Kotaku
Never underestimate the power of the licensed children's video game. For every one of us who laughs at the very thought of THQ's upcoming The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game, there are ten children who would savagely tear off your limbs to get their hands on it. THQ, Nickelodeon's long-standing partner in the game-space have revealed just how lucrative the market for licensed Nick-fodder has been for them over the years, claiming sails of over $ billion and 50 million units worldwide. The 2008 lineup features said Nakie Brothers game, a concert tour sim, SpongeBob's Drawn to Life, and games based on their Avatar, Back At The Barnyard, and Tak and the Power of Juju shows. Wait, a Tak game based on the TV show based on the video game? Tak has truly gone full circle. Such is the power of the juju.
THQ's Nickelodeon Portfolio Surpasses Billion Dollar Mark as Company Announces Extensive New Lineup for 2008First-Ever The Naked Brothers Band Video Game Puts Kids on Nationwide Concert Tour Where They Play Instruments, Control the Stage Shows and Create Music Videos
AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced its upcoming portfolio of video games based on the company's long-standing relationship with Nickelodeon. THQ's longstanding partnership with Nickelodeon has resulted in sales of more than $1 billion and accounted for more than 50 million units worldwide.
This year's feature titles include the video game debut of The Naked Brothers Band. The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game (working title) is based on the highly rated TV show that follows the lives of a kids' rock band fronted by real-life brothers Nat and Alex Wolff. In addition, SpongeBob SquarePants will take on a new creative form this year in Drawn to Life™: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition. Based on last year's top selling Drawn to Life™ video game for Nintendo DS™, the game will allow players to draw their own characters and populate the world of Bikini Bottom with their own creativity. The 2008 portfolio will also include new games based on leading Nickelodeon TV shows Tak and the Power of Juju, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Back At The Barnyard. Nickelodeon fans can also look forward to a new installment of the popular Nicktoons.
"With the enormous popularity of Wii™ and DS coupled with our exceptionally diverse portfolio of Nickelodeon-based games, THQ continues to lead in family entertainment," said Jim Huntley, director, global brand management, THQ. "Featuring new forms of gameplay such as the music-based The Naked Brothers Band and the drawing-based Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition, we expect our upcoming titles to offer completely new ways for families to play together."
"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."
The 2008 Nickelodeon portfolio is scheduled for release in Fall 2008 across multiple game systems, including the Wii™ video game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo DS. For more information on THQ's Nickelodeon titles and the rest of THQ's family product lineup, please visit www.playthq.com.
Comments
Nick-Nick-Nick-Nick Nick-Nick-Nick-Nick Nickelodeon!
I would have been all over a Pinwheel game if they released one for the ColecoVision.
Sails? $ Billion? Nakie? Was this post proof-read at all?
It's a shame they never managed to make a Doug game.
Attack its weak point for for massive damage!
The Spongebob games aren't half bad. Sometimes you need a nice, relatively easy platformer from time to time.
Am I the only one still blown away by the Tak stuff?
After seeing my little nephews reduced to a mindless trance state by the likes of SpongeBob, Barney, and Teletubbies, I will never again doubt the mind control qualities of kiddie brain crap.
People blame the Wii for shovelware. This is your proof as to why that's most certainly not the case.
It sells, a lot. So they make it.
For EVERY console.
There should have totally been a Nick Arcade game back in the day. How surreal would that have been? A video game about a game show where you play video games? Maybe one of the arcade challenges could be a version of the Nick Arcade game where you play yourself. So you could feasibly be yourself playing yourself playing yourself playing yourself... like a techo M. C. Escher experience!
But the more I think about it... the more disappointed I am because you can never accurately recreate The Video Zone in the comfort of your home... or can you? With Wii Remotes and Vision Cams as PS Eyes... we could totally do this!
Tak was alright actually.
They need to make a sim game where you play as a Nickelodeon executive where you don't advertise any decent shows, cancel said shows because of ratings, and constantly delay new episodes of the ones left in order to air the new Spongebob episode complete with Patchy the Pirate doing his annoying thing "for the kids" because you're absolutely sure they love it.
Also fun would be riding on any success Disney might have.
@CivilD: They are commonly refered to as the Nakie bros. my 8 year old daughter and her friends call them that. so lay off and stop correcting the articles and maybe even get a life?
This is why i'll never have full respect for THQ. Some of these games are unforgivable.
Those poor, poor kids.
The Tak games made by Avalanche are actually really fun. Its to bad they are owned by Disney now and therefore not making the new game.
They should make a Naked Brothers Band GFDM/Rock Band/GH-style game. That would sell like hotcakes to the under-10 crowd that actually likes the trash they try to pass off as music.
I haven't played any Nickelodeon games that I am aware of. Though, I will have a look at SpongeBob Drawn to Life. DoodleBob is a great character.
Working retail, I find this easy to believe. Now if only they'd make a Salute your Shorts and/or Pete & Pete party game for the Wii.
@tawni: Touchy much?
Oh, and apparently there is a Doug game for the Game Boy Color, but apparently it also stinks. Oh well.
Are you kidding? They actually have a Naked brothers band video game?
I truly feel bad for all the parents who will waste all their money on buying such things for their kids for Christmas. not only will it be painful for the parents to buy, but they will also get NO recognition for it, because the kids think santa gave it to them.
How sad :(
I loved Spongebob games though when I was younger, but that was back in the days when my PC was pimpin 128 Gigs of ram and 5 gigs of Hard drive space....
OOPS!! Its supposed 2 be 128 MEGS of ram. Dont kill me.
I used to love spongebob games, but that was way back in the day when my PC was pimpin 128 MB of RAM and a 5 gig hard drive
I hate the name "The Naked Brothers Band". It's not something that I would want to listen to or watch.
@TheMysteriousStranger: It sounds like something I'd watch, but that's another story...
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