14 DAY TRIAL // MTV Networks, one of the subsidiaries of Viacom that has been already involved in the video game world, has announced that it is creating a new division, called 345 Games, which will create a number of small gaming experiences based around shows from channels like Spike TV and Comedy Central.
345 Games says that it plans to partner up with a number of independent developers for a number of its projects.
The company says any developer will “work in close collaboration with the networks' creative talent and will be supported by the networks' marketing, digital and publicity departments.”
Dan Yang, who is a senior vice president at MTV Networks and become the new general manager at 345 Games, says, “Comedy Central and Spike TV squarely target the video game audience. With the launch of 345 Games, we are tapping into the passionate fan base of both Comedy Central and Spike and creating an enhanced interactive experience based on our hit shows and brands.”
MTV Networks already has some games on sites like AddictingGames.com, Shockwave.com, Nick.com and Neopet and has also purchased a social platform last year, probably in order to create a unified platform for all the titles that can be played in a browser.
345 Games has already announced that it plans to launch Deadliest Warrior: Legends, a game which will arrive only on the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, aiming to capitalize on the success of the first game in the series, which got 400,000 downloads in 2010.
The new game will deliver “new fighting options, a more precise projectile system, more arenas and a new campaign mode.”
The creation of 345 Games is a sign that Viacom is interested in the gaming space in the long term after the company chose to sever its relation with Harmonix, the developer of the Rock Band franchise.