Nickelodeon and PlayFirst Release SpongeBob SquarePants Diner Dash Nick Arcade Game
Latest Nick Arcade Offering Marks First Nick Partnership with PlayFirst
New York, NY - May 9, 2006 - Nickelodeon,
the number-one entertainment brand for kids, has joined
forces with PlayFirst, the leading full-service publisher of
casual games, to launch a new, downloadable SpongeBob
SquarePants Diner Dash game. SpongeBob
SquarePants Diner Dash launches on game portals all over the
U.S. this month, and will also roll out in international
markets in the months to come. It is the latest title to join
Nick Arcade, Nickelodeon's paid downloadable game service on
www.nickarcade.com, and PlayFirst's
portfolio of innovative original and licensed casual
games.
"Joining one of the top properties for kids - SpongeBob
SquarePants - with one of the top casual games in the market
- Diner Dash - is a significant step in the expansion of
Nickelodeon's casual gaming business," said Paul Jelinek,
vice president, Digital Media Products, Nickelodeon Networks.
"PlayFirst has demonstrated that they understand how to tap
the exploding mass market interest in interactive
entertainment. This launch will continue to grow the kids'
demographic for casual downloadable games."
"SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most popular properties
in the world, and we are thrilled to bring it into our family
of engaging, accessible downloadable games," said Rich
Roberts, vice president, sales and business development,
PlayFirst. "We joined forces with Nickelodeon to combine the
excitement of Diner Dash with the fantastical world of Bikini
Bottom to deliver a new experience that all ages will
enjoy."
PlayFirst's Diner Dash has become one of the most popular
games on the Web with more than 100 million plays worldwide.
The orginal hit game follows Flo as she grows her fledgling
diner into a five-star restaurant, satisfying customers of
all types along the way. SpongeBob SquarePants Diner Dash
will feature the same classic game mechanic and fast-paced
fun of the original game with the characters from Bikini
Bottom and sponge worthy storylines.
Nick Arcade, available on www.nickarcade.com, has
served over 20 million downloads in the past year. Nick
Arcade features more than 80 family-friendly games, including
popular Nick-content like "Danny Phantom Ghost Frenzy" and
"Dora's Carnival Adventure" and non-branded favorites like
"Feeding Frenzy" and "Magic Ball 2." All Nick Arcade games
are available for download on a try-before-you-buy model, and
are priced at an average of twenty dollars to own. A
first-ever kids' downloadable games subscription for $7.95
per month-the "Nick Arcade Pass"-is also available for Nick
Arcade visitors. This pass offers members a new downloadable
game of their choice each month that is theirs to keep, a
variety of discounts on other games, and discounts on
clothing and other items available in the Nick Shop.
Launched in July 1999, the Emmy-nominated series, SpongeBob
SquarePants has been the most watched animated series for
kids on television for the past six years. SpongeBob
SquarePants is consistently one of the top rated kids' shows
on television, with the Saturday play of the series ranking
as the number one rated program among Kids 2-11. Nearly 69
million viewers tune into the show each month, making it the
most watched show on Nickelodeon among Total Viewers (ages
two and up) including 24.7 million Kids 2-11, 14.7 million
Tweens 9-14 and 33.4 million Adults 18+. (Source: Nielsen
Media Research - April 2006). SpongeBob's adult viewers also
continue to tune-in and have increased by +66% since the
premiere of the show in 1999.
About PlayFirst, Inc.
PlayFirst is the
leading publisher of highly-original games made for casual
gamers wherever they play. Committed to fostering creativity,
PlayFirst works with talented internal and external
developers to bring innovative games to multiple platforms,
including PC, Mac and mobile. PlayFirst's portfolio of games
includes the record-breaking hit Diner Dash which has
more than 100 million plays worldwide. Founded in 2004,
PlayFirst is funded by Mayfield Fund, Trinity Ventures and
Rustic Canyon Partners. For more information visit http://www.playfirst.com.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, in its 27th 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 89
million households and has been the number-one-rated basic
cable network for more than ten consecutive years.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are
trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B).
DINER DASH and PLAYFIRST are trademarks of PlayFirst,
Inc.