01:57 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
WizKids brings in Mike Elliott as Senior Designer

Stage one of WizKids' regrouping after its recent layoffs and product cancellations appears to be bringing in new talent. In a press release today (see below), WizKids announced that Mike Elliott, formerly of Wizards of the Coast, has been brought aboard as the new Senior Designer of R&D. Elliott, who has worked on games like Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon and Duelmasters, will focus on "developing new game lines as well assist in fine-tuning our existing games."

WizKids press release follows:

Veteran Game Designer Mike Elliott To Join WizKids R&D Group

August 11, 2006 (SEATTLE) - WizKids, Inc., innovators of the gaming industry and creators of the runaway hit games Pirates of the Spanish Main™ and HeroClix®, is proud to announce that Mike Elliott will join the WizKids R&D group as Senior Designer.

Mike Elliott is known throughout the industry for his design and development excellence most recently as General Manager of MSE Consulting, LLC. He has worked previously with Wizards of the Coast (WotC)/Hasbro where he served as both the Director of Design and Senior Designer.

During his tenure at WotC, Mike led the design and/or development of successful trading card games such as Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Duelmasters, Star Wars TCG, and Neopets. Board games, electronic games, and non-collectible card games are also a part of Mike's portfolio of design and development experience.

"We have worked with Mike Elliott in the past on a consulting level, and feel his wealth of experience and approach to the design and development of new products are in line with our goals for growth in the gaming sector," said Joe Hauck, EVP Sales, Marketing and Product Development. "Mike has strengths in all aspects of our business - design, development, production, market research, and organized play. We are thrilled to have him as a member of our creative team."

Mike will focus his efforts on developing new game lines as well assist in fine-tuning our existing games. "It is a great honor to be joining this talented group of professionals," said Mr. Elliott. "The opportunities available at WizKids are a perfect fit, and I look forward to adding to WizKids' portfolio of great games."

About WizKids:
WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination. Its HeroClix® and Pirates brands are among the most successful games on the market today. The company has sold hundreds of millions of game pieces worldwide. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.