Press Releases

Back

K'NEX CAPITIVATES A NEW GENERATION OF PINBALL WIZARDS WITH ITS NEW ELECTRONIC ARCADE

K'NEX to Debut New "Multi-Game Building Set" Addition to its Award Winning Family Fun Product Line At American International Toy Fair 2002

American International Toy Fair, K'NEX Showroom (1107 Broadway, Suite 1315) or Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (Booth 1555), New York, NY - February 7, 2002 - K'NEX Industries, one of the world's leading construction toy manufacturers, will launch its eagerly awaited Electronic Arcade, the Multi-Game Building Set, during Toy Fair 2002, to be held Thursday, February 7, through Thursday, February 14 in New York City. Featuring the unique opportunity to design, build, and play two different exciting arcade-style games-a giant tabletop Pinball game and head-to-head Speedball game-K'NEX's innovative Electronic Arcade, the Multi-Game Building Set, will be available at retail in May 2002.

Offering an unparalleled building and gaming experience for the entire family, K'NEX's new Electronic Arcade is the first building set to give kids complete control of the design and level of difficulty of their arcade games because the game board can be completely customized. Depending on their expertise with a particular game, kids can increase or decrease its difficulty by building in or leaving out hazards such as chutes, ramps, elevators and spinners. In addition to offering fast-paced competitive game play, K'NEX's new Electronic Arcade, the Multi-Game Building Set, empowers kids with unlimited building challenges, customizing opportunities, and playing possibilities, which are limited only by the builder's imagination.

It's the only Pinball game you can build, customize, and then play. The first build in K'NEX's new Electronic Arcade, Pinball was originally invented more than 60 years ago. Capitalizing on Pinball's nostalgic appeal, K'NEX's multi-game building set empowers kids to design and build a giant tabletop Pinball game, complete with real arcade sounds and an electronic scoreboard to track the scores of two players. The Pinball game offers one or two player gameplay for endless hours of entertainment. Kids control the flippers and rack up points by firing the ball into the electronic sensors. The "Psycho Spinner" in the middle of the board, which fires the ball in random directions, increases the competitive challenge of the game. Once players have mastered the "Psycho Spinner," they can go for the ultimate challenge and hit their ball all the way back into the motorized "Swift Lift" that carries the ball up and around the scoreboard for major bonus points!

Offering high-energy gaming excitement, Speedball, the second game in this unique new multi-game building set, is a giant action-packed flipper game that kids can play against their friends, or family, for head-to-head competition. This fast-paced game pits two competitors against one another: the first player to score 10 goals wins. The "Psycho Spinner," twirling around in the middle of the field, firing the ball in random directions, makes scoring goals an exhilarating and entertaining challenge. An electronic scoreboard tracks each competitor's score.

"The next generation of Pinball, and Speedball, Wizards spawned by this construction set will not only become wizards at the game of Pinball or Speedball," said Chris Campbell, Vice President for Worldwide Marketing for K'NEX, " but they will also become wizards at designing and building their own unique game creations."

The only multi-game building set that features electronic components for score-keeping, real sound, and music, K'NEX's Electronic Arcade, the Multi-Game Building Set, includes 978 rod and connector pieces, a three-piece game board with the electronic components already built in, an electronic scoreboard, and game board graphics designed specifically for the Pinball and Speedball builds. Also included are step-by-step instructions to build the Pinball and Speed Ball games as well as additional ideas to customize the models. Four "C" batteries (not included) are required for electronic game play. Recommended for ages 10 and up. MSRP: $89.99.

During Toy Fair 2002, the new Electronic Arcade, the Multi-Game Building Set, will be on view in the K'NEX Showroom at 1107 Broadway, Suite 1315, and in K'NEX's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Toy Fair booth (#511).

Held simultaneously in New York City's Toy District Toy Buildings and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center every February; the American International TOY FAIR® is the largest annual toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Nearly 2,000 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 25 countries showcase their toy and entertainment products. Products on exhibition include everything from classic toys to interactive entertainment: trains and trucks, books and kits, computer software and video games, action figures and dolls, games and puzzles, bicycles, tricycles and ride-ons, infant and preschool toys, cars, puppets and plush, audio and video cassettes, playground and sporting equipment, Halloween, Christmas, stationery, party supplies, and much more! The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is located in New York City on 11th Avenue between West 34th and West 39th Streets.

Founded in 1992, K'NEX Industries was formally established to make and sell what has become one of the world's leading integrated construction systems for children. Winner of over 150 international awards and recognitions, K'NEX seeks to build young minds with its exciting product line and critically acclaimed K'NEX Education program. For more information, consumers can visit www.knex.com or call 1-800-KID-KNEX.

###

Contact:
Melissa Fogarty/Beth Mosher
LITZKY PUBLIC RELATIONS
(201) 222-9118
email: mfogarty@litzkypr.com

About K’NEX Brands

Founded in 1992, K’NEX Brands, the world’s most innovative construction toy company, was established to make and sell what has become one of the world’s leading integrated construction systems for children. Winner of over 200 international awards and recognitions, K’NEX is America’s building toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love, and encourages youngsters to “imagine, build and play.”  For more information, please visit www.knex.com.