New Virtual, Multiplayer World Allows Girls to Play, Explore, Create
and Connect
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct 01, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the
launch of LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE in the U.S. and Canada,
an Internet-based game and online community inspired by Hasbro's
(NYSE:HAS) globally popular LITTLEST PET SHOP toy brand. LITTLEST PET
SHOP ONLINE allows girls to interact with LITTLEST PET SHOP pets in
immersive and meaningful ways such as playing games, embarking on
adventures, customizing and decorating their virtual pet collection and
home, and connecting with friends in a fun, dynamic online world.
"EA is at an exciting milestone, diving into the realm of virtual worlds
for girls with the launch of LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE," said Chip
Lange, General Manager of EA's Hasbro Division. "LITTLEST PET SHOP
ONLINE is an incredible game and community destination, as well as
an environment that parents know they can trust. We're delighted to
offer LITTLEST PET SHOP fans a new and exciting way to connect online
with friends through their favorite pets."
With parental permission and a broadband Internet connection, girls can
open the door to LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE (www.LPSO.com),
a beautiful animated world that encourages creativity, exploration, fun
and friendship.
Free play allows anyone to create a user account and enjoy many LITTLEST
PET SHOP ONLINE features while premium memberships, priced at $6.95
per month with discounts for three-, six- and 12-month packages, include
special benefits such as extensive customization and creativity
features, 100s of collectible items and the ability to create custom
virtual pets. For girls who want to join the online fun while also
expanding their growing offline LITTLEST PET SHOP collection, LPSO PETS
are the ideal choice. Marketed by Hasbro, the pet features a sewn-in LITTLEST
PET SHOP ONLINE code to access the 30-day trial premium membership
as well as special in-game rewards. Overall, players can access the game
in three ways: through free online play; by obtaining a premium online
membership; or by purchasing a cute LPSO PET at retail which includes a
30-day premium membership.
LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE stretches the imagination and brings
LITTLEST PET SHOP pets to life in the booming island of Waggington.
Excitement and adventure unfold at every turn when girls explore the
ever-changing online world as they customize their virtual pet
collection, decorate their pets' home, play games like Bop 'n Balloons,
discover hidden objects, engage in activities such as scrapbooking, and
connect with friends both old and new. All of these fun, online quests
earn girls Kibble Coins, the game's virtual currency, along the way.
Premium members also have the added benefit of "spending" their Kibble
on exclusive items that further expand and customize their LITTLEST
PET SHOP ONLINE collection.
"EA has done a tremendous job of bringing Hasbro's wildly popular
LITTLEST PET SHOP brand to life in a multiplayer virtual world," said
Mark Blecher, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media
and Gaming at Hasbro. "LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE is a unique,
immersive experience filled with age and activity-appropriate fun for
girls across North America. We think the fan base will be thrilled to
extend their LITTLEST PET SHOP collection into an online environment,
especially with LPSO PETS which will unlock special rewards."
With safety as a top priority in the development of LITTLEST PET SHOP
ONLINE, key features also include parental consent-based access to
the game, anonymity of child accounts, and "safe chat," which allows
only LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE-approved words to be typed.
LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE was developed by Electronic Arts Inc.
with Frima Studios (http://www.frimastudio.com),
a leading developer of virtual world games based in Quebec City, Canada.
Visit www.LPSO.com
for more details and to sign up for the LITTLEST PET SHOPONLINE
newsletter. For game artwork, visit http://www.info.ea.com.
About LITTLEST PET SHOP
Hasbro's LITTLEST PET SHOP brand is a line of collectible mini-dolls
aimed at tween girls and their zeal for nurturing and collecting. Since
its launch in 2005, LITTLEST PET SHOP has quickly become one of the
fastest growing girl brands in the toy industry. More than 200 million
pets have been sold. Additionally, www.littlestpetshop.com
has become one of Hasbro's top-performing brand Web sites with more than
1.8 million girls creating and tracking online pet collections. The
LITTLEST PET SHOP brand is also one of the hottest licensed lifestyle
properties among young girls. More than 200 licensees bring LITTLEST PET
SHOP-branded goods to market around the world in every major category
from apparel and accessories to publishing, paper/stationery, and room
décor.
About Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time
products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment
properties that provides some of the highest quality and most
recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a
brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a
range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to
high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS,
PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS
OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is
a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in
1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless
devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under
four brand names: EA(TM), EA SPORTS(TM), EA Mobile(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2009,
EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold
more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com.
More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can
be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
LITTLEST PET SHOP is a trademark of Hasbro and is used with permission.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6062849&lang=en
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
EA Hasbro
Lilit Baron, 650-628-9247
lbaron@ea.com
or
Foghorn PR (For EA)
Shelly Eckenroth, 717-852-7060
seckenroth@foghornpr.com
or
Hasbro Corporate Communications
Darlene Masse, 401-727-5622
dmasse@hasbro.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009