Grand Opening Friday, November 16
New York, November 1, 2001 - - New Yorkers, out-of-towners and worldwide travelers in the Big Apple will soon enjoy a new, multi-sensory, magical retail experience -- the Pok�mon Center -- in one of New York's major attractions, Rockefeller Center.
Located at 10 Rockefeller Plaza on 48th Street, Pok�mon Center features a vast array of sound and lights shows and life size, robotic Pok�mon characters in 10,000 square feet of retail and interactive floor space (13,000 sq. ft. total). Multiple gaming environments enable players to try new Pok�mon games -- free of charge -- and swap Pok�mon characters available for Game Boys only at the Center. Other one-of-a-kind features include a fog and light-gushing PoK�BaLL and the Ultra Pok�dex, a giant-sized screen and a control pad that enables users to obtain information about all 251 Pok�mon.
The new entertainment and merchandise center will feature interactive Pok�mon animatronic characters, multiple gaming environments and extensive Pok�mon resources satisfying both serious Pok�-aficionados as well as newcomers to the gaming sensation.
Within this one-of-a-kind retail wonderland, 40 percent of the store merchandise will consist of products available exclusively at the Pok�mon Center. Among the exciting new exclusive products is the Pok�mon Mini, a compact, hand-held, cartridge-based game system that works with a variety of Pok�mon games. New Pok�mon-branded products such as videos, cards, New York art deco motif items and other unique products will be available at the store before many other retail outlets.
The Grand Opening, scheduled for Friday, November 16 will kick-off the 2001 holiday shopping season with tournaments, drawings for limited edition Pok�mon products and contest that will appeal to the whole family.
Melding A Futuristic Fantasy World With Art Deco Design
"The 13,000 square-foot destination encompasses two levels on the corner of Rockefeller Center and 48th Street," explains David Hillenbrand, general manager for Pok�mon USA, Inc., "It will be the only physical space in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to ongoing enjoyment of the world of Pok�mon, providing an experience for adults and children of all ages."
The Phillips Group, which specializes in interior architecture, designed and developed the wondrous destination. According to Alec Zaballero, design director, "Pok�mon Center is a place with its own character and landscape. When every child and adult walks through the door, they will recognize Pok�mon Center as a piece of the Pok�mon universe transported to Mid-Manhattan. It is the concrete realization of the Pok�mon brand."
The Growing Worldwide Pok�mon Universe
There are currently more than 800 licensees for Pok�mon products, excluding Asia, producing thousands of individual licensed products. Pok�mon video games dominate the charts with more than 85 million sold to date worldwide, including more than 33 million video games sold to date in the U.S. Pok�mon now broadcast in over 65 countries in 30 different languages, and kids' WB in the U.S. is entering its fourth season with Pok�mon as the #1 broadcast children's program.
What is Pok�mon All About?
Pok�mon is a fantasy universe of characters that possess a diverse array of strengths, weakness and special powers -- some who can even morph to become others. Today, this ever-changing gaming universe is home to 251 Pok�mon, including the best known Pikachu as well as friends and foes Ash, Misty, Charizard, Totodile, Mewtwo, Scizor, Meowth, Blastoise and others. The goal as a player, in the multi-level video games and trading cards, is to catch �em all, collect every type of Pok�mon and become the world's greatest Pok�mon trainer.
Pok�mon USA, Inc., a New York-based subsidiary of The Pokemon franchise and the upcoming Pokemon Center, a multi-sensory entertainment destination, in New York's Rockefeller Center. The Pokemon creators, along with Nintendo, first launched Pok�mon for the world's best-selling Game Boy video game system in Japan in 1996 and watched the original 150 creatures evolve into a global cultural phenomenon. The franchise arrived in North America in September 1998 and has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.
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