HispanicBusiness

LOS ANGELES, June 2 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- MatchMaster, associated with The David Beckham Academy, is the latest interactive soccer game that combines fun with fitness. This hand held soccer game tests the 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 http://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 http://www.matchmastergames.com.