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New Consumer Products Extend Club Penguin Offline
WELT Online
Link to Source
10/27/2008


Club Penguin, one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children, today celebrated its third anniversary by hosting a massive online/offline party and launching a much-anticipated line of new consumer products.

The new products bring to life the characters and environments found in Club Penguin, the popular, snow-covered virtual world where children can explore, play games and interact with friends in the guise of colorful, animated penguin avatars. The new toy line includes collectible plush, mini-figures and play sets that come with a code for kids to redeem virtual items on clubpenguin.com. A limited assortment of home furnishings, books and apparel is also available, and a Nintendo DS™ game is planned for release this holiday season.

The Club Penguin virtual world is visited by millions of children around the globe and is valued by parents for its proven commitment to safety. The company recently opened international offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil to provide additional support and moderation to fans there. As the virtual world's popularity has grown, so has demand for products.

"Club Penguin is all about the kids, and they've been asking us to come up with new ways they can experience the fun and creativity of the Club Penguin world since we launched the site in 2005," pointed out co-founder and general manager Lane Merrifield, who also heads up development of virtual worlds for the Disney Interactive Media Group. "Every item we're launching comes from the requests our audience has sent in. We're really excited about these new products, and it's great that we can celebrate our third anniversary by delivering more of what our fans want."

To help launch the new product line and mark three years of entertaining children and families online, Club Penguin hosted a huge online/offline party today with special activities simultaneously at clubpenguin.com and in New York City at Toys"R"Us Times Square.

The all new Club Penguin toys are available at Toys"R"Us stores nationwide as well as the Club Penguin shop online, Disneyshopping.com, Disney Stores nationwide and Disney Theme Parks. Mirroring the collectible play pattern from the site, the toy line will introduce a new plush figure every eight weeks, including one based on the elusive and much sought-after Captain Rockhopper character. Each item in the limited-edition toy line includes a coin imprinted with a code kids can use to redeem virtual items on clubpenguin.com. The code gives kids the opportunity to access unique items not otherwise currently available to Club Penguin players. Both members and non-members can redeem the coins that accompany their Club Penguin toys.

"Internet toys are the hottest trend in the toy industry. Kids want to play with their toys online as well as in the real world. The Club Penguin toy line gives kids the best of both worlds," said Chris Heatherly, vice president of technology and innovation, Disney Consumer Products. "The same humor, surprises, and sense of personalization that made Club Penguin an online success are engrained in these toys. Kids who love Club Penguin are going to love these toys just as much."

The fall 2008 Club Penguin toy line manufactured by Jakks Pacific includes:

The Club Penguin 6.5" Plush assortment brings Club Penguin characters to life with high quality, detailed costumes. Each Club Penguin 6.5" Plush includes a coin with a code to unlock items on clubpenguin.com. Suggested retail price: $9.99.

In the Club Penguin world, Puffles are the penguins' loveable pets. Now kids can have their very own with the Club Penguin Puffle Plush. Available in multiple colors, each Club Penguin Puffle Plush includes a coin with a code to unlock items online. Suggested retail price: $5.99.

Kids can collect all their favorite penguin characters with the Club Penguin 2" Mix 'n Match Figures. Each set includes two 2" Mix 'n Match figures and a mini accessory. Mix 'n match the penguin parts to interchange the costumes and create unique figure variations. Each Club Penguin 2" Mix 'n Match Figure includes a coin with a code to unlock items on clubpenguin.com. Suggested retail price: $5.99.

The Club Penguin Igloo Playset provides a home for the 2" Mix 'n Match Club Penguin Figures! This playset features a moving dance floor and music just like on clubpenguin.com, as well as a shooting cannon with a basketball hoop to aim at! The Club Penguin Igloo Playset stores up to 15 figures and includes a coin with a code to unlock items online. Suggested retail price: $29.99.

Additionally, a Nintendo DS™ game is planned for release this holiday season:

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force for Nintendo DS™ allows players to go on new missions as agents of the Elite Penguin Force, utilizing familiar and all-new gadgets, accessories, disguises, vehicles and locations to investigate mysterious events in Club Penguin. Play exclusive new mini-games, including Snowboarding and Dance Challenge, as well as favorite Club Penguin online mini-games such as Cart Surfer, Jet Pack Adventure and Ice Fishing. Earn coins to spend in game or upload to online accounts. Download weekly newsletters and polls, along with new, seasonal missions. Suggested retail price: $29.99.




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