Activision Publishing Partners With Nickelodeon on Global Licensing Deal Around Network’s Hit TV Series iCarly

Posted on May 13, 2009 by Brian(@NE_Brian) in DS, News, Wii

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 13, 2009 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), and Nickelodeon today announced a global partnership where the two companies will create an all-new videogame based on the number-one live-action kids’ television show iCarly. Releasing internationally this Fall, the videogame will bring the interactive elements from the series to WiiTM and Nintendo DSTM for the first time.
“iCarly is a groundbreaking show that encourages viewers to contribute content of their own,” said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. “This game is a natural extension of that creativity, and allows players to interact with the characters they know and love through a variety of different ways, any time they like.”
“In order to make a property as huge and irreverent as iCarly into a videogame, we tapped into the interactive model of the show itself,” said Steve Youngwood, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “iCarly’s entire premise is to allow kids and tweens to actively participate in their entertainment experience, and Activision is doing a phenomenal job in recreating that for WiiTM and Nintendo DSTM systems.”
In the iCarly videogame, the possibilities are truly endless as players help Carly, Sam, Freddie and the other characters from the hit TV series craft all-new webisodes of the show in an original storyline designed specifically for the game. Fun and frenetic mini-games, presented as show skits, capture the creativity of the series, and allow players to work with the characters through new adventures. The innovative iCreate mode provides opportunities for gamers to add their own touches to the webisodes by swapping out props, characters, color schemes, audio, intros, outros and more. Up to four players can either compete or cooperate together on Wii to complete the skits and earn Web-Cred, which can then be used to purchase new items, props, accessories and locations from in-game websites.
Nickelodeon’s iCarly, a web show within a show, is the number-one live-action program on all of broadcast and basic cable television with kids and tweens, and the top kid-targeted live action series on basic cable with total viewers. It averages nearly 26 million total viewers each week (source: Nielsen Media Research). The show’s companion website www.iCarly.com recently boasted its best month ever in March among total visits, visitors and page views (source: comScore Media Metrix March 2009).
For more information visit www.activision.com.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 98 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com/. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B).
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard’s success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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