NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL AND WIZARDS OF THE COAST'S MAGIC: THE GATHERING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TAKE MANHATTAN BY STORM THIS DECEMBER

The World’s Best Players and Enthusiasts Gather at the Javits Center December 6-9, 2007

Norwalk, CT, November 20, 2007: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) and Wizards of the Coast today announced that the Magic: The Gathering World Championships will be held at the Jacob Javits Center this December during the New York Anime Festival. Magic: The Gathering World Championships is organized by Wizards of the Coast and will take place from December 6-9 with players from around the world in attendance. In addition to both team and individual World Championships, Magic: The Gathering World Championships also includes the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony, games demonstrations and public events running all four days with prizes including iPhones, Zunes, Garmins and even a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser.

"Gaming and artistry are important parts of the anime experience, and there's nothing bigger or better than Magic: The Gathering World Championships," NYAF Show Manager John McGeary said. "We're honored to have the Magic: The Gathering World Championships take place alongside the New York Anime Festival, and we know both events will only benefit from this partnership."

“Magic: The Gathering World Championships is an annual event that draws enthusiasts from around the globe,” said Elaine Chase, Senior Brand Manager for Wizard of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering. “Being in New York City along side the New York Anime Festival just seemed like a logical choice as gamers and fans of both unite to take over the Javits Center.”

All information about the Magic: The Gathering World Championships (including hours, schedules, and tournament details) can be found by going online at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=events/magic/worlds. Magic: The Gathering World Championships is open to the public and free to attend. The New York Anime Festival requires the purchase of a convention badge to enter.

ABOUT MAGIC: THE GATHERING:

Magic: The Gathering® is the first, and most widely played collectible trading card game. Within the game, players take on the role of planeswalkers--powerful wizards who battle others for glory, knowledge and conquest. Each player’s deck of cards represents the player’s arsenal of weapons, which includes spells and creatures. With thousands of different cards available, the MagicTM game offers an unrivaled depth of game play in which each game is different from the last. Each card is adorned with beautiful and unique illustrations inspired by familiar elements of myth and legend. These elements weave together to provide a strategically rich and satisfying game play experience.

Magic: The Gathering was created by Richard Garfield, Ph.D., and originally introduced to the public in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. The game successfully combines the appeal of collectable trading cards with the depth and fun of strategy games. Magic introduced an entirely new gaming genre to the world and currently has more than eight million players worldwide.

The world-wide popularity of Magic has also spawned an organized tournament system and a community of professional Magic players.

ABOUT WIZARDS OF THE COAST

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, MAGIC: THE GATHERING®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons®, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:

The New York Anime Festival takes place December 7-9, 2007, at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival will showcase the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival will feature exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explore the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life.

The New York Anime Festival is sponsored by ADV Films, Anime Innovation Tokyo, Anime Insider, Anime Network, Anime News Network, AnimeNEXT, BookExpo America, Diamond Book Distributors, Entertainment Consumers Association, FUNimation Entertainment, ICv2, ImaginAsian, Kinokuniya Bookstores, License! Global, Manga Video, New York Comic Con, NEW YORK - TOKYO, Newtype USA, Publishers Weekly, Starz Media, THINK Corp, TOKYOPOP, Video Business, VIZ Media, Wedge Holdings, Wizards of the Coast, and the World Cosplay Summit.

The New York Anime Festival's Guests of Honor include Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Kobun Shizuno, and Aimee Major Steinberger. The New York Anime Festival's musical guests include HAPPYFUNSMILE, UNICORN TABLE, and Voltaire.

Further information and tickets can be found at www.newyorkanimefestival.com.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS:

The New York Anime Festival is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading events organizer. In 2006, Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held in 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and organized by 37 fully staffed offices.

Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses, and meetings. Its portfolio of over 460 events serves 52 industry sectors, including aerospace and defense, building and construction, design, electronics, energy, oil and gas, entertainment, food and hospitality, gifts, healthcare, IT/telecoms, jewelry, manufacturing, marketing and business services, pharmaceuticals, property, publishing, security, sport and recreation, transport and logistics, and travel.

Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations, and government departments, Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.

Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2005, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,002 million on turnover of £5,166 million.