SCi obtains 11 new licenses as part of new deal with Warner Bros.

SCi Entertainment has picked up 11 new licenses, including Looney-Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and The OC, as part of a new deal with Warner Bros. worth GBP 44.5 million (Euro 66.4 million).

The deal sees WB acquiring a ten per cent stake in the company, subscribing at GBP 5.02 (7.49 Euro) per share.

"We continue to build a broad portfolio with a very strong focus on original IPs supported by strong licences," SCi CFO Rob Murphy told GamesIndustry.biz.

"The WB licences reflect the broadening demographics of games buyers and should be particularly well suited to new platforms such as the Wii and DS."

Under the terms of the deal, SCi's publishing label, Eidos, will create games based on Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales for handheld consoles.

SCi also has the right to produce up to ten games based on Hanna-Barbera characters including Tom and Jerry, the Flintstones, Wacky Races and Yogi Bear, plus titles based on DC Comics's Batman character and hit TV show The OC.

In addition, SCi has acquired the licenses for animated TV programmes Loonatics Unleashed and Legion of Super Heroes.

SCi will produce up to 20 games in total across current and next-gen platforms, and Warner Bros. will provide primary distribution and media buying services to Eidos in the US. The games will be developed at both internal and third-party studios, and will be released from 2008 onwards.

"These agreements represent a further step in SCi's development as one of the world's leading publishers of interactive entertainment," SCi chief executive Jane Cavanagh said in a statement.

"The share subscription will provide SCi with the firepower to accelerate growth initiatives such as increasing our development capacity and our new media and online strategies."