THQ Announces $1B In Nickelodeon Sales, New SpongeBob Drawn To Life

Agoura Hills-based publisher THQ has formally announced that its longstanding partnership with kids cable network channel Nickelodeon has resulted in over $1 billion in sales for over 50 million units worldwide. The company also revealed its forthcoming lineup of PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and Wii games based on popular Nickelodeon shows like The Naked Brothers Band and Avatar. Most notably, the company plans to release a new version of its 5th Cell developed Drawn To Life title taking place in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe. The full details of the 2008 slate from the company are as follows: - Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition -- Players will experience SpongeBob SquarePants like never before by using the unique drawing mechanic perfected in last year’s innovative Nintendo DS title, Drawn to Life, to draw their own character and populate the world of Bikini Bottom. Using the Nintendo DS stylus, players will create their own hero, defeat DoodleBob’s rogue drawings, and rescue SpongeBob and his friends. Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition is scheduled for release on Nintendo DS. - The Naked Brothers Band: The Videogame (working title) -- Based on the highly popular Nickelodeon TV show of the same name, this music-based video game allows players to live the superstar life of The Naked Brothers Band. Playing as the band, players will embark on a nationwide tour where they can experience all aspects of being in the band: singing, playing multiple instruments, controlling stage effects like lighting and pyrotechnics and even creating live concert videos. Featuring 25 of The Naked Brothers Band’s greatest hits, The Naked Brothers Band is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Wii and Nintendo DS. - Avatar - The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno -- Players will play as Aang and friends in this action-packed video game based on the final season of the highly acclaimed TV series. New gameplay features will allow players to interact with characters from the TV show while performing thrilling martial arts moves with enhanced Wii Remote controls in order to defeat the Fire Nation. Avatar - The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Wii and Nintendo DS. - SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom -- SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom is an action-packed adventure featuring 10 playable characters from some of the most popular Nickelodeon TV shows, as well as numerous iconic locations such as Retroville, Amity Park and Bikini Bottom. Players will play cooperatively as both heroes and villains while utilizing special gadgets in order to defeat the Morphoids. SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Wii and Nintendo DS. - Tak and the Guardians of Gross -- Tak and the Guardians of Gross follows the shaman’s apprentice as he visits the Spoiled Shrine and accidentally removes a strange crystal that explodes and releases the four giant Grosstrosities. Using all new “parkour” style of gameplay, players will be running on walls, sliding down poles, and swinging on vines to navigate action-packed levels. Tak and the Guardians of Gross is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and on Wii. In addition, Tak Mojo Mistake is scheduled for release on Nintendo DS. - Back at the Barnyard: Slop Bucket Games (working title) -- The popular Nickelodeon series stampedes its way onto Nintendo DS for the first time. Players will compete in the first annual Slop Bucket Games – a series of wacky, fun, sporting events and reinvented classic arcade games with barnyard motifs. Back at the Barnyard is scheduled for release on Nintendo DS only. “Gaming is one of the primary activities of our audience, whether it’s online or on the console,” said Steve Youngwood, executive vice president, Digital Media for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family. “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.”