Patch Products is Playing with *NSYNCUpdated 10:05 AM ET August 10, 2000BELOIT, Wis., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Toy, game and puzzle manufacturer Patch Products announced that it has begun national distribution of the *NSYNC Backstage Pass(TM) game. Patch(R) obtained board game rights to the chart topping recording group *NSYNC in a deal with Winterland(TM), the worldwide leader in entertainment merchandising. With their new album "No Strings Attached" selling 1.3 million copies the day it was released and 7 million copies in eight weeks, pop sensation *NSYNC has earned a following of fans ages 7-20.  (PHOTO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000810/MNTH002 )  Patch is introducing the *NSYNC Backstage Pass(TM) game, filled with fun and juicy facts about the members of *NSYNC. In the game, fans test their *NSYNC knowledge with exclusive questions about heartthrobs Justin, JC, Lance, Joey and Chris. Players work their way from the last row of the stadium to the front, collect all the members of the group, and match their secret code to the Security Guard with the same code to get the Backstage Pass to win the game. For 2 to 4 fans, ages 8 and up. Suggested retail price is $24.  In writing the personal facts that make up the game, Patch posed the following question to *NSYNC frontman Justin Timberlake: What is your favorite board game of all time? Justin not knowing that Patch is the maker of the game, answered "TriBond!" Tim Walsh, TriBond inventor and VP of Product Development for Patch says, "That's when I knew this project was meant to fly. TriBond is the game that put Patch Products on the map, and the *NSYNC Backstage Pass game will turn heads to Patch as the innovative board game manufacturer of the future." Patch's TriBond(R), Blurt!(R), Mad Gab(R) and Malarky(TM) are all ranked among the top 30 best-selling adult board games.  Susan Valero, VP Licensing and Marketing for Winterland, says that Patch has developed a "truly innovative board game concept. We are very excited about working with them."  Winterland is a full service merchandising and manufacturing facility that caters to a wide range of music, entertainment and private label clients, both nationally and internationally. The Licensing Division represents such acts as *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Ricky Martin, Matchbox Twenty, Stone Temple Pilots and Led Zeppelin.  The *NSYNC Backstage Pass(TM) is available at retailers nationwide. For further information visit <http://www.patchproducts.com> or call 800-524-4263.  Contact: Dana Heideman of Patch Products, Inc., 608-362-6896 x 223