Further proving the growing importance of the casual games market, MTV Networks’ Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group today announced plans to invest $100 million over the next two years to develop and distribute casual gaming titles, sites and platforms. The announcement was made during a keynote address delivered by exec VP of digital media Steve Youngwood at the Casual Connect gaming conference in Seattle, Wash.
“Across all of MTVN’s online sites, gaming is an important original genre and we are committed to delivering fresh content to our audiences in all of our demos,” says Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group president Cyma Zarghami. “Particularly in the kids’ space, with more than 86% of kids 8-14 gaming online, we see great momentum for online casual gaming. This investment will not only benefit our audiences, but also our marketing and distribution partners.”
The sizeable investment will roll out over a number of Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group’s online initiatives. In addition to beefing up offerings on such existing sites as Nick.com, Nicktropolis, AddictingGames, Shockwave and subscription preschool service myNOGGIN, the unit will launch a subscription-based multiplayer games outlet dubbed Nick Gaming Club in first quarter 2008. Also coming in early 2008 is The-NGames.com, a major casual gaming site that will focus solely on teen girls. The-N.com, which previously served teens with such games as Slasher and Avatar Mall, will partner with AddictingGames to produce the new site.
This fall, Shockwave.com will become a games destination for families with strong ties to family-targeted brands within Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group. Shockwave will also increase its publishing of downloadable games with Carrie the Caregiver Episode 2: Preschool, scheduled to come out later this year.
Popular kids’ site Neopets.com will be transformed into Neostudios, which will focus on developing new virtual-world experiences while continuing to expand and evolve the existing ones. The first new franchise will launch at the end of 2008, with a new one to follow every other year.
Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group’s portfolio of online casual gaming properties generates nearly a billion game plays per month from both kid and adult audiences. MTV Networks continues to build a multi-dimensional games media network with acquired properties Xfire and GameTrailers.com, and content on branded sites including MTV.com and SpikeTV.com. The company also has a strong foothold in console-based and handheld gaming with MTV Games and Harmonix, creator of Guitar Hero and other popular music and rhythm titles.
