Konami Digital Entertainment announced today that it has signed a worldwide video game agreement with Alliance Atlantis Communication Inc. for Alliance Atlantis’ new children’s animated property, Dragon Booster. Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. will develop, manufacture and distribute the game based on the highly anticipated animated series that is expected to debut in the US on Jetix (ABC Family and Toon Disney's branded block) Saturday, October 23, 2004 and on CBC in Canada on Tuesday, October 26, 2004, before rolling out around the world in early 2005.
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has earned widespread industry accolades for previous anime-licensed titles including Shaman King(tm), and will work closely with the Dragon Booster animators and creative team to produce a unique video game experience.
“We are very proud to be expanding our licensed game catalogue and anime content with the addition of Dragon Booster,” said Mr. Kazumi Kitaue, Chief Executive Officer at Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “Our mission is to listen to our consumers and deliver entertainment that fits with the target market. At KDE, we plan to continue to acquire licensed properties that resonate with our consumers, such as we have done with Dragon Booster.”
“Dragon Booster was thoughtfully crafted from its inception not only to provide our video game partner with compelling, rich content, but to deliver key elements specific to the gaming community, in turn providing our partner with a tremendous pool of resources, characters and freedom from which to build an exciting video game franchise with global appeal,” said Jennifer Bennett, Vice President, Merchandising and Licensing at ALLIANCE ATLANTIS. “Konami was a perfect fit for us and for Dragon Booster and it is with great pleasure I announce their appointment as our worldwide video game partner.”
Dragon Booster is a mythic good versus evil struggle in a classic, yet timeless world where humans and dragons co-exist. Our hero is Artha Penn, an ordinary teenager who is plunged into an incredible adventure when he is chosen to ride Beaucephalis, the dragon of legend. When teamed with Beau, Artha is transformed into a mythical hero known as the Dragon Booster -- a hero charged with the task of saving the world from an impending war and uniting humans and dragons for once and for all. Dragon Booster is high-octane adventure set against the backdrop of dragon racing where 12-ton reptiles chew up the asphalt at over 200 miles per hour!
Dragon Booster has been pre-sold to ABC Family in the US, CBC in Canada, Sky One (Pay TV) and Five (Free TV) in the UK and ABC TV in Australia. Alliance Atlantis previously announced a worldwide master toy licensing agreement with Jakks Pacific, Inc. at the Licensing Show in 2003. ALLIANCE ATLANTIS is currently in the process of finalizing agreements for other key merchandising categories including trading cards and publishing.
Dragon Booster was conceived by The Story Hat. The Story Hat is an exciting new intellectual property creation and management company built around a revolutionary cross-venue development model. The Story Hat’s principals, Kevin Mowrer and Rob Travalino, have found the place where mythology, emotional empowerment, and commercial culture converge, because stories are far more successful and fulfilling when the audience fully connects with every new story expression.
