Recently I had the pleasure of receiving an e-mail from Stacy Schlicht (from Rogers and Cowan) who asked me if I would like to do I review for a new children's game.
Now, I love doing reviews and learning about new products for our children, so I agreed and I'm very happy I did.
The game I was introduced to is called
MatchMaster, which is associated with the David Beckham Acamedy. MatchMaster is a hand held, interactive soccer game with a unique twist.
The reason I say "unique twist" and the reason why this game is different from many other hand held games, is the fact that not only do your children get to have fun while playing the game, they get to learn about fitness, better health and nutrition.
Your children will have to guide and develop their players to eat, train and sleep correctly by scheduling these activities through their Daily Routine Planner. You receive lifeline points after each of the above routines to help develop the MatchMaster into a stronger machine.
There are a total of seven different interactive training games to choose from including: The Wall, Shuttles, Sprints, Dribble, Passing, Penalty Shoot Out and Free Kick. With continued practice by your child, better scores will come helping to increase their lifeline points.
Increase your lifeline points and your child is ready to play one of the four infra-red games against a mate to see who the ultimate MATCHMASTER champion will be!
My kids gave the MatchMaster a thorough workout and loved the games. I was surprised at how eager they were to make sure they scheduled their daily planners to challenge each other to have the stronger machine. The graphics are "cool" according to my son and the both loved the play of the head to head infra-red games. They had no problems playing the games as the controls are very easy.
Just for the record, my daughter wanted me to make sure I posted that she is the champion between herself and her brother.
MatchMaster is for children ages 8 and is available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores nationwide as of June 1, 2008. The cost of the game system is $19.96. Right now they have soccer and hockey available with potential for other sports in the future.
I give MatchMaster double thumbs up and would recommend it to all (for the record, Fun 4 The Children is not affiliated with MatchMaster). My kids had fun challenging each other and they learned some further responsibility with the scheduling. The game is also wonderful to take along on car rides!
I have added the official press release below for the MatchMaster games and you can see and learn more about the game by visiting the MatchMaster website.
You also want to make sure you enter the MatchMaster Sweepstakes which began June 1, 2008 and ends September 1, 2008 at midnight. The Grand Prize includes a three-day David Beckham Academy Course in London, with many other great prizes for first through sixth place (total of 243 winners).
MatchMaster press release:
Introducing MatchMaster, an Interactive Game that Combines Fun with Fitness, in Association with The David Beckham Academy, Now Available at Wal-Mart.
LOS ANGELES, (June 2, 2008) – MatchMaster, associated with The David Beckham Academy, is the latest interactive soccer game that combines fun with fitness. This hand held soccer game tests player's ability to develop their performance by managing a daily schedule and teaching children how training, eating right and rest leads to better health and athletic performance.
Designed for children ages eight and up, MatchMaster is available exclusively nationwide at Wal-Mart. This lightweight, easy-to-use electronic game will be available in royal blue and sky blue with a retail price of $19.96. The game offers seven virtual soccer games and four Infra Red games, allowing players to challenge others to become the ultimate MatchMaster.
“With over three million children in the US playing on soccer teams, the need for fitness education is prevalent,” said Sean Mumbray, founder of MatchMaster. “As an avid soccer fan, I realized the market had plenty of virtual pet games but was lacking interactive, virtual sports games. Therefore, MatchMaster was created to merge my love of the sport with an informative game reinforcing the importance of a well-balanced life to improve athletic performance.”
Players must select their “Daily Routine Planner” during select time frames, which includes choosing meals, training and sleep to cultivate a stronger virtual player. These key elements encourage children to maintain a healthy “Lifeline”, which can be directly related to their daily lives, but in a fun and interactive way. The better coached player will perform at a higher level during the seven interactive training games allowing them to accumulate more points. Once the player masters the training games they can test their skills against another player using one of the four Infra Red challenges.
The launch of MatchMaster will be supported by an integrated marketing plan including a TV and digital advertising campaign with point-of-sale displays and visuals in Wal-Mart stores in June. A sweepstakes campaign will coincide with the launch and run through September 1, 2008 at midnight. The winners will be announced on September 15 with over 100 David Beckham Academy prizes totaling nearly $150,000.00. The sweepstake prizes range from a trip for ten to London to trips to Los Angeles and training courses at the David Beckham Academies. Details are available inside each package and online at www.thedavidbeckhamacademy.com.
The David Beckham Academy provides programs for young aspiring athletes aged 4-15 years old. The Academy teaches the importance of hard work, healthy living, team concepts and understanding the importance of having fun every time they step on the field.
“The Academy believes the MatchMaster game is a great soccer training aid for kids as it highlights the importance of a good diet, exercise and the need to train regularly to improve and maintain skills. This game is a fun way to learn what it takes to become a soccer player and allows kids to challenge their friends to matches,” said Betsy Pollard, General Manager of the David Beckham Academy.
“I felt it was a perfect match for the company since the David Beckham Academies provide the opportunity for children to learn how to play soccer while also being educated about proper nutrition and exercise,” said Mumbray.
MatchMaster is the first in a series of virtual sporting games to hit the US market. Additional games will be announced in the near future.
About MatchMaster:
MatchMaster was founded in 2004 by Sean Mumbray in the United Kingdom. The first game launched by MatchMaster was an English version soccer game in which MatchMaster signed a license with the English Football Association (FA) just prior to the World Cup Finals in June 2006. MatchMaster games now has a WW Patent across all major sports in the US and offers a large variety of handheld games and toys.
The name for the company came about when Mumbray thought of sporting events and soccer matches and linked them together with Master. To Master the game you become the best and ultimately the MatchMaster. The company is based in Otford, Kent, United Kingdom and can be visited on the web at www.matchmastergames.com.
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