BEVERLY, Mass. (June 16, 1999) Ð Leading interactive games publisher Hasbro Interactive today announced a new five-year, multi-title, multi-platform deal with Formula 1 to take motorsports gaming roaring into the next millennium. Earlier this year, Hasbro Interactive announced it will develop interactive games based on the NASCAR and Grand Prix 500 licenses. Combined with the new Formula 1 relationship, these partnerships propel Hasbro Interactive to the forefront of the worldwide motorsports gaming market.
ÒOur relationship with Formula 1 is a key component of our global motorsports business strategy,Ó commented Hasbro Interactive President Tom Dusenberry. ÒWe now have a stable of partners and the right development team to create the worldÕs best racing games.Ó
In a related move, Hasbro Interactive announced it has signed an agreement with premier racing sim game developer Geoff Crammond. Crammond, who has collaborated with Hasbro InteractiveÕs MicroProse development team on previous Grand Prix titles, has committed himself to a long-term development licensing deal with Hasbro Interactive. Crammond commented, ÒHasbroÕs absolute commitment to quality was the key factor which persuaded me to choose them as a publishing partner for F1 products. IÕm very much looking forward to continuing my successful relationship with the MicroProse team.Ó
Hasbro Interactive is now set to build on MicroProseÕs heritage and reputation for the highest-quality racing sims. Grand Prix 1 and 2 are widely recognized as the greatest driving games of all time, with sales of the latter topping 1.5 million units. The first titles to come out of this partnership will be Grand Prix 3 and Grand Prix World, the latter building on the success of the Grand Prix Manager 1 and 2 series.
Formula 1 is one of the worldÕs largest spectator sports and is headed back to the U.S. in 2000, with an event to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hasbro Interactive, Inc. is a global interactive entertainment industry leader, innovating new ways to play and developing, publishing and distributing the highest quality interactive games, toys and lifestyle products for a full range of genres and platforms. Its premier brands include Hasbro Interactive ChildrenÕs and Family Entertainment, Atari¨, MicroProse¨, Avalon Hill¨, Hasbro Sports and Europress. Among the many award-winning titles published by Hasbro Interactive are: Frogger¨, Monopoly¨, Wheel of Fortune¨, Jeopardy¨, Tonka¨ Construction, Tonka¨ Workshop, Risk¨, Roller Coaster Tycoon¨, MechWarrior 3¨ and Falcon 4.0¨. A subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), Hasbro Interactive has offices in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and Germany and internal development studios in the U.S. and U.K. For further information, visit Hasbro InteractiveÕs Web site at http://www.hasbro-interactive.com.
Hasbro is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys, games, interactive software, puzzles and infant products. Both internationally and in the U.S., its Playskool, Kenner, Tonka, Oddzon, Super Soaker, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, Tiger, Hasbro Interactive and Galoob products provide children and families with the highest quality and most recognizable toys and games in the world.
