14 DAY TRIAL // THQ has announced that kids cable network channel Nickelodeon will provide inspiration for a variety of games. THQ also released data to show how the partnership between the two entities has generated 1 billion dollars in sales and has helped ship 50 million game units worldwide.
2008 will see a variety of games that borrow characters and settings from the kids channel. Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition will offer players the chance to draw their way through the Bikini world where Sponge Bob SquarePants resides. The main concept of the game is that, using the stylus of the Nintendo DS, players will be able to create a hero of their own and then battle Doodle Bob and his evil drawings to rescue SpongeBob and his friends.
Another SpongeBob game will bear the title SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom and will let the player guide an assortment of characters on a quest to defeat enemies called Morphoids. The game will feature location that should be familiar to all kids that watch the cartoons series, like Retroville, Amity Park and Bikini Bottom. The game will debut later in the year on the PS2, the Wii and the DS.
A game will also be made using the setting of the The Naked Brothers Band show from the TV network. 25 songs from the show will be used in a gameplay experience that is set to feature live concerts, videos, control of multiple instruments and control of various stage effects. The Naked Brothers Band game will be released for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS.
Nickelodeon seems very pleased with the lineup. Steve Youngwood, executive vice president, Digital Media for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family, stated that "Gaming is one of the primary activities of our audience, whether it's online or on the console. THQ's interactive video games based on our hit shows have continued to help Nickelodeon maintain its position as a leader in gaming entertainment for the family, and we look forward to the addition of these new releases to our library".