NVCP, 2K Play Expand Video-Game Partnership

LONDON/NEW YORK/NÜRNBERG, February 11: Nickelodeon &
Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) and 2K Play have expanded their current
handheld and console video-game licensing agreement for the company’s multiple
preschool properties in the U.S. to cover 28 additional territories throughout
Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Canada.

This new three-year international agreement between NVCP and
2K Play covers four popular Nickelodeon properties: Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, Wonder Pets and The
Backyardigans. Under the new deal, these
properties will be licensed for the first time as console games on Nintendo DS,
the Playstation 2 computer entertainment system and the Wii home video game
system from Nintendo.

Dora Saves the Mermaids and
Go, Diego, Go! Safari
Rescue will be the first Nickelodeon gaming
titles to launch internationally this spring. Dora Saves the Mermaids is slated to roll out on Nintendo DS and Playstation
2 in Australia and the U.K. in early March, while Go, Diego, Go! Safari Rescue is set to launch on Nintendo DS, Playstation 2 and Wii in early March
in the U.K. and in late April in France.

Last week Nickelodeon and 2K Play announced that Go,
Diego, Go! Safari Rescue for the Wii and PlayStation 2 gaming
systems will be available tomorrow at retailers in North America. The
title represents the Wii platform’s first game engineered specifically for
preschoolers and is based on extensive Nickelodeon in-home research that focused
on how to best match the abilities and needs of younger children with the
capabilities of the platform.

“The expansion of our partnership with 2K Play reflects
NVCP’s strategic commitment to growing our casual gaming business and
leveraging this exciting platform to deliver an even more dynamic and
interactive experience to our worldwide audience,” commented Arwed-Ralf
Grenzbach, NVCP’s VP of videogames, music and special products. “2K Play’s
global expertise and innovative leadership is a perfect compliment to our
beloved characters and their broad consumer appeal.”

—By Irene Lew