Handmark Takes Two Awards for SCRABBLE Game on PDAs
SAN JOSE, Calif. & KANSAS CITY, Mo. — February 26, 2002 — Both Palm, Inc. and Handheld Computing magazine have selected the Handmark, Inc. version of the classic SCRABBLE crossword game from Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) as the best entertainment title of the year.
Handmark received the prestigious Palm Powered Up award for the Best Leisure and Entertainment Solution for Palm OS based devices. Palm presented the award to Handmark during the keynote presentation last Thursday at the annual PalmSource conference and expo at the San Jose convention center. Later that same day, Handheld Computing magazine presented their annual "Best Of" awards for 2001 at the convention center. Again, the Handmark implementation of the SCRABBLE game on Palm OS PDAs was singled out for the award.
According the Handmark marketing vice president, Doug Edwards, "this recognition of our design and engineering achievement means a great deal to everyone at Handmark. It is proof to the consumer that Handmark PDA software titles are quality products from a company they can trust."
Noted columnist and technology analyst David Pogue has described the SCRABBLE game as the "perfect use of IR" (infrared beaming) that allows multiple players on multiple devices to participate in a single game through "beaming" their moves to other players.
Best Selling Titles For PDAs
At the PalmSource event, Handmark also announced that they have begun shipping retail packages of another one of the world's best selling board games. The Handmark version of MONOPOLY, the property trading game, is already winning critical praise for its entertaining and easy play on PDAs. Both the SCRABBLE and MONOPOLY games can be played by one person against computer opponents or in a combination of computer players and real people.
Officially Licensed Versions
The Palm OS versions of the SCRABBLE and MONOPOLY games are produced by Handmark under a license agreement with Infogrames, Inc. (NASDAQ:IFGM), which publishes the electronic and interactive versions of Hasbro properties.
Availability of retail product
The SCRABBLE and MONOPOLY games are available through major retailers for $29.99 (USA estimated retail price) and in campus bookstores across North America. Both games are available at most retail chains where Palm Powered devices are sold.
The SCRABBLE and MONOPOLY games are also available as an online download from the Handmark web site, http://www.handmark.com (also$29.99).
About Handmark
Handmark, Inc., is rapidly emerging as the leading publisher of consumer applications for Palm OS handheld devices. Handmark offers consumer software for Palm Powered handhelds through major retail chains in North America as well as through its web site: www.handmark.com.
Handmark software is available in the U.S. and Europe and will soon be sold in Australia. In the U.S. Handmark sells through both national and regional retail stores including Best Buy, CompUSA, Fry's, Staples, Micro Center, J&R Music World, RCS and others. Handmark software is compatible with Palm OS handheld computers from Palm, Inc., Handspring, and IBM as well as other licensees of the Palm OS platform including new devices from Sony. The desktop components of Handmark applications are compatible with Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows personal computers. The company's headquarters are located at 105 East 5th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106. For information contact Handmark at: (816) 472-7256 and on the Web at http://www.handmark.com.
Note: All prices are in U.S. dollars and represent estimated retail sales and/or online price.
(c)2002 Infogrames Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCRABBLE is a trademark of Hasbro in the US and Canada and is used with permission. MONOPOLY is a trademark of Hasbro and is used with permission. Handmark, the Handmark logo and associated trade dress are trademarks of Handmark, Inc. Palm OS is a registered trademark and Palm and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm, Inc. Mac OS is a trademark and Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other brand names, product names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT:
Handmark, Inc., Kansas City
Douglas Edwards, 816/472-7256
Mobile: 816/210-8090 dedwards@handmark.com