MORE POKEMON
February 12, 2001

In 2000 six of the industry's 10 top-selling video games were Pokemon titles, representing 12 percent of all game unit sales. This year, Nintendo will build on the continued success of the Pokemon franchise with the release of two new games: Pokemon Stadium 2 for Nintendo 64 this March and Pokemon Crystal for Game Boy Color this fall.

The next movie installment, Pokemon 3 the Movie, is being distributed by Warner Bros. and opens in theaters nationwide on April 6. Also, Koch Entertainment is following up their platinum seller, "2 B A Master," with "Totally Pokemon." Produced by 4Kids Productions, the collection features music from the TV show and upcoming movie.

Hasbro will introduce new toys, games, and collectibles this year. These will join the multitude of Pokemon-branded merchandise from household names such as Kellogg, Kraft Foods, Good Humor Breyers, Rexall Sundown, Colgate-Palmolive, American Greetings, and many others.

"Pokemon is much more than a phenomenon -- it's now a children's entertainment staple here in America and globally," says Gail Tilden, Nintendo's vice president, responsible for overseeing the Pokemon brand. "From the video games, to the toys, to the TV series, Pokemon's staying power is evident in its multifaceted appeal to its broad fan base."