Montreal, Canada - From stacking rocks to pieces of wood, the building block may have very well been the first toy ever played with by children, but with the help of MEGA Brands, the building block evolved and children can now create beautiful structures with Mega Bloks. Today, the modern child is exposed to a whole world of digital entertainment and MEGA Brands is proud to bring the realms of children’s toys and virtual reality together with the release of their first iPhone and iPad application ‘Mega Bloks Playground.’

“To celebrate 25 years of building fun with Mega Bloks, we thought what better way to take our founding construction toy to a whole new level for today’s preschoolers than with our first-ever iPhone/iPad app,” said Jean Gauvin, Content & Creative Director at MEGA Brands. “With the help of Budge Studios, we are thrilled to bring the Mega Bloks world to life for preschoolers, ages two to five, in an interactive digital platform with ‘Mega Bloks Playground’ by engaging preschoolers with a new creative and innovative way to build and play with Mega Bloks, while developing their fine motor skills.”

Budge Studios, the developer and publisher of the Mega Bloks app, specialize in creating children interactive products for touch devices and tablet computers.

“It is not unusual for a parent to hand their iPhone or iPad to their child and allow them play with it”, said Michael Elman Partner and Creative Director at Budge Studios “But not all of these applications are suited for toddlers and preschoolers. With the Mega Bloks Playground application, our goal is to create something for children that engages their imagination and creativity. It is not a ‘video game’ by any means, that gives you set goals and sets you up to ‘win’ or ‘lose’. Mega Bloks Playground is first and foremost a toy – which puts the control and the adventure back in the mind of the child using it. The goal is pure, engaging, and safe playtime.”

‘Mega Bloks Playground’ is available now on the Apple iPhone and iPad platform. The preschool interactive world includes two playable Mega Bloks buddies, a boy and a girl, who interact with a full set of in-world elements, such as swing sets, slides, teeter-totters, playful animals, a lake with a sailboat, and even a hot air balloon. It’s the ultimate digital playset for preschoolers! Parents will appreciate how the app’s intuitive touch-play controls are designed to help foster fine motor skills in children two to five years old, while children will certainly be delighted in discovering piles of colorful bloks through out the playground that will ultimately piece together to form new Mega Bloks creations.

Mega Bloks Playground At-A-Glance

- Discover over 15 active touch points with your two Mega Blok buddies.

- Drag or tap the Mega Bloks buddies with your finger on the iPad/iPhone screen and watch them play in the playground.

- Explore an interactive playground featuring a hot air balloon, sailboat, pond, swingset, teeter-totter, slide and lots more.

- Collect piles of Mega Bloks and build a variety of Mega Bloks structures.

- Easy-to-use interface even for the tiniest of fingers

- Superior touch-play with rich graphics, vibrant sounds, and cheerful music.

- Open-ended, unlimited play; it’s always playtime at the Mega Bloks Playground!

Pricing and Availability

Both iPad and iPhone versions will be released October 1st 2010. Mega Bloks Playground is $1.99 (iPhone) and $3.99 (iPad) and available worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store in the Game - kids section. Starting on the day of the launch, the app will be 50% off for a limited time only.

About MEGA Brands

MEGA Brands is a trusted family of leading global brands in construction toys, games & puzzles, arts & crafts and stationery. They offer engaging creative experiences for children and families through innovative, well-designed, affordable and high-quality products.

The MEGA logo, Mega Bloks, Rose Art, MagNext and Board Dudes are trademarks of MEGA Brands Inc. or its affiliates.

About BUDGE Studios

Budge Studios inc. is a developer and publisher of interactive products for touch devices and tablet computers. The company is specialized in creating interactive children’s books and digital toys. Budge Studios is focused on securing licenses and partnerships with children’s book publishers and toy companies to leverage their popularity and capitalize on mass market appeal.

Press Contacts

Amy Gregus

MEGA Brands Communications Specialist

Email: agregus@megabrands.com

Phone: (514) 333-5555, ext. 2507

Aaron Watkins

Appency for BUDGE Studios

Email: aaron@appency.com

Phone: (916) 692-5117

Noemie Dupuy

Marketing Director

BUDGE Studios

Email: noemie@budgestudios.ca

Phone: (514) 289-9537, ext. 203