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Broadband Interactive Group Partners With Activision for Major Marketing Alliance; Company To Become A Key Marketer For Highly-Anticipated Activision Sports Video Games.


Business Editors

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2000

In one of its most ambitious partnerships to date, Broadband Interactive Group's (BIG) Bluetorch will become a key cross-media marketing partner for leading interactive entertainment publisher Activision Publishing Inc.'s upcoming action-sports video games See video game console. , Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (THPS), released as Tony Hawk's Skateboarding in Europe, is a skateboarding video game, and the first in the Tony Hawk's series.  2(TM)("THPS THPS Tony Hawk Pro Skater (Playstation game)
THPS Tetrakis Hydroxymethyl Phosphonium Sulfate (water treatment)
THPS Thüringer Post Service (Thuringian Post Services, Germany) 
2") and Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX is a BMX-themed videogame developed by Runecraft and published by Activision. It uses the game engine from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Riders
  • Mat Hoffman
  • Mike Escamilla
  • Cory Nastasio
  • Joe "Butcher" Kowalski
(TM)("MHPB MHPB Mat Hoffman's Pro Bmx (game) "), which will be released this summer and fall across multiple platforms Refers to two or more operating environments, which typically include the CPU family and operating system. For example, if versions of a program run on Windows and the Macintosh, the software is said to support multiple platforms. . The agreement, now in effect, allows Activision to take advantage of Bluetorch's significant media properties, including television, online, print and event sponsorship, to target the large and rapidly growing youth market.

Concurrently, Bluetorch will be the exclusive media company and online action sports Web site with in-game branding in "THPS2" and "MHPB " across all gaming platforms worldwide. Each title will feature at least one sponsored contest level in each game, such as the "Bluetorch Pro Competition." In addition, Activision will promote Bluetorch via a global advertising and marketing campaign for the games, set to begin in the fall.

"This is an unprecedented alliance that puts Bluetorch's cross-media platform in awesome company," said Scott Bushman, BIG senior vice president of interactive. "Activision's first "THPS" title sold over 2 million units last year and was one of the most successful video games ever. We anticipate the new titles will be every bit as popular and are excited to leverage the Bluetorch brand to reach this new and important audience of action sports fans."

"Bluetorch has quickly established itself as a leader in the action sports category and is a perfect partner for our games," said Will Kassoy, Activision director of global brand management. "Bluetorch's cross-media platform allows us to wrap our arms around action sports fans and be with them across a variety of influential mediums, 24/7."

Extensive Bluetorch Marketing Campaign

Bluetorch will leverage the power of its cross-media platform to create broad consumer awareness for "THPS2" and "MHPB." Activision will reach millions of consumers through Bluetorch's diverse range of integrated media properties, which include:

      --  Bluetorch TV. Bluetorch TV, which airs daily from 4 to 5 p.m.
        on Fox Sports Net, will be the premiere broadcast destination
        for information on "THPS2" and "MHPB." Bluetorch will not only
        air spots for the games, but will also produce a
        behind-the-scenes look at the making of each video game, along
        with in-depth reviews of both games, which will air this
        summer. Bluetorch will also develop and air a special segment
        on the Tony Hawks Pro Skater Big Score Competition, a
        worldwide gaming competition taking place in San Francisco on
        August 17, 2000.

      --  Web site integration. Bluetorch will be the exclusive, online
        host for a special sampling of the "THPS2" PC demo, which will
        be released in summer, 2000. Additionally, fans can access
        video game codes and tricks to assist them in maneuvering
        through the games' various levels exclusively on
        www.bluetorch.com. Bluetorch will also produce a live Web cast
        from the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Big Score Competition,
        including live streaming video.

      --  Bluetorch events. To enhance visibility for Activision and
        "THPS2" and "MHPB" at its major national action sports
        competitions, Bluetorch will extend high-profile sponsorship
        opportunities at the Panasonic ShockWave Beach Games (July
        24-30 in Huntington Beach, Calif.), including on-site signage
        and on-site demo opportunities. Bluetorch's action sports
        competitions cover the range of core sports and are attended
        by over one million people a year.

      --  Print support. With an annual distribution of 240,000,
        Bluetorch's four print publications (Wave Action, Pit
        Bodyboard, Wakeboard and MX Rage) will include full reviews of
        "THPS2" and "MHPB" in one issue each, along with full-page
        color advertisements for the games.


Activision Worldwide Marketing, Advertising Campaign

To kick-off the release of "THPS2" and "MHPB," Activision will undertake a concentrated, multi-million dollar worldwide advertising campaign. All video game advertisements will feature Bluetorch's logo to direct consumers to Bluetorch's site to download the exclusive PC demo of "THPS2." Additional exposure will include television advertising, featuring a call to action to encourage gamers to download the demo from Bluetorch's Web site; print advertising, including consumer and gaming enthusiast publications; logos on all "THPS2" and "MHPB" packaging; retail point-of-purchase displays; and product manual advertisements. Bluetorch will also receive banner advertising Banner Advertising

A common form of advertising on the internet. The banner is an advertisement of 460x68 pixels, usually placed at the top of the page

Notes:
For an example, just look at the top of a page on almost any popular web site.
 on the "THPS2" and "MHPB" Web site on Activision's Web site at www.activision.com, and demo disk branding via logo placement.

About Bluetorch

Broadband Interactive Group's Bluetorch brings the excitement of skateboarding skateboarding

Form of recreation, popular among youths, in which a person rides standing balanced on a small board mounted on wheels. The skateboard first appeared in the early 1960s on paved areas along California beaches as a makeshift diversion for surfers when the ocean
, surfing, snowboarding snowboarding: see under skiing.
snowboarding

Sport of sliding downhill over snow on a snowboard, a wide ski ridden in a surfing position. Derived from surfing and influenced also by skateboarding as well as skiing, snowboarding began to burgeon
, bodyboarding, wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water behind a boat. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques. , inline skating skating: see ice skating; ice dancing; roller skating.
skating

Sport in which bladelike runners or sets of wheels attached to shoes are used for gliding on ice or on surfaces other than ice.
, motocross motocross

Form of motorcycle racing in which cyclists compete on a closed course marked out over natural or simulated rough terrain. Courses vary widely but must be 1.5–5 km (1–3 mi) in length, with steep inclines, hairpin turns, and mud.
 and BMX BMX
abbr.
bicycle motocross


BMX
Noun

1. bicycle motocross: stunt riding over an obstacle course on a bicycle

2.
 to more than 50 million participants and fans of action sports, using every popular medium. Bluetorch offers daily programming on Fox Sports Net, four print magazines, Internet content (streaming video A one-way video transmission over a data network. It is widely used on the Web as well as company networks to play video clips and video broadcasts. Computers in home networks stream video to digital media hubs connected to a home theater. , daily updates, hot photos and much more) as well as major live events. Bluetorch is committed to core sports-informing participants and fans and letting them express themselves across multiple media. The Bluetorch experience is available at www.bluetorch.com.

About Activision

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California For other uses, see Santa Monica (disambiguation).
Santa Monica is a coastal city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is surrounded by the City of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades and Brentwood on the north,
, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted revenues of $572 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000.

Activision maintains operations in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at http://www.activision.com.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2000, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jul 26, 2000
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