Color Kaleidoscope. Fisher-Price continues to build on its comprehensive portfolio of children's best-loved, familiar characters with the addition of more of today's hottest properties including SpongeBob SquarePants(TM), All Grown Up, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends, Koala Brothers(TM) and Lazy Town, all well suited to compliment the classic characters of Sesame Street(TM), Winnie the Pooh(TM), Blue's Clues(TM) and Dora the Explorer(TM). Fisher-Price brings them all to life in brand new ways with innovative toys, plush and playsets. One infamous preschool personality will be bouncing into children's hearts: Tumble Time(TM) Tigger - he tumbles, does cartwheels and even handstands - all to a funky beat, while children's favorite furry red monster has lots to holler about as SHOUT Elmo gets kids up on their feet, dancing to his own rendition of his newest favorite song "Shout!" Learning: In addition to Fisher-Price's new Read with Me DVD! learning system, one of the top selling new introduction for toddlers last year, the Laugh & Learn(TM) Collection, expands with the addition of the Laugh & Learn(TM) Musical Learning Chair(TM). This charming chair, with an attached side table, teaches children numbers, counting, opposites, colors and more through fun, familiar everyday "experiential" play. The new products will round out Fisher-Price's significant impact in the learning aisle, which includes a comprehensive line of innovative and fun educational toys for every age and stage of a young child's development: PowerTouch(TM) Baby and the Laugh & Learn(TM) Collection for infants, InteracTV(TM), PowerTouch(TM) Learning System and Learn Through Music for preschoolers, and Kasey the Kinderbot(TM) for toddlers. This complete line of toys, designed to be most intuitive to the way children learn, are created by Fisher-Price's team of leading content developers and early childhood development experts and researched at the company's renowned Play Lab. The entire collection will continue to grow in 2005 with rapidly expanding software and updated technologies. Anniversary: Since 1930, Fisher-Price has inspired the wonder and imagination of millions of children worldwide. From the Corn Popper(R) and the Rock-A-Stack(R) to Little People(R) and Tickle Me Elmo, Fisher-Price toys have been a part of childhood, helping children develop through play, for more than three generations. Today, Fisher-Price, the world's leading brand of infant and preschool toys, as well as innovative learning toys and juvenile products, is gearing up to celebrate a milestone birthday - 75 years! In 2005, Fisher-Price will continue to expand its offerings across all of its brands with toys that underscore its strong belief that play, in and of itself, is learning. Pound Puppies(R) brought happiness and love to millions around the world when they launched more than 20 years ago. And now, these adorable little pups are looking for a new generation of owners to adopt and bring them home. These soft little puppies are as lovable as ever but have a new twist - they can bark out loud, come when you call, go for walks on a leash, and much more. The proud new owners of these plush puppies are sure to have hours of lovable, huggable, interactive fun! About Mattel Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie(R), the most popular fashion doll ever created. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels(R), Matchbox(R), American Girl(R) and Tyco(R) R/C, as well as Fisher-Price brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People(R), Rescue Heroes(R), Power Wheels(R) and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 25,000 people in 42 countries and sells products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The Mattel vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow. Pound Puppies(R) and related Pound names are registered trademarks of Pound Puppies, Inc. (C)1984, 2005 - All Rights Reserved. JUSTICE LEAGUE, BATMAN, SUPERMAN and all related characters, and elements are trademarks of and (C) dc Comics. (s05) ROBOTS: ROBOTS TM & (C) 2005 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. LeAnn Rimes(R) owns all rights to her name and likeness. (C) 2005 Destiny's Child! (C) Disney. Winx Club(TM) logo, all related characters and elements are trademarks of Rainbow S.r.l. (C)2005 All rights reserved. MATTEL, BARBIE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by Mattel, Inc. (C) 2005 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Editor's note: Photography available upon request. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]