PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2005--FURBY, one of the best-selling toys ever with 40 million pieces sold globally, is back! Hasbro, Inc.'s (NYSE: HAS) Tiger Electronics is introducing an all-new, evolved FURBY creature driven by Hasbro's new EMOTO-TRONICS, the ultimate combination of advanced robotic technology, puppetry and realistic lifelike reactions and movements. Hasbro's evolved FURBY creature will be available worldwide this fall in a number of versions, including English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Italian.
The evolved FURBY creature features a wide range of emotions and motions, advanced voice recognition, enhanced communication between kids and other FURBY toys, and an impressive "bilingual" vocabulary of "Furbish" and English. In fact, the FURBY creature has six times the memory of the original. Together, these innovations make the new FURBY toy an extremely lifelike, clever, fun, cute and "realistic" creature.
"FURBY captured the imagination of the world when it was first introduced seven years ago," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's Toy Group president. "Since then, advances in technology and the evolution of robotics and puppetry have made it possible for us to create an even better FURBY than the original."
"FURBY became a historic best seller and a cultural phenomenon when it hit the market in 1998," said toy and children's lifestyle expert Chris Byrne. "The new, evolved FURBY is so much more advanced than the original--it is truly amazing. FURBY certainly has the earmarks of one of the potentially hot toys of 2005."
The emotional response of the new FURBY creature is one of the most noticeable changes from the original. EMOTO-TRONICS allows the FURBY creature to react based on how a child interacts with it. FURBY creatures can speak, dance, sing, tell jokes, play games and express their moods in a variety of ways. A fully flexible beak, expressive eyes, and movable ears and eyebrows make it possible for the creature to smile, laugh, frown and even produce an awe-filled gasp.
Advanced voice recognition adds another level of technological sophistication to the FURBY creature's evolution. Now, the FURBY creature can "listen" to you and respond based on his "mood". The FURBY creature will be able to speak hundreds of programmed words and dozens of phrases in "Furbish" and English.
The evolved FURBY creature will be larger than the original. The increased size accommodates the multi-motor system that brings the toy to life and doubles the toy's animation features. One of the motors is devoted exclusively to the toy's facial expressions.
Where Does FURBY Come From?
The FURBY creature comes from FURBY ISLAND. It was there that a family discovered two FURBY creatures--E-Lo and E-Hi. When the family is ready to move on to its next adventure they take E-Lo and E-Hi with them to help them re-unite with other FURBY creatures.
The FURBY toy will be released worldwide in the fall of 2005 and will be available in white, black and white, gray and pink, and brown and pink. The approximate retail price will be $39.99.
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
