BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America To Provide Special Programming, Awards For Cosplay Contests, Major Live Experiential Activations Featuring Top Video Games Such As NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Dark Souls III, And More
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — January 7, 2016 — Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. today announced an agreement by which the leading interactive entertainment publisher will become the Official Anime Entertainment Partner for the 2016 Wizard World Comic Con and Gaming Tours, bringing BANDAI NAMCO games to fans throughout the country. As part of this designation, BANDAI NAMCO will provide major live event experiential activations that will give event attendees the opportunity to experience some of its most anticipated video games, such as NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Dark Souls III and more.
Esports fans can view tournament competitions and gaming celebrity content via live stream, while Wizard World event attendees can meet BANDAI NAMCO game talent, Pro-Gamers, experience gaming specific content and be a part of cosplay contests thriving in the Anime pop-culture community.
“The addition of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America as the Official Anime Entertainment Partner is a huge step as we establish gaming as an important and growing part of Wizard World shows moving forward,” said John Macaluso, CEO, Wizard World, Inc. "Aligning with BANDAI NAMCO helps in our goal of providing the best experience for the nationwide gaming community and, importantly, connects Wizard World to a valued name in the industry.”
“BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment is the premiere anime game publisher and we’re excited to showcase our upcoming line-up of games on the 2016 Wizard World Tour. The tour presents a great opportunity for us to connect with fans and loyal consumers in major cities around the country, throughout the year,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “We look forward to interacting with passionate fans who share our enthusiasm for anime, video games and many other aspects of pop culture.”
BANDAI NAMCO’s presence at Wizard World shows will be even greater in 10 key markets that will feature major gaming activations and an eSports tournament streaming stage ( www.wizardworldgaming.com): Portland, Ore. (Feb. 19-21); St. Louis (April 1-3); Minneapolis (May 6-8); Philadelphia (June 2-5); Sacramento, Calif. (June 17-19); Columbus, Ohio (July 29-31); Orlando, Fla. (August 5-7); Chicago (August 18-21); Austin, Texas (September 23-25); and Pittsburgh (November 4-6).
Wizard World events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, gaming, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, anime, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The 2016 Tour schedule is currently comprised of events in major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Cleveland and others.
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content — including all major video game consoles, iOS, mobile and online. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA®, RIDGE RACER® and ACE COMBAT®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)
Wizard World, Inc. ( www.wizardworld.com) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched Wizard World Store ( www.shopwizardworld.com), CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM), and ComicConBox™ ( www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.
The 2016 Wizard World Comic Con schedule is available at: www.wizardworld.com/wizcon.html.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that
involve certain risks and uncertainties. The actual results or outcomes
of Wizard World, Inc. may differ materially from those anticipated.
Although Wizard World, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the
forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any such
assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, Wizard World, Inc.
can provide no assurance that any of the forward-looking statements
contained in this letter will prove to be accurate.
