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E3 2003: Capcom Celebrate 15th Anniversary Of Mega Man

15th May 2003, 7:43pm
Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today revealed yearlong celebration plans to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Mega Man, the company's world famous mascot and beloved "blue bomber." Originally introduced to consumers in 1987, Mega Man has appeared on nearly every video game system since then and has sold more than 20 million units worldwide.

The strength of the franchise has paved the way for Mega Man to be licensed as comic books, action figures, toys and other merchandise as well as being one of the longest running animated television series based on a video game character. An all-new animé series produced by ShoPro Entertainment, from the vast Mega Man universe, debuts on Kids' WB! on May 17. Capcom's yearlong celebration, supported by a massive marketing campaign, includes a variety of consumer promotions; corporate partnerships, television, radio and print advertising; and the launch of six new Mega Man titles.

"Since the release of the original Mega Man fifteen years ago, the blue hero has become an icon of the video game industry," said Todd Thorson, director of marketing, Capcom Entertainment. "Countless gamers have literally grown up with Mega Man. Our yearlong celebration pays homage to Mega Man and thanks our fans who continue to adore him. A wide variety of activities are planned for the coming year and features exciting consumer promotions. Mega Man is everywhere."

Just some of the corporate partnerships Capcom has secured for the initial celebration of Mega Man's 15th anniversary are:

CandyStand.com -- National 32 week on-line promotion with front page and dedicated page exposure. Candystand.com is run by Nabisco/Kraft and is the most visited candy/snack food on the web. Weekly visitation on the site averages over 30 million, with exposure for Mega Man reaching well over one million individual impressions per week. Promotion begins in April and runs through December 2003.

  • Cinemark Theatres - National in-theatre promotion with more than 3000 screens featuring Capcom's 2003 Mega Man products for the Nintendo GameCube™ and Game Boy® Advance. As a primary partner of their Summer Movie Clubhouse program, Mega Man messaging will be supported by theatre lobby signage, ticket booth window clings, game give-a-ways and pre-movie on screen advertising opportunities. Promotion runs June through August 2003.


  • ASAP Popcorn - National on-pack grocery sweepstakes featuring Mega Man on up to 10 million on-packs with added value exposure in CAPCOM sponsored retail promotion. Consumers enter-to-win various prizes including: Mega Man video games and apparel and Nintendo GameCube consoles. Kicks off this July; runs through September 2003.


  • Pik-Nik Foods - Breaking a traditional "no promotion" policy, Pik-Nik Foods' Shoestring Potatoes brand will be launching a national on-pack promotion featuring Mega Man on five to 10 million packages distributed both nationally in the US and internationally in Mexico and Canada. A simple enter to win sweepstakes element and dramatic on-package tie the promotion together. Promotion begins in August.


  • J&J Snacks - Nationwide in-school program called "Minute Maid Mega Man Mondays." Exposure in nearly 20,000 middle schools with opportunity to reach 7.2 million kids grades six to eight with a sweepstakes promotion. The sweepstakes will offer all students a chance to win various prizes including: Mega Man games, video game consoles, a college scholarship and a grand prize trip to the Capcom headquarters to be a game developer for a day. Promotion runs October to December 2003.


    • Mega Man will continue to win the hearts of avid fans with the release of six new titles in 2003. The latest installments to the series include Mega Man & Bass, Mega Man Battle Network 3: White and Blue versions and Mega Man Zero 2 for the Game Boy Advance; Mega Man Network Transmission for the Nintendo GameCube and Mega Man X7 for the PlayStationâ2 computer entertainment system.

    Capcom Entertainment, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capcom, Co., Ltd. of Japan. A leading force in the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment industry, Capcom's legacy spans more than 22 years of entertaining video gamers. Capcom develops, markets, and distributes home video games for the PlayStation game console, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube and Xbox game consoles, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color Systems, personal computers, and coin-operated games. Worldwide recognizable product lines include the Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Breath of Fire, and Onimusha series. World headquarters in Osaka, Japan, the company also has offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Sunnyvale, California. The company is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange code number 9697.
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    by Damien