Pokémon Platinum Version Makes Its U.S. Debut
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The March 22 launch of the Pokémon™ Platinum Version video game for the Nintendo DS™ system is almost upon us, and Pokémon fans are already buzzing with anticipation. This new game in the storied franchise brings a host of new features, including the mysterious new Distortion world, never-seen-before forms of powerful Pokémon, exciting online games in the new Wi-Fi Plaza and strategic battles that are the hallmark of the main Pokémon game series.
“The Pokémon franchise has been a force since it came to the United States more than 10 years ago,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “To date, our two most recent games in the core Pokémon series, Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, have sold more than 5.3 million in the United States alone. Pokémon Platinum Version brings fans a set of new challenges, fun and entertainment.”
On March 21, Nintendo will host a blowout launch celebration for the game at the Nintendo World store in New York. Pokémon fans will be able to demo and purchase the game a day before it’s available in other retail stores. Rockefeller Plaza will become a Pokémon fan’s paradise with a myriad of Pokémon activities, including game-play kiosks showing off the game and its online capabilities, the “Pokémon Platinum Plunge,” where Pokémon fans will get a chance to win a copy of the Pokémon Platinum Version video game, and opportunities to take photos with their favorite Pokémon characters.
Consumers enjoy Pokémon games, in part, for both their social aspect and their re-playability. For instance, in the new Wi-Fi Plaza, up to 20 players with wireless broadband access from around the world can connect together to experience mini-games, take part in parades and even see a fireworks show. And players who visit the Global Terminal can post their Pokémon for trade to other players around the world. This allows for a greater variety of Pokémon that a player can collect, and also allows players to get Pokémon from other countries, which have become sought-after by many fans. Also the new Global Terminal allows players to use a new item, the Vs. Recorder, to save and post “videos” of their best battles online for everyone to see.
For more information about Pokémon Platinum Version, visit www.PokemonPlatinum.com.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 2.8 billion video games and more than 485 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.
About Pokémon: Pokémon USA, Inc., a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia which includes licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, an animated TV series, the Pokémon Trading Figure Game, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 for play on Nintendo’s Game Boy™ and has since evolved into a global cultural phenomenon. Pokémon was introduced in North America in 1998 and today is one of the most popular toy and entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.
