NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC™ RELEASES NEW MONOPOLY® GAME
Classic board game mixes fun, education into exciting hunt for the world’s premier peaks

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 2001)—Adventurers can enjoy the ultimate fantasy of conquering the most well-known and extraordinary mountains in the world with the new Monopoly® Game: National Geographic Mountaineering Edition. Available this holiday season from the name that is synonymous with exploration and adventure, the new National Geographic Monopoly game features a mountaineering theme, with world-class photography and climbing facts from around the globe.

For those who have dreamed of conquering Mt. Everest, now they can do it from the confines of their own living room. Experienced climbers from the National Geographic staff helped to develop the Monopoly game to ensure that a player’s expedition around the board will be a challenging experience. Players will vie to triumph the world’s most renowned mountains and trails in the classic Monopoly game style. Peaks such as Mt. Everest, K2, Denali, El Capitan, and the Matterhorn are just a few of the many challenges up for grabs. Adventurers move around the customized board with their choice of six mountaineering pewter tokens (climber, yak, canteen, hiking boot, rope, and tent).

The National Geographic Mountaineering Edition of the Monopoly game will retail for about $35, and will only be available in such specialty retail outlets as Barnes & Noble, R.E.I., and Eastern Mountain Sports. Consumers can also order direct via www.usaopoly.com, shop.nationalgeographic.com, or through a toll-free phone number (888 656 7306). As with all National Geographic licensed products, all net proceeds from the game support the Society’s initiatives of exploration, conservation, research, and education programs.

The licensee for this new National Geographic game is USAOPOLY. The seven year-old privately held USAOPOLY initially secured a licensing agreement with Hasbro in 1994 to create, market, and distribute specialty versions of the classic Monopoly board game. USAOPOLY has 30 different versions of the Monopoly game including The Simpsons™, New York Yankees™, and Astronomy, as well as numerous specialty versions of Clue®, Scrabble®, and Pictionary®.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge, the Society reflects the world through magazines, books, maps, television, and interactive media. Recently launched in the U.S., the National Geographic Channel broadcasts in 134 countries and reaches nearly 120 million households in 20 languages worldwide.

National Geographic magazine reaches more than 40 million readers worldwide every month. The Society’s three other magazines—Adventure, Traveler, and World—reach another five million readers. National Geographic Enterprises includes licensing, a catalog business, travel expeditions, e-commerce, and retail. These units oversee the merchandise related to the National Geographic brand worldwide. Recent licensing partnerships have included partnerships with First USA Bank for a National Geographic MasterCard. To learn more about National Geographic, log onto www.nationalgeographic.com.

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September 2001