FEATURE/Hasbro's New e-kara Portable Karaoke System Turns Every Standard TV Into a 'Concert Stage'; Huge Success in Japan Prompts U.S. Retail Debut in October.Toy Editors FEATURE... PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Oct. 17, 2001 Girls who dream of being a pop star or part of an up-and-coming girl group can bring the fantasy - and fun - to life! New e-kara real karaoke karaoke (Japanese; “empty orchestra”) Use of a device that plays instrumental accompaniments to songs with the vocal tracks removed, permitting the user to sing the lead. from Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : HAS) is the first truly portable and affordable karaoke system. Sales of karaoke systems to kids have doubled in the past three years. In 1998, category sales were $6 million; by 2000, the category neared $14 million. However, until the 2000 introduction of e-kara to the Japanese market by Takara Co., Ltd., standard karaoke systems were both cumbersome and expensive. More than 600,000 of the lightweight, hand-held systems were sold in Japan from October through December; more than one million units were sold in the first year. The success of e-kara in Japan coupled with the continued popularity of karaoke in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. - as evidenced by the success of MTV's Say What? Karaoke and films like My Best Friend's Wedding and Duets has prompted Hasbro to market and distribute e-kara. e-kara is slated to hit retail shelves across the United States in mid-October. "e-kara has all of the attributes to be one of the hottest toys of the year," says Jim Silver, publisher of The Toy Book and Toy Wishes Magazine. "As the father of three daughters who sing and dance to their favorite songs, I know it will be a big hit in my own home." Karaoke (which means 'empty orchestra') originated in Japan after the development of the laser disc and compact disc technologies allowed for lyrics lyrics npl [of song] → paroles fpl lyrics lyric npl [of song] → Text m to be displayed on a TV screen while music played. It didn't take long for the often embarrassing but always entertaining 'sing-a-long' to gain international notoriety NOTORIETY, evidence. That which is generally known. 2. This notoriety is of fact or of law. In general, the notoriety of a fact is not sufficient to found a judgment or to rely on its truth; 1 Ohio Rep. . Could Karaoke Be Any Easier? With the new e-kara system, it's even easier to live the fantasy of being one of today's hottest pop stars. So put down that hairbrush you've been using as a microphone, plug e-kara into any standard TV or VCR VCR: see videocassette recorder. VCR in full videocassette recorder Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. and perform to your heart's content. e-kara fits easily into a backpack, book bag or duffle. It's perfect for sleepovers and parties because everything you need comes with the main hand-held e-kara unit. Just connect the e-kara microphone into the audio and video plugs on any standard TV, press the button and sing! Each main microphone unit comes with a music cartridge featuring five different songs made famous by today's top pop artists. As with all `real karaoke', the music is digitally recreated and not recorded by the original artists. Just snap the music cartridge into the microphone, press the button and the background music begins. And, right before your eyes, the words to your favorite songs appear on the TV screen. Could karaoke be any easier? So whether you pine to be a real life pop star or just want to be the diva of the den - the fun never stops. To make the action even more authentic, you can change the echo, volume and tempo tempo [Ital.,=time], in music, the speed of a composition. The composer's intentions as to tempo are conventionally indicated by a set of Italian terms, of which the principal ones are presto (very fast), vivace (lively), allegro (fast), and even add effects to your own voice! And, up to ten individual duet microphones can be linked together - daisy-chain style - for group karaoke-ing. e-kara (ages 8 and up) will retail for approximately $60; each additional duet microphone is $20. To keep the fun going, additional cartridges, each with 10 of the hottest songs will be available for $20 each. For more information, check out the web site at www.ekara.hasbro.com. 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  This article or section is written like a personal reflection or and may require .Please [ improve this article] by rewriting this article or section in an . , PARKER BROTHERS Parker Brothers is a toy and game manufacturer and brand. For almost 115 years the company published more than 1800 games;[1] among their best known products are Monopoly, Cluedo (known as Clue in North America), Risk , TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. Originally a basement-run role-playing game publisher, they popularized the collectible card game genre with in brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world. Manufactured by Takara Co., Ltd.(c)2001 Distributed by Hasbro, Inc.(c)2001 e-kara is powered by an Xavix IC chip, which integrates visual and audio functions. Xavix was developed by SSD See solid state disk. Co., Ltd. |
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