Nickelodeon Extends Partnership With Activision Publishing, Inc.; Publisher Signs On As Master Video Game Licensee For SpongeBob SquarePants

NEW YORK, July 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), today announced a new global, multi-year agreement to develop and publish video games featuring pop culture phenomenon SpongeBob SquarePants. The first game to be published in the new partnership will be SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge, an all-new action-adventure video game set to be released on Oct. 22 for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Wii U™ systems, and the Nintendo DS™ and 3DS™ handheld systems.

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"We are excited to expand our relationship with Activision for brand new SpongeBob video games," said Sherice Torres, Senior Vice President of Entertainment Products, Nickelodeon Consumer Products. "Plankton's Robotic Revenge captures the fun and excitement of SpongeBob and his pals, and gives fans a new way to experience the under the sea adventures of Bikini Bottom and its citizens."

SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge is a third-person, co-op gaming adventure, developed by Behaviour Interactive, which combines exploration, adventure and puzzle-solving.  In this original story, Sheldon J. Plankton – known for his obsession with stealing the Krusty Krab's secret formula – and his new legion of evil robots have destroyed the Krusty Krab and stolen the safe that houses the famous Krabby Patty formula. Fans can choose to play as SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Sandy or Mr. Krabs as they try to locate the hidden keys to the safe before the Krabby Patty formula is lost forever.

Since its launch in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has become one of the most beloved animated characters in TV history, and a global pop culture phenomenon. In its 14th year, the series continues to rank as the number-one animated series with kids 2-11 on all of television, as well as one of the most 'liked' animated series on Facebook, with more than 81 million fans. Over the past several years, SpongeBob has averaged more than 100 million total viewers every quarter across all Nickelodeon networks. SpongeBob SquarePants is executive produced by creator Stephen Hillenburg, who previously worked as a writer, director and creative director on Nickelodeon's animated series Rocko's Modern Life. Paul Tibbitt served as a director and writer on SpongeBob SquarePants for its first three seasons and is currently executive producer.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 34^th 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 and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B). 

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com. 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected release date are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc.  Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Nickelodeon