Residents of the nation's 35th state celebrated the 35th anniversary of UNO® today by setting a record for the world's largest card game tournament. The 330 participants in Charleston, West Virginia, who played the classic game from Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT), beat the previous record of 320 players who played the game of Quadrille in Portugal.
"We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone anniversary for UNO® by breaking this world record," said Cynthia Neiman, vice president of marketing, Mattel Games. "The people of Charleston got into the spirit of the game and truly came together to enjoy the fast-paced fun of UNO."
The world record was broken at Appalachian Power Park in West Virginia, the home of the West Virginia Power, Charleston's minor league baseball team. An adjudicator from Guinness World Records, who traveled to the celebration from England, certified the new record as official as soon as the final round of the UNO® tournament was played.
"It is amazing to see the enthusiasm people have for UNO," said Laura Jane Nieberg, adjudicator, Guinness World Records. "I witness a lot of successful world record attempts and this is the first where hundreds of people are jumping out of their seats, yelling to be the winner."
The world record attempt highlighted the 35th anniversary celebration for UNO®, the No. 1 card game in America1. As part of the festivities, West Virginia Secretary of Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin delivered an official welcome on behalf of Gov. Joe Manchin, III. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones delivered the welcome address and proclaimed it "UNO® World Record Day." Mattel made a donation to the YMCA of Kanawha Valley in Charleston in honor of the anniversary.
During the tournament, fans enjoyed UNO® competitions of their own in the Mattel Games play area. Fans lined up to play the newest addition to the UNO® family, UNO Spin, a brand-new "twist" on the popular game. Created to celebrate 35 years of the popular card game, UNO Spin introduces new, never-before-seen action to the family favorite, with an UNO Spin wheel that features exciting command elements.
The UNO® champion, Lucinda Kowalewski from Poca, W. Va., received 2007 season tickets to the West Virginia Power, as well a prize package that included an Xbox 360 with a 12-month Xbox Live® Gold subscription. Additionally, the winner received from DSI games a Gameboy Advanced System and two UNO and UNO 52.
All tournament players received select UNO® card games; some lucky attendees received prizes that let them play even more UNO®, such as UNO® games for the Gameboy Advanced System. In addition, prize winners also received an Xbox 360 and a 12-month Xbox Live® Gold subscription to play UNO® on Xbox Live® Arcade - complete with Xbox Vision camera support and multiple theme decks. UNO® is also available for play on other Microsoft platforms, including Windows Live Messenger and soon, MSN® Games (www.games.msn.com).
About Mattel
Mattel, Inc., (NYSE:MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People®, Rescue Heroes®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than the 30,000 people in 42 countries and sells products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Mattel's vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.
About Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 20 languages and is one of the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Last year Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition (1955 "" 2005) and the 2004 edition marked the sales of its 100 millionth copy. The Guinness World Records Web site (http://guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year. Guinness World Records is published by HIT Entertainment PLC, a fully integrated global studio with divisions in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany and Japan, including broadcast production and distribution, video and audio sales, consumer products licensing and marketing.
About YMCA
The YMCA is the largest provider of child care in the United States and the YMCA of the Kanwaha Valley cares for over 300 youth everyday from 6 months to 15 years of age. The YMCA is integral in the fight to curb the growth of obesity in West Virginia with its Activate America initiative through its after school programs. Nearly 2000 students are cared for in the after school hours by the YMCA in the state and take part in exercise to help increase the activity levels. For more information on the YMCA of Kanawha Valley visit its web site www.ymcawv.org or contact the YMCA in your hometown.
1 Source: The NPD Group / Consumer Panel Track; Jan-Aug 2006, Annual 2005, Annual 2004, Annual 2003; Card Games Category; Brands