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Pokémon Turns 10
The Pokon celebration beings as the franchise hits the 10 year milestone since it made it's debut.
In October of 1996, the Pokon Trading Card Game was introduced in Japan as a seamless extension of the Pokon world. Tsunekazu Ishihara, producer of Pokon, developed the Pokon Trading Card Game with his company, Creatures.
Now, Pokon USA has announced that the ever beloved franchise has turned 10 and to celebrate they will be taking the Pokon Journey Across America, a mall tour that will culminate in August at the first-ever Pokon National Video Game Championships. The Pokon Journey Across America will start on February 25 and end on July 22. The tour will consist of a number of other activities for other Pokon fans as well such as an exclusive character download for Pokon video games.
"We are immensely proud of the success Pokon has achieved in its 10 year history -- we've become a children's entertainment powerhouse both in the U.S. and globally," said Akira Chiba, president, Pokon USA, Inc. "This year promises to be one of the most exciting ever for the brand as we celebrate this significant milestone and chart our path for the future."
Pokon Link aka Pokon Trozei, a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS will launch in March and other Pokon video games will be released throughout the year. In April, a one-hour TV special entitled "The Mastermind of Mirage Pokon" will debut on Kids' WB! And don't forget about the eighth Pokon movie, "Lucario and the Mystery of Mew" and will feature the new legendary Pokon, Lucario. It will launch later this year. Lastly, be sure to watch for the brand new Pokon 10th Anniversary song and video, "Pokon Go," which is sure to be the ultimate nostalgic tune for Pokon fans everywhere.
"The launch of Pokon in the U.S. was truly an unprecedented phenomenon," said Nancy Lombardi, editor-in-chief of Toys & Family Entertainment. "There is something to be said for a brand that remains as popular today as it was when it launched. Pokon has constantly innovated to give its fans new and exciting content through the years."
For additional information about the tour and more, go to Pokon.com. Here are some more fun facts from the press release:
Pokon Staying Power Pokon was first created in Japan as a video game for the Nintendo Game Boy(R) system. A non-violent game that teaches children strategy, sportsmanship and team work, Pokon has captured the imagination of a generation of children and adults. And this property has major staying power, as a market leader across multiple categories, including:
-- Pokon Video Games - Since its launch in 1996, Pokon has released 25 video game titles and has sold more than 140 million video games worldwide. Pokon video game titles have consistently been ranked among the top 10 selling video games according to NPD. Four new titles are scheduled for release in 2006.
-- The Pokon Trading Card Game (TCG) - With more than 14 billion Pokon Trading Card Game cards in circulation, the TCG craze, which started stateside in 1998, continues to be as popular as ever. For the past six years, Pokon TCG has ranked among the top three selling trading card game series.
-- Pokon Animated TV Series - Now in its eighth season on Kids' WB!, the program is consistently ranked among the top three shows for Kids 2-11. The animated TV series follows the adventures of a Trainer named Ash Ketchum as he travels across the Pokon world making new friends and striving to become a Pokon Master. For the most recent sweeps period in November 2005, "Pokon Advanced Battle" captured the #1 spot among the Saturday morning competition for Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11, and Boys 6-11.
-- Pokon Movies - Pokon is no stranger to Hollywood. Following the 1999 debut of its first feature film, "Pokon: The First Movie," which topped the charts with the highest box office opening for an animated movie at that time, Pokon has continued to release kid-favorite movies with a new direct-to-video title scheduled to launch in spring 2006.
-- Consumer Products - The world of Pokon has continued to expand into toys, apparel, board games, party goods and more through http://www.Pokoncenter.com, an online retail site which features new and exclusive merchandise. Pokon develops innovative products with more than 40 major licensees. In celebration of the 10th anniversary, Hasbro invited Pokon fans to choose their top 10 favorite Pokon characters by voting at http://www.Pokon.com. These special edition figures will be released as an exclusive anniversary set during summer 2006.
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When will it end is the question?
Pokemons are the new Disney chartacters in the mind of the youth. But I prefer the good old Donald Duck.
A new song + video, and a 1 hour TV special? Sounds good.
You mean it's been 10 years already?
Well I don't care what people say but I love pokemon
ARG!! They called a children's entertainment powerhouse!
Happy Bday Pokemon....0_o
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