Frontier announces new Aardman license

Cambridge-based games development company Frontier has announced an extension of its partnership with Aardman Animation, acquiring the worldwide rights to publish mobile games based on the Creature Comforts TV shows.

Frontier chairman David Braben commented "We are proud to extend our creative partnership with Aardman on Creature Comforts - the superbly observed, family-friendly characters embody a very British, clever, quirky humour and our games will of course emphasise their appeal."

Creature comforts places every-day takes on real-life in the animated personas of various animals, and drew an average audience of 8 million when it was first aired on ITV - an astonishing 49 percent of the British population tuned into the series, which peaked at 9.35 million viewers.

The second series is due to begin airing on ITV at the end of October, and Frontier hopes to launch the mobile games to coincide with the start of the new series. The company recently announced the first ever mobile game featuring Wallace and Gromit, another of Aardman's cult franchises, which will launch in conjunction with the duo's cinematic debut in Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-rabbit.

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit has already been licensed worldwide to mobile operators, reaching a potential audience of over 300 million customers. Frontier has also developed the console version of the game, which is available on both Xbox and PS2.

Frontier has the distinct advantage of a pedigree history in collaborating with Aardman Animations, having developed console title Wallace and Gromit: Project Zoo, which was nominated for a BAFTA in 2003. Precise details regarding the content of the Creature Comforts mobile game have yet to be released, but a website has been launched for customers to register interest in the title before it hits market in November