New Learning Console from Hasbro's Playskool Division Gets Kids up an

    Business Editors
    American International Toy Fair 2005

    PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2005--

    -- ION Educational Gaming System adds physical activity
    to a category of passive electronic-learning toys--

    Playskool, a division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), announced today its plans to introduce the ION Educational Gaming System (E.G.S.) for kids ages 3 to 7 that uses patented motion-capture technology to place the child onscreen and literally "in" the game. Players move their bodies to navigate through learning adventures in core preschool and elementary subjects. This latest innovation from Playskool becomes the first electronic educational gaming system to provide kids with learning benefits and physical activity that really gets them thinking on their feet, not playing in their seat. Playskool will unveil its new creation at the upcoming International Toy Fair in New York City.
    "Moms of preschoolers and early elementary school children have never seen an electronic learning aid like the ION (E.G.S.)," said toy and children's lifestyle industry expert Chris Byrne, also known as The Toy Guy(R). "Playskool's new educational gaming system makes them active participants in their own learning and uniquely synthesizes different learning modes in a seamless and fun activity."
    Slated to hit store shelves nationwide in the fall of 2005, Playskool's ION E.G.S. comes complete with console, compact camera and an Active Learning Disc with five games. The camera with motion-sensitive technology lets kids appear live on the TV screen and become part of the game. Players move their bodies--not game controllers--to control the action and guide themselves through learning adventures.
    Playskool is working with several content providers, so children can complete these learning games alongside characters from their favorite TV shows, such as: Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Lazy Town and Blue's Clues from Nickelodeon.; The Wiggles(R), Thomas & Friends(TM) and Bob the Builder(TM) from HIT Entertainment; and Elmo and friends from Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop.)
    Also in the fall, Playskool will release additional Active Learning Discs, each with games that separate content into two age ranges, 3 to 5 and 5 to 7. Younger kids learn preschool basics like letters, numbers and colors, while older children graduate to core elementary skills like reading, math and problem solving.
    "We've worked hard over the last year to make an active and entertaining educational gaming system," said Brian Goldner, president of Hasbro's U.S. toy group. "This meant creating a console focused on educational exploration--not just rote learning like many of the listen-recite-repeat toys currently available. We're proud to offer parents a unique product that engages their child's brain and body."
    Educational content for the ION E.G.S. was developed in association with Dr. Erik Strommen, a Washington State-based developmental psychologist, who has worked for Sesame Workshop, Microsoft Corporation, and other companies designing and testing innovative interactive learning products for more than 15 years.
    "All of us--not just children--learn best when we can engage multiple senses and our entire bodies," said Strommen. "Kids playing the ION (E.G.S.) exercise their minds and their bodies as they duck, dodge, tag, tickle, and really move, while mastering letter and number skills and more. This system engages the whole child in a way most learning technologies do not."
    The ION E.G.S. gives kids one more way to be active every day. Guidelines from The American Heart Association recommend all children ages 2 and older participate in at least 30 minutes of "enjoyable, moderate-intensity activities every day."
    "A product like the ION (E.G.S.) that combines moving and learning is much needed," said Rae Pica, an expert on the importance of physical activity in a child's life and education. "Children need to move--not just for the sake of their physical selves, but for their social, emotional and cognitive development. Parents should welcome a fun product that both teaches and gives their kids another way to be physically active."

    More on the ION E.G.S.

    Playskool's ION E.G.S. energizes kids with games, requiring coordination, balance and physical activity as they learn core skills like letters, numbers, colors, math, reading, spelling, cooperation and problem solving. The ION E.G.S. comes with a camera and plugs directly into a TV. The console runs on AC power via an adaptor that comes standard with the system. The ION E.G.S. will retail for approximately $119.99. Each Active Learning Disc will retail for approximately $17.99.
    Hasbro obtained exclusive rights to develop and manufacture the ION E.G.S. and related products that are protected by a patent owned by GestureTek, Inc (formerly JesterTek, Inc). The GestureTek patent encompasses a video image base control system that uses cameras to capture people's images, allowing them to control a video game using gestures alone.

    About Hasbro

    Hasbro (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

    About GestureTek, Inc.

    GestureTek is the world leader in gesture technologies employed in a wide array of applications and environments: videogame consoles; museum/trade show exhibits; corporate promotions; basketball and hockey hall of fame facilities; physical rehabilitation programs; corporate boardrooms for executive presentations; military control rooms; retail kiosks; interactive floors/windows and interactive billboards. GestureTek headquarters are in Toronto, Canada, with additional offices in Ottawa, Silicon Valley, and New York. For information and/or a DVD or video, contact GestureTek at 1-800-315-1189 ext. 231 or visit www.gesturetek.com

    About Nick Jr.

    Nick Jr. is a specially designed programming block airing on Nickelodeon weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (ET/PT) and weekends on CBS (check local listings). Completely dedicated to preschoolers ages 2-5, Nick Jr.'s Emmy, Peabody and Parents' Choice Award-winning programs are curriculum-based, fun and commercial free. At Nick Jr., kids play to learn with innovative, original shows created just for them.

    About HIT Entertainment

    Established in 1989, HIT Entertainment PLC is a fully integrated global studio, with divisions in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany and Japan, including broadcast production and distribution, video and audio sales, consumer products licensing, and marketing. A world leader in quality family entertainment, the company controls all rights for such acclaimed children's properties as Angelina Ballerina(TM), Barney(R), Bob the Builder(TM), Kipper(TM), Pingu(TM), Rubbadubbers(TM) and Thomas & Friends(TM). In the U.S., UK and Canada, HIT Entertainment also acts as the representative for the popular preschool property, The Wiggles(R). In spring 2004, HIT entered into an agreement with The Jim Henson Company to act as worldwide representative for its library of classic family brands, including Fraggle Rock(TM), Emmet Otter(TM)'s Jugband Christmas and Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories, and also to partner in the production of new programming.

    About Sesame Workshop

    Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat and ground breaking multi-media productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. These are among many Workshop endeavors recognized for their deep understanding of children's developmental needs and the most effective ways to address them. As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Sagwa products right back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.

--30--DC/bo*

CONTACT: MS&L Public Relations, Boston Dan O'Neill, 617-437-7722 dan.oneill@mslpr.com

KEYWORD: RHODE ISLAND TRACK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE RETAIL ELECTRONIC GAMES/MULTIMEDIA CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD SOFTWARE TRADESHOW PRODUCT SOURCE: Hasbro, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005