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15 Oct 2007 05:20 PM
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{nl}{nl}Source: http://www.newswire.ca
{nl}Pokemon Pandemonium is Back for Holiday 2007{nl} {nl}...now ranked in Top 5 action figure brands, total Pokemon sales in{nl} Canada are expected to almost triple this year...{nl}{nl} TORONTO, Oct. 15 /CNW/ - Pokemon(R), the global pop culture phenomenon that created a frenzy when it hit Canada in 1998, is back, and it's resurging with significant speed with a new generation of fans. With the new broadcast of the 10th television season entitled Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl on YTV this fall, Canadian sales of new Pokemon merchandise are expected to escalate even further.{nl} The Pokemon brand in Canada is expected to reach $30-million in retail{nl}sales in 2007 which represents double and, in some categories, triple the{nl}business it did in 2006 - including sales of video games, the Pokemon Trading{nl}Card Game, toys, home decor, and apparel. This resurgence was fuelled by this spring's launch of the Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games for the Nintendo(TM) DS, featuring more than 100 new Pokemon characters, and the introduction of a new expansion of the Pokemon Trading Card Game in May.{nl}Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl are the fastest-selling video games in the history of the series, with worldwide sales in excess of 10 million games, and Pokemon Trading Card Game sales up an astounding 300 per cent.{nl} "Pokemon is a classic in the world of video games - since it launched the{nl}brand has always been among our top selling video games," said Nintendo of{nl}Canada vice-president and general manager Ron Bertram. "The two key drivers behind the wild success of the Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games are the renewed popularity of the brand, and the extraordinary nature of game play that is enjoyed by longtime fans of Pokemon, plus a whole new generation of kids." According to NPD, Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games are the top two selling portable video games in 2007 to date.{nl} Already a top-rated program on Cartoon Network in the U.S., the Canadian{nl}debut on YTV of the 10th season of the animated TV series called Pokemon:{nl}Diamond and Pearl, is generating impressive ratings since its start on{nl}September 28.{nl} "Pokemon toys started the year off within the top 10 most popular action{nl}figures, and then the momentum of the launch of the Pokemon Diamond and{nl}Pokemon Pearl video games nearly tripled sales of toys and catapulted Pokemon into the top five action figure brands," said Eddie Hayden, Director{nl}Marketing, JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a multi-brand company that designs and markets a broad range of toys and consumer products including Pokemon products. "As a result of this new wave of Poke-mania, we're working around-the-clock to make sure we have enough toys to fill the influx of Holiday 2007 orders from Canadian retailers."{nl} Pokemon is the collective name for the 490 characters that one can find,{nl}catch, train, trade, collect and use in battle against rivals in the quest to{nl}become a Pokemon Master. After launching in Japan in 1996, Pokemon came to North America in 1998. Its arrival spurred a shopping frenzy that is still{nl}remembered by an entire generation of kids and their parents.{nl} "A large assortment of Pokemon product is available at Toys R Us Canada,"{nl}said Joe Ferraro, Divisional Merchandise Manager for Toys "R" Us Canada. "The{nl}new Pokemon entertainment and toy products coming to market are fresh and{nl}compelling to kids."{nl} Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl introduce a new generation of fans to a new generation of Pokemon, featuring over 100 new characters hailing from the region of Sinnoh - a new land of blue lakes, mysterious forests and snowy hills.{nl} Pokemon merchandise is available at major retailers across Canada.{nl}{nl} | {nl}
