Bandai America Inc. Launches Sweepstakes Giving Kids the Opportunity to Make Their Dreams Come True

(CYPRESS, CA – March 25, 2009) – Going back stage is closer than you think with the Tamagotchi Music Star “Wanna be a Music Star?” sweepstakes. Kids can enter this rockin’ sweepstakes and win a variety of prizes including an exclusive customized Tamagotchi Music Star Epiphone Firebird Studio guitar, a VIP trip to the 2009 Teen Choice Awards held in August at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, and loaded Tamagotchi gift bags. To celebrate the sweepstakes, Tamagotchi will be hosting simultaneous events on Saturday, April 11 in-store at all 587 Toys “R” Us locations nationwide.

“By partnering with Epiphone, Tamagotchi Music Star is encouraging kids not only to create and produce a pop star with their original interactive virtual pet but also to play their own music with a legendary guitar,” Colleen Sherfey, senior director of marketing, Bandai America Inc. “We are very happy to have such a respected brand as Epiphone on board with us for this promotion.”

The “Wanna be a Music Star?” sweepstakes allows kids to enter online at www.Tamagotchi.com for the chance to win the Grand Prize, which includes an exclusive customized Tamagotchi Epiphone Firebird Studio guitar as well as a VIP trip for the winner and a guest to The 2009 Teen Choice Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. The trip includes round-trip airfare, two nights hotel, and ground transportation in the Gibson Tour Bus. There will also be ten first place winners who will each receive an exclusive customized Tamagotchi Epiphone Les Paul Special II guitar. Also, 25 second place winners will win Tamagotchi gift bags filled with an Epiphone hat as well as Tamagotchi toys, lanyards and charms.

To celebrate the sweepstakes, Tamagotchi will be hosting simultaneous events on Saturday, April 11 from 12-2pm at all 587 Toys “R” Us locations nationwide. The Tamagotchi Music Star events at Toys ‘R Us will feature prize wheels and in-store giveaways, with a special one-dayonly coupon for $2 off Tamagotchi Music Star toys. Each person who attends will also receive their very own Music Star VIP lanyard and will get to spin the prize wheel for a chance to win other cool Tamagotchi items like a postcard or activity sheet. Each Music Star VIP lanyard will have codes that will unlock exclusive items in Music City at www.TamaTown.com that kids can then display in their very own virtual room!

The new Tamagotchi Music Star is the world’s first interactive virtual pet toy that lets kids produce a musical Pop Star. Kids raise and care for their Music Star character as they follow their career from pre-school where they are introduced to their instruments, to music school where they find their band members, to their professional debut performing in front of judges, and even as they retire in style as a pop star band. To experience the pop star lifestyle online, kids can visit and explore the all-new interactive Music City section of TamaTown.com. Using Gotchi Points and special passwords, kids who visit Music City can personalize their own “virtual” room for their Tamagotchi, shop for instruments, buy cool clothes for their big audition, create and produce their own music tunes and even upload their own custom-made tunes to become the #1 Pop Star.