EMAIL TO ALL STORES ABOUT TOPPS ACQUIRING WIZKIDS

Dear WizKids Venue,
As you may have heard, today Topps announced it is acquiring WizKids. Attached you’ll find the press release announcing the change. We’re sure this announcement gives rise to many questions. Here area few answers.
• We have no immediate plans to change how WizKids sells or to whom.
• We have no plans to change the Venue or Envoy programs, other than those changes that have been previously announced and are currently in process.
• We expect no changes in management or structure with the Topps deal. Jordan is still the boss. Everyone here still has a job. We’re not relocating the office. Really, we are planning no changes that will affect day-to-day business. You’ll still be working closely with Maya, James, Rob, and the rest of the Community Development staff.
• We really believe that Topps will allow us to continue to build the WizKids brands, and that’s what we want, more people playing our games.
• Nothing we are working on should stop because of this deal. We’re starting our summer push right now, and this should not be a distraction. No men in sunglasses are showing up tomorrow to clean out the filing cabinets.
• Bottom Line – business as usual If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Really there isn’t much to report, as we are making no changes to our day-to-day operations, although spearmint is out and Bazooka Joe is in.
In closing, let me add a few things we’ve been talking about here at the office. We are very appreciative of all your support for our games. We have worked very hard to earn your trust and to make great products for you to sell. We know that without all of you plugging for us, there would be no WizKids, no Mage Knight, no MechWarrior, no HeroClix. Remember, when we first started Ray and Jordan did demos for retailers at GenCon, and it was retailers who called the game distributors and demanded they stock Mage Knight. That was less than three years ago. Can you believe it? We know that for most of our Venues, WizKids games aren’t just widgets. They are games you enjoy, are proud to display, and which you enjoy seeing your customers enjoy. We’re pulling for you to succeed, and you’ve carried the water for us. Without your hard work on our behalf, we would not have been able to get our games out to all the players who love them and there would be no Topps deal.
On behalf of all your friends here at WizKids, thank you. We’ll keep pulling for you. Nothing announced today changes that. We look forward to working closely with you for many years to come.
Let’s tip a glass together soon at Origins, GenCon, or next year’s GAMA Trade Show.
Best –


Martin A. Stever
Executive Vice President
WizKids


Topps to Acquire WizKids

JUNE 23, 2003 (SEATTLE) — Today, The Topps Company, the trading card, collectibles, and confectionary company, announced it is acquiring Wizkids, LLC (“WizKids”), a privately held designer and marketer of collectible strategy games, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. WizKids’ current games include Mage Knight, HeroClix, and MechWarrior, all of which utilize collectible miniature figures with a patent-pending “combat dial” that encodes relevant game information in the base of each piece.
Topps Chairman and CEO, Arthur T. Shorin said, “The acquisition of WizKids represents an important step in our strategy for growing the Entertainment segment of the business as it provides efficient entry to the growing collectible games market. Founded in 2000, WizKids enjoys a strong reputation for its innovative game design, effective marketing skills, and high-level customer care. In addition to the existing product line, there is a healthy pipeline of new games in development.” He added, “Joining forces with WizKids will enhance the licensing reach of both companies and will further leverage Topps brand franchises. We look forward to welcoming the management and employees of WizKids to the Topps family.”
Jordan Weisman, WizKids’ co-founder and CEO, will be responsible for the day-to-day management of WizKids and its 95 employees. Mr. Weisman, 43, has been one of the gaming industry’s most successful and prolific designers over 20 years. He will report directly to Scott Silverstein, EVP and head of Topps Entertainment Division.
Mr. Weisman commented, “We are delighted to join with Topps and look forward to enhancing the Company’s product offerings with the addition of collectible strategy games. With the support of Topps resources, its distribution know-how, industry presence, and brands, we are excited to realize the full value of our game products and to play a role in the successful evolution of Topps entertainment lines.”

WizKids manufactures and distributes “collectable miniatures games,” a category of tabletop strategy game invented by Weisman in 1999, and now played in 56 countries all over the world. To date, the company has sold more than 100 million toy figures under the game brands Mage Knight™, MechWarrior®, and HeroClix™.
The latest game to bear WizKids’ imaginative stamp is Shadowrun® Duels, which hits store shelves this month. Shadowrun combines full-sized action figures with a complete set of tabletop “combat” rules, combining imaginative play and rules-based game play. In September, WizKids is launching Creepy Freaks™ the Gross-Out 3-D Trading Game that combines the collectability of card games with the tabletop strategy of a miniatures game. It is also the first WizKids title designed exclusively for kids.
For additional information on WizKids, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.