1P Start

Now, I had the same thoughts you probably did: “Prince is a gamer?” But, I feel that I should assure you that this is NOT from Prince, but rather a tennis company that shares its name with the Artist Formerly Known as Symbol. So, now that we have that cleared up, let’s get to it.

Odds are, if you own a Wii, you’re playing a lot of Wii Sports (and keeping healthy). Lord knows that, outside of Metroid and the rehashed Resident Evil 4, it’s the only thing on the system with any real lasting power. If you ARE a Wii fanatic, and find that the standard Wii Tennis attachment isn’t enough to whet your appetite, don’t fret — Prince has you covered.

Prince has announced a partnership with Qualtech Global to design, manufacture and sell the first “proper” tennis racquet for the Wii. The racquets will be for sale at your local Circuit City for $14.99, and will go on sale on November 15th, 2007.

Press Release after the break.

Prince Creates Custom Racquets for Nintendo Wii Gamers

Tennis Leader Expands Brand Visibility to Gaming Community and New Retail Channels

[Prince Wii Racquets] Bordentown, NJ – October 1, 2007 – In only one year, Nintendo’s Wii Tennis has become something of a video game phenomenon complete with millions of die-hard fans.

Around the globe, people of all ages have gotten up off the couch to engage in a new form of video competition that lets friends and families play “virtual” tennis against each other, complete with real footwork and real follow-throughs.

Until now however, there has only been one problem – there has been no proper Wii tennis racquet! Prince, an industry leader in performance tennis equipment, in partnership with Qualtech Global, Ltd., has created Wii Tennis racquets designed specifically to make the playing experience for gamers even more realistic and fun – and they are arriving just in time for the 2007 holiday gift-giving season!

Available in multiple colors, these safe, scaled-down racquets house the Wii remote and give players an unparalleled sense that they are playing a real match with a real racquet!

“Even before the first racquets went to production, people started jockeying to get them for themselves, their kids or their friends who “just had to have them,” said Linda Glassel Vice President of Marketing and Brand Image at Prince. “Prince is a performance tennis brand excited to aid in the enjoyment of anyone who is playing any form of the sport. We think this game and these racquets will encourage people, of all ages, to get out on a real tennis court and play some points there as well.”

Search Wii Tennis on YouTube.com and it will return dozens of homegrown videos showing players from all parts of the world going head-to-head against one another. For many, it has become an obsession, or a creative form of exercise, and the growing trend of playing Wii Tennis has led to competitions at local bars, Wii Tennis as part of school PE curriculums, and the first ever “Wiimbledon” tournament held earlier this year.

For Prince, creating these racquets for Wii gamers provides the opportunity to expand the brand’s visibility into alternative retail channels.

“Offering these racquets makes perfect sense for us. We are not only providing a really fun, useful accessory to the Wii user, but encouraging additional exposure for the brand and the sport as well,” added Glassel. “We hope that many of the people who find us in the video game section, will head to the sporting goods section or their local tennis shop and pick up a Prince racquet, either for the first time or to get back in the game. It is really a win-win for players and gamers.”

[Prince]

Prince, Tennis, Nintendo, Wii, Wii Tennis