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RETAILBIZ: BELLA SARA 52 MCV 20/03/09
WWW.MCVUK.COM
RELEASED: MARCH 20 FORMATS: DS, PC PUBLISHER: CODEMASTERS DEVELOPER: RAZORBACK PRICE: DS: £24.99, PC: £19.99 DISTRIBUTOR: GEM CONTACT: 01279 822824
The world of horses and card collection combine in Codemasters latest DS and PC release…
series to DS and PC and capitalise on the growing girl gamer market. “We all know how strong the young female market is on the DS and Bella Sara is a game that provides them with something new, a world filled with magical horses,” explains Codemasters brand manager Leon Sanders. “Bella Sara itself is hugely popular, with over 2.5 million registered users online and millions of cards sold worldwide. The game allows players to
is only available inside the retail edition of the game. IN 1887 the first baseball card was There are over 200 virtual trading released. It was an event that has cards which gamers can collect, and spawned an entire industry, which is each one is based on the official cards today dominated by the likes of currently available worldwide. The inPokémon and Magic: The Gathering. game cards can also be traded with For years the act of trading cards have friends over wi-fi, and there is a series of been a popular pastime on UK secret codes to be found throughout the playgrounds, particularly amongst young game that can unlock exclusive items males. But now it has come time for on the Bella Sara website. girls to get collecting, with the Bella The rise in casual and family gaming Sara collection. has seen the female Bella Sara was the gaming market grow We all know how strong the brainchild of Denmark social dramatically over the past young female market is on worker Gitte Odder twelve months. Special DS DS. Bella Sara provides them Brændgaard, who wanted to colours, and game ranges create an alternative trading such as Ubisoft’s Imagine with something new. card game for girls. The line-up and 505 Games’ Leon Sanders, Codemasters cards first appeared in stores Diva Girls collection has in 2006, and have steadily grown in groom, care for and ride the horses, helped drive the girl gaming market to popularity since, winning countless whilst collecting hundreds of Bella Sara new levels, and more and more awards and gaining worldwide cards which can be traded with friends publishers are looking to capitalise on distribution. who also own a DS. As players progress this expanding sector. they will unlock different areas of the HORSING AROUND CHOMPING AT THE BIT game world and new challenges, along The cards themselves feature illustrated In Bella Sara for DS and PC, with unique codes to unlock exclusive horses with ‘inspirational’ messages on Codemasters has brought Brændgaard’s items on the Bella Sara website.” them. Many of the cards also feature charming world to life, with a wealth of Codemasters has stayed true to Bella codes that allow collectors to unlock a features that will appeal to fans of the Sara’s heritage, promoting creative play virtual version of their horse on the series. But the game targets more than with positive messages. The game website, making it a complete invites girls to ride and care for up to six just existing fans, and invites in young interactive experience. girl gamers who may never have heard magical horses, including a new The concept has been a hit in of the card series in the first place. character. And for the Bella Sara multiple countries, and publisher Bella Sara gallops onto store shelves fanatics out there, the game boasts an Codemasters has opted to bring the today (March 20th) on both PC and DS. extra, unique, real-life trading card that by Christopher Dring
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Codemasters’ new DS game offers horse fans the chance to care for and ride horses while also building their Bella Sara card collection
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