BEYBLADE Line From Hasbro - High Performance Tops That Battle - Launches Nationwide; Japan's Number One Toy Already Launched Successfully in L.A., Chicago and Online.

Lifestyle Editors

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2002

Following strong holiday 2001 launches in Los Angeles, Chicago and on Toysrus.com, this month Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is introducing nationally, Japan's highly popular sports entertainment brand - BEYBLADE.

Hasbro, through d-rights, Inc., and Corus Entertainment's Nelvana, worldwide merchandising agent, has the rights to manufacture tops and other toys based on the BEYBLADE brand. Hasbro's BEYBLADE line is all about custom-building high-performance tops that battle against other BEYBLADE tops. Kids can interchange parts from various tops in their collection for ultimate performance and battle, then launch them into action in the BEYSTADIUM, a self-contained arena. LET IT RIP (the ripcord, that is), and the last BEYBLADE top spinning gets the glory. The product line is currently available nationwide in all major toy stores and mass merchandise outlets, with an advertising and demonstration campaign that begins this week.

"Shoppers turn to us for the hottest trends, so we were thrilled that BEYBLADE generated an enthusiastic response when we began showcasing it online," said John Barbour, Chief Executive Officer of Toysrus.com. "So many toy trends - like BEYBLADE - start in Japan, so we predicted it would sell well, and it has. BEYBLADE is fun right out of the gate, but it's packed with excitement and strategic challenge, so it engages you more and more as you play with it."

"We identified spinning tops as a big trend in the industry this year," said Brian Goldner, President of Hasbro's U.S. toy group. "BEYBLADE brings the category to a new level through customization -- and based on continued success in Japan and encouraging results in Los Angeles and Chicago, and on Toysrus.com, we are confident that BEYBLADE will be highly popular with kids throughout the U.S."

"BEYBLADE has all the earmarks of a major hit -- action, strategy, competition, collectibility, portability and a very attractive price point," said Chris Byrne, a leading independent toy analyst also known as THE TOY GUY. "The timing of the launch, the depth of the play pattern and the way in which each BEYBLADE top can be uniquely customized, make this a very savvy and strategic introduction."

BEYBLADE has received widespread news coverage and has become a cultural phenomenon in Japan, where production increased dramatically in 2001. According to the July 27 edition of Asahi Shinbum, Japan's leading business newspaper, kids simply can't get enough of BEYBLADE. Parents and kids learn when BEYBLADE deliveries are due at their local stores, having lined up before dawn, and it is typical for shipments to sell-out the day they are delivered. Favored by boys eight and older, the typical BEYBLADE enthusiast counts more than 20 tops in his collection, and participates in organized competitions held all throughout Japan.

Each BEYBLADE top comes unassembled and ready for customization. There are four parts to each top that determine how it will do battle in the BEYSTADIUM. The Attack Ring determines competitive method (i.e. how aggressive a top will be in battle). The Weight Disk determines balance, the Spin Gear determines spin direction and the Blade Base determines movement patterns throughout the BEYSTADIUM. Kids can mix and match elements from various tops into multiple combinations to ultra-customize their collection.

Once built, a BEYBLADE top will become one of the following types: Attack Type (roams freely about stadium stalking its prey); Combination Type (a steady performer); Endurance Type (build to outlast an opponent); Defense Type (stays in one place to ward off attacks).

Kids compete with their BEYBLADE tops by battling in the BEYSTADIUM. Beginning next year, stadiums with different slopes will be available, each favoring a different type of top. With a pull of the ripcord launcher, two BEYBLADE tops are sent into battle. The last one standing emerges victorious.

A "BEYBLADE" animated series, geared towards kids aged six and older, is scheduled to "spin" in from Nelvana. In the series, the Japanese toy phenomenon will come to life in an edgy anime cartoon that unites an international team of heroes on a globetrotting quest. The series, acquired by Nelvana from d-rights, Inc., is packed with kid appeal, as the show directly emulates the excitement of the BEYBLADE toy line. Nelvana has plans to develop live entertainment, publishing, video, music and fashion apparel. In addition, Nelvana will work with Hasbro to launch the BEYBLADE Battle Association (BBA), the American counterpart to Japan's wildly successful BEYBLADE events. Millions of Japanese kids have launched their BEYBLADE tops into the ring already.

Hasbro's introductory BEYBLADE line include BEYBLADE Starter Sets (nine different customizable tops, each sold separately; approximate retail price $6.99); Deluxe Launchers for ultimate spin power (approximate retail price $6.99) and BEYSTADIUMS (approximate retail price $8.99). Additional items are slated for fall 2002.

Hasbro, in conjunction with d-rights, Inc. and Nelvana, intends to market and distribute in the U.S. the BEYBLADE brand of high-performance tops that battle. BEYBLADE products are marketed, manufactured and distributed in Japan by Takara Co., Ltd. Nelvana is the worldwide merchandising agent for BEYBLADE (excluding Italy, Greece, Turkey and Arabic-speaking countries).

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.

Nelvana, one of the world's leading animation production and distribution companies, is a Corus Entertainment Company. Corus is one of Canada's leading entertainment companies with additional interests in radio, television, music production and publishing, digital music distribution and advertising sales. Through Nelvana Limited, Corus also specializes in children's publishing and consumer products. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) Exchanges. The company's web site is at www.corusentertainment.com.

d-rights is a 100% owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation handling entertainment content for a variety of media and currently focusing on production and licensing of animation. Mitsubishi Corporation is the world's biggest general trading company, whose turnover is US $130 billion and net profit is US $1 billion. d-rights is the company that produced the animated series of BEYBLADE and is taking care of all licensing related to the property, BEYBLADE.