BOCA RATON, Fla., May 24, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Empire Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings (Nasdaq:SSTR), today announced that it has signed a contract with Sanrio Digital to publish and co-develop exciting new multi-format console and handheld games featuring the ever popular and timeless Hello Kitty character.
Hello Kitty exploded onto the fashion scene after debuting in 1974 when Sanrio established her as a greeting card character. However, her charm and innocence quickly established her in the hearts and minds of an adoring public and she swiftly became a must-have collectable for girls around the world. Hello Kitty has since grown into one of the most recognizable characters in the world, with her image adorning everything from t-shirts to jewelry and mobile phones. Hello Kitty is also not short of celebrity admirers and can count Mariah Carey, Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani as fans.
Hello Kitty's return to a variety of console formats, combined with Empire's efforts to establish her on handhelds, the gaming popularity for Hello Kitty and the Sanrio Brand is set to grow both within her huge fan base and to a broader consumer audience.
Ian Higgins, CEO of Empire Interactive, stated, "Hello Kitty is a global brand with a mass appeal to both girls and non-traditional gamers. The move to multi-format console and handhelds is an exciting one and will strengthen this unique brand and deliver it to a wider audience. We are delighted to be co-developing a new Hello Kitty game which will bring this colorful world to the masses."
Clive Kabatznik, CEO of Silverstar Holdings, said, "Our Hello Kitty partnership affiliates Empire with another exciting global brand. It is evidence that Empire can provide the development and marketing expertise to transform global franchises into popular games on multi-format platforms. We are confident that our significant earlier success in Europe will be extended onto new platforms in the international marketplace."
Yat Siu, CEO of Sanrio Digital, said, "We are excited to work with Empire and hope this collaboration will successfully extend the good qualities of Hello Kitty and her friends to console games."
About Sanrio Digital:
Sanrio Digital is a joint venture between Typhoon Games (HK) Ltd., and Sanrio Wave (HK) Co. Ltd. whose mission is to enhance the Sanrio experience through digital lifestyle and to focus on the digital expansion of Sanrio intellectual property assets. Sanrio is a world-wide designer and distributor of character branded stationary, school supplies, gifts, and accessories. Sanrio is perhaps best known for Hello Kitty, their star character and corporate symbol. Other world- famous characters include My Melody, Badtz Maru, and Pochacco.
For further information please visit www.sanriodigital.com or www.sanriotown.com.
About Empire Interactive:
Empire Interactive is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software that has been established for 19 years. Headquartered in the U.K., Empire Interactive also has offices in the U.S., Germany, France and Spain. The company develops and publishes a varied range of titles for all current platforms in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Games such as Starsky & Hutch, Big Mutha Truckers, Ford Racing and Flat Out have all enjoyed success across the world. Its budget label, Xplosiv, is one of the fastest growing in Europe. Further information about Empire Interactive and its products can be found at www.empireinteractive.com.
The Empire Interactive logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3408
About Silverstar Holdings:
Silverstar Holdings, Ltd. is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq:SSTR), focusing on acquiring controlling positions in high-growth retail-driven and fee-based electronic game businesses that stand to benefit from the economies of scale generated by the Internet and other technology-related platforms. It currently owns Empire Interactive, PLC and Strategy First, Inc., a leading developer and worldwide publisher of entertainment software for the PC.
The statements which are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future financial results, additional financing requirements, development of new products, regulatory approval processes, the impact of competitive products or pricing, technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.